Bulega was unstoppable at Phillip Island—he clinched the Superpole and followed it up with a commanding race win.
On a scorching day at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was simply unbeatable—dominating both the Tissot Superpole and the opening race of the 2025 WorldSBK season.
Tissot Superpole Highlights
During an interrupted session, Bulega clinched pole position with a stunning lap of 1’28.824, leaving Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) trailing behind. Ducati continued to shine as Alvaro Bautista led a second-row lock-out ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing). Unfortunately, a crash at Turn 10 involving Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) brought out the red flag and ended his weekend with a foot injury.
Race 1 Highlights
Bulega translated his pole position into an early lead in the race. The Italian rider, who’s been setting the pace throughout the weekend, quickly built a commanding advantage over the field. He led the opening eight laps before making a timely pit stop for a mandatory tyre change. On Lap 11, Bulega reclaimed the lead and never looked back, controlling the race right to the chequered flag.
Andrea Iannone, who had a fast start and was his closest rival on the opening lap, ran wide on Lap 2—allowing Bulega to extend his lead further. Toprak Razgatlioglu initially chased Bulega but dropped to fourth before the pit window. A swift pit stop helped him claw his way up to finish in second, holding off Bautista to secure valuable runner-up points. Scott Redding, returning to Ducati, turned his second-row start into a top-five finish with a combative race, constantly battling for a podium spot. Marking bimota’s return to WorldSBK, both Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani managed top-ten finishes—eighth and ninth respectively. Home favorite Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) crashed out at Turn 4 on the opening lap and eventually retired with a technical issue.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati):
“I’m really happy with today’s performance. My Monday test had me feeling strong, and every time I get on the bike I know exactly what I need to do. I’m enjoying every lap and proud of what we’re achieving this week. I wasn’t completely relaxed before the race, knowing some aggressive riders were right beside me at the start, but I stayed calm and focused. I got off to a great start and finished strong. If I can keep this momentum, I’m confident about the rest of the weekend—I want to maintain this position.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team):
“I’m feeling great—finally, I’m starting to smile again. I didn’t expect this result, but we really did well today. My team kept tweaking the bike every session, and although I wasn’t strong at the start, I found better grip and the bike turned more sharply as the race progressed—maybe due to lower fuel levels. I managed to finish P2 again, which is ideal, even though all the Ducatis blasted past me on the straight at the start. Now, I’m focused on finding my rhythm. We’re making progress every session, even if it’s just small steps, and with two more races tomorrow, we’ll see where it takes us.”
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati):
“We definitely had a better start than last year, and I’m pleased with our progress. Our confidence in the bike is growing, despite the extreme conditions today—it was both scorching hot and very windy. When the bike leaned heavily, the wind would push it off course, and I almost went off track a couple of times at the exit of Turns 2 and 3. It wasn’t the most comfortable ride under those conditions. I pushed hard until the end, but given the circumstances, it was smarter to secure a solid race and grab some points, waiting for the right moment to push harder. It’s essential to finish the weekend strong and build a solid foundation for the upcoming races.”
Superpole Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’28.824s
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.094s
3. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) +0.442s
Race 1 Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +4.811s
3. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +5.108s
4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +6.813s
5. Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) +6.986s
6. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) +7.548s
Manzi clinches his first victory on the Yamaha R9.
On the debut outing of the Yamaha YZF R9, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) delivered a memorable win for the Japanese manufacturer. Despite starting from eighth on the grid, the Italian rider quickly moved to the front and was competing for the lead right from the beginning of the 18-lap race.
Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) led the opening laps, but eventually finished in fifth. Meanwhile, a 3.510-second penalty for a pit intervention error pushed WorldSSP debutant Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) from a potential podium finish down to sixth—despite the 2023 Moto3 World Champion leading four laps on an impressive debut.
After the race, Manzi expressed his joy:
“It’s fantastic to start the season with a win. Kicking off this new journey with a victory on our new bike is an amazing feeling. I want to thank Yamaha and the team for all the hard work behind the scenes—it made today possible. The race was tough and the pit stop really split the field, but I managed to come out on top. I had a hard time during the winter tests in Spain and again today, and I wasn’t the fastest in Superpole, but we closed the gap, and this win shows that all our effort is paying off.”
Race 1 Results
1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)
2. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +0.322s
3. Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) +0.480s
4. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.447s
5. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +2.513s
6. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) +3.527s
Official WorldSBK Press Release
