In nearly flawless weather conditions, Toprak Razgatlioglu made history at Donington Park by taking his tenth career win at the iconic British circuit. Racing for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, Razgatlioglu started from pole position and led the vast majority of the 23-lap contest, relinquishing the lead only briefly.
Race 1 Recap
Razgatlioglu made a clean getaway off the line, but his early lead came under immediate threat from Alex Lowes. Riding for the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, Lowes dived into the lead on the second lap. However, his race came to a dramatic end shortly after, when he suffered a high-speed crash through the Craner Curves. Adding insult to injury, Lowes had already received a penalty for a jump start, which would have added time to his result had he stayed in the race.
Nicolo Bulega, representing Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, didn’t get off to the best of starts, dropping to fifth after the opening corners. Running the more durable SC0 rear tyre, the Italian methodically climbed back up the order. By lap four, he had worked his way back into second place, although he trailed Razgatlioglu by over two seconds at that stage. From there, Bulega focused on holding position and securing 20 valuable championship points.
The early phase of the race saw both Pata Maxus Yamaha riders in contention for podium finishes. But it was Danilo Petrucci of the Barni Spark Racing Team who eventually sealed third place by the halfway mark. Andrea Locatelli and Jonathan Rea followed closely behind, engaged in a tense, race-long battle with Scott Redding.
Redding, riding for MGM BONOVO Racing, delivered his strongest performance since the season opener and crossed the line in sixth place—an encouraging result after a difficult run of races.
The opening lap was marred by drama at Turn 1. Yari Montella made contact with Sam Lowes, and Alvaro Bautista was also caught up in the incident. All three riders were forced to retire immediately, ending their hopes of scoring points.
Championship Standings Update
With his victory, Razgatlioglu has now closed the championship gap to just four points behind Bulega. Meanwhile, Petrucci’s solid podium finish extends his advantage over Bautista in the standings to 23 points.
In the Manufacturers’ Championship, BMW managed to claw back five points on Ducati, narrowing the gap slightly as the season heads into its second half.
Rider Reactions
P1 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
“We didn’t start the weekend in the best shape, but every session we improved the bike step by step. The feeling isn’t quite like last year, but we’re giving it everything. Before the race, I wasn’t 100% sure which tyre to pick—I had two choices, and I went with the SCX. It wasn’t easy to manage that tyre toward the end, so I decided not to push hard early on. Instead, I found my rhythm mid-race, pulled a gap, and then managed the pace to the end. It was a satisfying win, but we’ve got two more races tomorrow and I’ll stay focused.”
P2 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“We’re still trying to find that perfect setup at Donington. It’s a tricky layout—it mixes fast, flowing sections with tight, technical ones, and that makes setup a real challenge. I chose the SC0 tyre, thinking it would be better for durability, though maybe it wasn’t the ideal call for today’s conditions. With cooler temperatures expected tomorrow, it might work out better.”
P3 – Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team)
“This was one of the hardest and most physical races of the season for me. The podium was our target, and we hit it, so I’m very satisfied. I’ve been struggling with pain in my right arm all weekend, but my team gave me a great bike. Even with the heat and lower grip levels, it worked well. I focused on conserving the rear tyre, and that helped us reach the finish strong. I’m proud of this result—for myself and the whole team.”
Race 1 Results – WorldSBK
- Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
- Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +6.535s
- Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +11.775s
- Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +14.446s
- Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +16.160s
- Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) +16.733s
Fastest Lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu – Lap 6, 1’26.441
Manzi Denies Booth-Amos in WorldSSP Thriller
As the World Supersport Championship passed its halfway point, Stefano Manzi bagged his fifth win of the year in a dramatic Race 1. The Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing rider further extended his championship advantage over Can Oncu of the Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team, opening the lead to a commanding 61 points.
The win didn’t come easy. British rider Tom Booth-Amos, racing for PTR Triumph Factory Racing, led for most of the race and looked poised to take victory on home soil. However, with just two laps to go, Booth-Amos ran wide at the Fogarty Esses and lost the lead. That mistake handed the race to Manzi, who had spent several laps stalking Booth-Amos from behind.
Oncu, meanwhile, was locked in a fight for third place with Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA), but he too ran off track on the final lap—this time at Turn 12. He rejoined in fifth position, just behind Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura).
Manzi’s blistering pace earned him the fastest lap of the race, securing pole position for Race 2. Booth-Amos and Oncu will also start on the front row. Meanwhile, Bo Bendneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), who had switched to fresh tyres following a pit stop, used his grip advantage to post the ninth fastest lap—earning a third-row start for the next race.
WorldSSP Championship Update
Manzi now sits comfortably atop the championship standings with a 61-point cushion. Booth-Amos, thanks to his strong showing, climbs from fifth to third overall.
Yamaha continues to dominate the manufacturers’ standings, now leading Ducati by a hefty 108 points.
Rider Quotes – WorldSSP
P1 – Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)
“Starting on pole always gives you confidence. It’s been a strong weekend and I’ve really enjoyed riding this track, especially with the fantastic weather. I’m trying to take it one race at a time and not think too much about the championship. The fight with Tom was intense—at one point, I was struggling just to stay close. But in the final laps, I managed to reel him in, and it turned into one of those fun, weird battles I seem to have sometimes. It was clean, it was hard, and I really enjoyed it. Winning like that always feels special.”
Race 1 Results – WorldSSP
- Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)
- Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +4.261s
- Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) +5.784s
- Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) +6.498s
- Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +8.176s
- Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +10.578s
Fastest Lap: Stefano Manzi – Lap 11, 1’29.511s
Official WorldSBK Press Release
