Toprak Razgatlioglu’s march toward the 2025 WorldSBK crown gathered even more momentum at the Circuito do Estoril, as the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team star produced another masterclass performance. Setting a new lap record in Tissot Superpole, the Turkish rider then followed it up with his 20th victory of the season, delivering near perfection in front of a packed Portuguese crowd.
Race 1: Chaos, Class, and Control
The opening moments were dramatic. A five-rider collision at Turn 1 brought out the red flag, halting proceedings almost immediately. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Bonovo Racing), Tetsuta Nagashima (Honda HRC), and Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing) were all caught up in the incident — fortunately, all riders walked away.
After a brief delay, the race was restarted and shortened to 20 laps. When the lights went out for the second time, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati duo made a blistering getaway. Alvaro Bautista surged to the front — leading for the first time since the season opener — with teammate Nicolo Bulega close behind.
However, it didn’t take long for Razgatlioglu to make his move. On Lap 3, the championship leader swept past both Ducatis, taking command of the race and never relinquishing the lead.
Bulega’s mid-race pace briefly threatened to reel in the BMW, but fading front grip in the closing laps forced the Italian to back off and settle for second place — taking 20 valuable championship points. Bautista, meanwhile, was forced to fend off relentless pressure from Jonathan Rea in the opening half of the race. The Spaniard ran wide at Turn 1 on Lap 12 but recovered well to secure the final podium spot.
Behind the leading trio, Andrea Locatelli delivered another solid ride to finish fourth, just ahead of Alex Lowes and Rea, who crossed the line sixth after a strong early showing.
Championship Picture
Razgatlioglu’s relentless form now sees him extend his advantage over Bulega to 41 points with just five races remaining. Despite missing the round through injury, Danilo Petrucci was officially awarded the Best Independent Rider of the Year title — a testament to his consistent campaign.
In the Manufacturers’ Championship, BMW continues to close the gap, now sitting just one point behind Ducati, setting the stage for a thrilling finale.
Toprak Razgatlioglu – P1 (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
“At the beginning everything felt under control, but midway through the race Nicolo had a bit more grip. By the end, both of us were sliding a lot, but I managed to stay ahead. I’m very happy — another win, but two tough races still to come tomorrow.”
Nicolo Bulega – P2 (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“It’s a good result, but I wanted more. Toprak was really strong today. I lost time early on, and once he was ahead, it was tough to close the gap. In the final laps, I felt a big drop in front grip, so I had to manage it carefully. We’ll fight back tomorrow.”
Alvaro Bautista – P3 (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“It was important for me to finish with strong points. I didn’t make mistakes and kept calm even when the bike wasn’t easy to ride. The pace was decent, but today the maximum was third. Tomorrow I’ll keep the same approach and aim for another podium.”
Race 1 Results
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.948s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +14.729s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +16.563s
5. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +17.044s
6. Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +18.575s
Debise Delivers as Manzi Edges Closer to the Title
The WorldSSP category served up another thriller at Estoril — an 18-lap battle featuring eight lead changes and relentless action from start to finish. In the end, it was Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) who emerged victorious, taking his second career win by just four tenths of a second.
Both Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team riders, Can Oncu and Alberto Surra, took early control before Debise hit the front on Lap 4. From there, the Frenchman managed the pace perfectly, despite fierce pressure from Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing), who charged through the field from the fifth row of the grid.
In the closing laps, the leading trio — Debise, Manzi, and Oncu — broke clear from the pack, finishing almost two seconds ahead of Philipp Oettl, Lucas Mahias, and Surra.
Further back, title contender Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) suffered heartbreak after a late crash at Turn 6 while battling for eighth, dropping him out of the points and losing ground in the standings.
Raffaele De Rosa (QJMOTOR Factory Racing), despite a three-place grid penalty, finished ninth and claimed top honours among the WorldSSP Challenge riders. Roberto Garcia (GMT94 Yamaha) set the fastest lap, earning himself pole position for Race 2 ahead of Debise and Oncu.
Championship Picture
With three races to go, Manzi holds a narrow one-point lead over Oncu and can clinch the title this weekend if he leaves Estoril with a 50-point cushion.
Meanwhile, Jaume Masia’s eighth-place finish lifts him into third in the standings, four points clear of Booth-Amos.
Valentin Debise – P1 (Renzi Corse)
“I’m really happy — this win feels fantastic. We struggled yesterday, but the team made great changes overnight. I felt confident and strong in the race, and when I saw the others fighting, I pushed hard to create a gap and manage it to the line.”
Stefano Manzi – P2 (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)
“It was a fun and hard race. We improved the bike a lot this morning, and I had a really good feeling. I wanted to win, but second is still valuable for the championship. We’ll push again tomorrow and see what happens.”
Race 1 Results
1. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse)
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.440s
3. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +0.814s
4. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +2.616s
5. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +2.667s
6. Alberto Surra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +3.122s
Vannucci Doubles Up as Title Battle Heats Up in WorldSSP300
In the WorldSSP300 category, Matteo Vannucci (PATA AG Motorsport Italia) continued his stunning run of form, backing up his pole position with another hard-fought victory. The Italian led a frantic 12-lap race that featured ten different lead changes, ultimately crossing the line three-tenths clear to claim back-to-back wins.
Behind him, the MTM Kawasaki pairing of Carter Thompson and Loris Veneman fought tooth and nail to the finish, with Thompson narrowly grabbing second place in a drag race to the flag.
Championship leader Benat Fernandez (Team #109 Retro Traffic Kove) came home fourth but will start from pole in Race 2 thanks to his fastest lap. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) led briefly with three laps remaining but slipped to fifth at the flag after an intense front-group tussle.
Championship Picture
Fernandez’s consistent points haul sees him extend his championship advantage to 15 points, while Thompson’s runner-up finish moves him into second overall.
Vannucci’s consecutive victories close the gap further — the Italian now sits 36 points off the lead and very much back in contention.
Matteo Vannucci – P1 (PATA AG Motorsport Italia)
“I’m super happy — pole position yesterday and the win today. It was tougher than Aragon because the group was bigger, and I don’t really enjoy big pack races, but I stayed smart and made it work. A great result for the team!”
Race 1 Results
1. Matteo Vannucci (PATA AG Motorsport Italia WorldSSP300)
2. Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) +0.304s
3. Loris Veneman (EAB Racing Team) +0.336s
4. Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) +0.360s
5. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) +0.517s
6. Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI) +0.642s
Images WorldSBK
