The Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round got underway in dramatic fashion as WorldSBK rolled into the sun-drenched Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli for the first day of action. With track temperatures soaring past 30°C, the championship officially hit its summer stride, and the on-track action was just as heated as the asphalt.
Local favorite Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped the timesheets on Friday, but not without a fierce challenge from Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). The two frontrunners exchanged fastest laps across both Free Practice sessions, engaging in a tactical duel that saw Toprak strike first in FP1. However, Bulega responded in kind during FP2, posting the day’s quickest time—a blistering 1’32.722. The pair swapped fastest times no fewer than four times in the afternoon, setting up what promises to be a thrilling battle for the rest of the weekend.
For Ducati, Friday was a strong homecoming. Alongside Bulega’s benchmark time, reigning champion Alvaro Bautista slotted into third place, delivering a solid performance despite changing track conditions. Further bolstering Ducati’s presence, the Barni Spark Racing Team riders—Yari Montella and Danilo Petrucci—put in impressive showings to finish fourth and sixth respectively, highlighting the depth of talent in the Italian manufacturer’s ranks.
Over at Yamaha, it was a mixed bag. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) showed promise but was hampered by a pair of crashes in FP2. The most severe came at Turn 13, where Gardner’s day was prematurely cut short by a heavy fall. He had been the quickest Yamaha rider up until that point.
The bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team had reason to be encouraged, with both Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani finding competitive pace. Lowes ended the day seventh fastest, while Bassani wasn’t far behind, underlining the team’s progress since the start of the season.
Rider Reactions – Friday at Misano
P1 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati):
“We made a small but important improvement between FP1 and FP2, which gave me a better feeling on the bike. That said, I’m still not entirely comfortable—there are some areas where my riding isn’t as precise as I’d like. It’s clear we’ve got a strong base, but we’re not at 100% yet. The recent test here helped, but the conditions this weekend are very different. The heat and reduced grip mean we need to adjust. Still, the work is going well, and I’m confident we can take another step tomorrow.”
P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team):
“We’ve made a positive start to the weekend, and the pace is decent—but Nicolo is very fast, no doubt. In FP2, when I went out on a second fresh tyre, something felt off. I had no grip and couldn’t figure out why. That’s something we’ll need to investigate. If we can find just a bit more, I believe we can fight for the win. I also expect Alvaro to be in the mix because he’s strong at this circuit. The bike is still not exactly how I want it, but we’re improving step by step. I’m giving it everything and working hard with the team to find a setup that lets me ride more naturally. Hopefully, tomorrow it’s another head-to-head with Bulega.”
P3 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati):
“We started with the setup we used at the recent test, and it worked well in the cooler conditions this morning. But once the track got hotter in the afternoon, I tried switching to the harder front tyre, and that didn’t work for me—I lacked grip mid-corner and couldn’t push. We reverted to the softer front compound, and I managed to do a longer run, which gave us some solid data. Overall, it wasn’t a bad day. In FP1 we were only three-tenths off the top, and the pace was consistent. In FP2, though, Bulega pulled ahead by nearly a second. We need to tweak the bike overnight to close that gap.”
P4 – Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team):
“We’ve made a definite step forward compared to the test. FP1 was a bit tricky—the track felt slightly different, and it took some time to adapt. But I was happy to see that we matched our testing pace, regularly hitting low 1’34s. That’s encouraging. I also had a go with the qualifying tyre, and we saw a nice gain there. It would be useful if more riders tested that tyre so we can compare more accurately. All in all, a positive Friday, but we need to stay grounded. The plan is to keep chipping away, session by session, and stay in the fight.”
Combined Results after FP2
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’32.722s
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.190s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.650s
4. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.918s
5. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.947s
6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +1.000s
Breakthrough Superpole for Masia at Misano
Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) stole the spotlight during Superpole at the Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, delivering a stunning performance to secure his first-ever World Supersport Superpole. After stringing together a series of fast laps, the Spaniard was rewarded with his maiden pole position—a landmark achievement in his WorldSSP career. Following his race victory in Most just two weeks ago, Masia now continues his momentum with a career-first front row start, firmly establishing himself as a rising contender in the championship.
Lining up beside Masia on the front row will be Matteo Casadei (Motozoo ME AIR Racing), who impressed immediately on his first appearance of the 2025 season. The Italian rider, known for his pace in the MotoE World Championship, adapted quickly to the WorldSSP machine and was just over a tenth of a second shy of Masia’s pole time. His return to racing couldn’t have been scripted better as he secures an excellent grid position for Sunday’s race.
It was a far more complicated session for Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing), who currently leads the World Supersport standings. A crash at Turn 16 midway through the session derailed his momentum, costing him valuable time. However, the Ten Kate Racing crew worked swiftly to repair his Yamaha and get him back out on track. Manzi responded admirably, clocking some of his best sector times late in the session. But drama struck again: a yellow flag at Turn 14, triggered by a crash from Lucas Mahias (GMT-94 Yamaha), resulted in Manzi’s fifth-fastest lap being deleted, demoting him to the fourth row on the grid. It was a tough blow for the Italian, who had hoped to qualify closer to the front at his home race.
Meanwhile, Can Öncü (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) continued his consistent Superpole form. The Turkish rider was particularly strong through Sector 1, where he set the fastest split of anyone. Despite that early speed, his overall lap time left him fifth fastest after 19 laps of qualifying efforts. Still, it marks another solid qualifying result for Öncü, who has now maintained a perfect streak of top-five Superpole finishes this season.
P1 – Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura):
“I’m really happy with how today went. The feeling on the bike was great, and we’ve been improving step by step throughout the weekend. The team did an amazing job with the setup, and we’ve got a solid base heading into the race. Starting from the front row is always a good advantage, especially for the opening laps—it gives us a better chance to control the pace early on. The biggest challenge will be at the end of the race with the heat and tyre wear, particularly the rear. That’s something we’re preparing for, and we’ll keep working hard to be ready.”
1. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) 1’37.119
2. Mattia Casadei (Motozoo ME Air Racing) +0.168s
3. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.234s
4. Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) +0.276s
5. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +0.394s
6. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) +0.421s
Torres Clinches First Career Pole in WorldSSP300 Thriller at Misano
The 2025 WorldSSP300 season continues to deliver unpredictability and tight competition, as Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI) became the fourth different rider in as many rounds to secure pole position. Under clear skies at the Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli, Torres clocked a blistering 1’49.152, putting him over a tenth clear of the rest of the field.
The Spanish rider’s breakthrough performance not only marks his maiden pole in the category, but also confirms ProDina XCI Kawasaki’s strong form heading into Sunday’s race. With Torres leading the way, the front row will feature three different manufacturers, a testament to the competitiveness of the 2025 grid.
Lining up alongside Torres will be Matteo Vannucci (PATA AG Motorsport Italia WorldSSP300), who gave the home crowd something to cheer about by securing second place for Yamaha. Completing the front row is Benat Fernandez(Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove), who continues to make strides aboard the Kove machine—delivering a key qualifying result for the Chinese manufacturer’s campaign.
It wasn’t the smoothest of sessions for championship leader Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing), who will start from the third row of the grid. The Dutchman, a two-time World Champion, was unable to extract the ultimate pace from his KTM and will need to rely on race craft to work his way forward in the pack.
Just behind him on the grid is Juan Risueno (MS Racing), who produced his best Superpole performance of the seasonby qualifying eighth. The result offers a much-needed confidence boost for the Spanish youngster, who will be hoping to break into the top five come race day.
P1 – Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI):
“I’m incredibly happy—it’s my first pole position in WorldSSP300, and the feeling is just amazing. It’s a big moment for me and the team. We worked really well today, even though free practice wasn’t easy. Both my teammates, Julio Garcia and David Salvador, were very fast and pushed me to raise my level. In Superpole, Salvador was especially close, so I knew I had to put everything together. The race tomorrow will be tough—the group will be big and the pace will be high—but we’re ready to fight at the front.”
1. Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI) 1’49.152s
2. Matteo Vannucci (PATA AG Motorsport Italia WorldSSP300) +0.145s
3. Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) +0.221s
4. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) +0.277s
5. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) +0.388s
6. Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) +0.829s
Official WorldSBK Press Release
