WorldSBK 2025 starts here!
Official Test: Final Tune-Ups Ahead of the February 21-23 Kick-Off
The 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is set to roar into action at Australia’s iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from February 21-23. With fierce title battles on the horizon and fresh talent making their debut, the excitement is building for this season’s grand opening.
Before the main event, teams have one last chance to fine-tune their machines during a critical two-day Official Test on February 17-18. Following some weather-related setbacks during European private tests, these sessions are essential for refining setups and gathering vital data—offering a sneak peek at which contenders are in top form.
What’s New on the Grid
- Bimota’s Return: Bimota is back, boosting the number of manufacturers to six—the highest count since 2018.
- Rookie and Rising Stars: Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) are stepping up from WorldSSP. Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) is switching from British Superbike to WorldSBK, and Malaysian rookie Zaqhwan Zaidi (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing) rounds out the new faces.
- Veteran Line-Up: Scott Redding stays with the newly rebranded MGM BONOVO Racing, now piloting the Ducati Panigale V4 R.
- Team Shuffles: Garrett Gerloff moves over to the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team as its sole rider, while Tito Rabat has joined the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team.
Key Regulation Updates for 2025
- Tyre Allotment: Riders will have 10 front tyres and 11 rear tyres available for each race weekend.
- Fuel Flow Limits: All teams start with a 47kg/h fuel flow limit.
- Penalty for Excessive Concession Points: If the top manufacturer leads the runner-up by 12 or more concession points at any checkpoint, they’ll face a 0.5kg/h fuel flow reduction.
- New Concession Classifications: An extra fuel flow of 0.5kg/h is now considered a concession.
- Extra Testing Days: A new Super Concession rule gives teams an additional six days of testing on top of the standard six days for eligible teams.
- Concession Points System: Only the highest-placed rider from each manufacturer will earn concession points, though the overall points system remains unchanged.
- Concession Benefits Cap: Manufacturers winning two dry races (including the Superpole Race) at two different tracks will lose any further concession benefits for the season.
With these final preparations in place, all eyes are on Phillip Island as the championship gears up for a season opener that promises high-speed thrills and unforgettable racing moments. Get ready for a spectacular start to 2025!
Pre-season Insights
Unpredictable weather at Jerez and Portimao meant that testing was a bit limited, with just one full day of dry running available.
Even with a broken finger, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) shone at Portimao. In the only test he took part in, he dominated the dry sessions—clearly showing that he’s geared up and ready to defend his title.
2024 runner-up Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) also made a promising start to his 2025 campaign. After some robust testing and fine-tuning his setup, he’s heading to Australia with a renewed sense of confidence.
Bimota made an impressive debut in WorldSBK, with Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Axel Bassani delivering competitive performances that caught everyone’s attention.
On a tougher note, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) faced challenges with his bike’s setup and confidence—further complicated by a high-speed crash at Portimao.
Meanwhile, both Honda and Yamaha are showing significant progress. Honda has adapted impressively to Ohlins suspension, while Yamaha continues to display strong pace.
Flag-to-Flag Racing & Tyre Rules for the Australian Round
At the 2025 Australian Round, every WorldSBK and WorldSSP race will run a flag-to-flag format, meaning that all riders must make a mandatory pit stop to change tyres.
Given Phillip Island’s unpredictable weather and challenging track conditions, the FIM and DWO have set tyre usage limits—11 laps for WorldSBK and 10 laps for WorldSSP. Additionally, both Race 1 and Race 2 in WorldSBK will be 20 laps long, with riders receiving two extra sets of tyres for the weekend.
Historical Performance
Recent history at Phillip Island has been exciting. Nicolo Bulega and Alex Lowes are the latest to stand atop the podium. Bulega, in particular, made a splash with a breathtaking debut by winning his very first WorldSBK race in 2024.
Alvaro Bautista now holds the record for the most WorldSBK wins at Phillip Island, dominating the circuit since his debut in 2019. He’s closely followed by local hero Jonathan Rea, who has claimed seven victories here.
While Toprak Razgatlioglu has enjoyed significant success in WorldSBK overall, Phillip Island hasn’t been his strongest circuit—his only win here came back in 2020 while he was riding for Yamaha.
Interestingly, no BMW rider has won at Phillip Island between 1990 and 2024, leaving the manufacturer still on the hunt for its first victory at this iconic track.
Alex Lowes, bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team:
“Phillip Island is a fantastic track—very fast, in fact, one of the fastest we race at in terms of average speed. It features many third- and fourth-gear corners with big lean angles, and this makes it really difficult for the tyres.
The key to a fast lap here is to be smooth, make sure the bike is turning well under acceleration and not spin the rear tyre too much but it’s a fantastic track it’s always fantastic close racing with quite a lot of passing places. It’s the perfect place to start the WorldSBK season.”
New talent and bold moves: The 2025 WorldSSP season is coming to life!
What’s New on the Grid
Stefano Manzi is the only rider from last year’s top three staying in the category, continuing with Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing as he sets his sights on the title.
In a season full of changes, Marcel Schroetter, Valentin Debise, and Can Oncu are all switching teams and manufacturers for 2025. Schroetter is moving to WRP Racing, while Debise has joined Renzi Corse—both now riding Ducati Panigale V2s. Oncu, on the other hand, will be racing with the Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team.
Adding to the excitement, Philipp Oettl and Michael Rinaldi are stepping down from WorldSBK to strengthen the WorldSSP grid. Oettl will be with the Feel Racing WorldSSP Team, renowned for winning the last two WorldSSP riders’ titles, and Rinaldi is joining the GMT94 Yamaha squad. Also, 2024 WorldSSP300 Champion Aldi Mahendra is upgrading to WorldSSP, racing alongside Oncu at Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team.
Pre-season Insights
Several WorldSSP riders took part in private tests at Jerez and Portimao alongside WorldSBK competitors. Marcel Schroetter emerged as the fastest at Jerez, trailed by Kaito Toba, newcomer Jeremy Alcoba, and Ondrej Vostatek. At Portimao, GMT94 Yamaha teammates Lucas Mahias and Michael Rinaldi led the pack on Tuesday, with Jeremy Alcoba, Ondrej Vostatek, and Philipp Oettl also getting valuable track time—Oettl testing with the Feel Racing WorldSSP Team. Meanwhile, Stefano Manzi and his new teammate Yuki Okamoto were busy developing the new Yamaha YZF-R9 in Almería as part of Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing’s WorldSSP machine evolution.
Historical Performance
On the current WorldSSP grid, Lucas Mahias is the only rider with a win at Phillip Island. Stefano Manzi has clinched a pole position there before, though Federico Caricasulo holds the record with two pole positions at the iconic Australian circuit.
Official WorldSBK Press Release
