Yamaha Thailand Racing Team Sets Ambitious Objectives And Announces 2024 Rider Lineup
As the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team (YTRT) gears up for the 2024 season, we are proud to announce our ambitious objectives for the year ahead and build on our 2023 experience.
Bangkok, Thailand – 20 March, 2024: With extensive experience working in international motorsports, YTRT aims to leverage our rich history and experience to excel in the competitive world-championship environment while competing in the 2024 WorldSSP championship series.
Since the inception of motorsports in Thailand, Yamaha Thailand Racing has been at the forefront of the racing scene. With countless victories and championships to our name, we have been trailblazers for Thailand on the world stage. From the dominance of the Siam Yamaha Racing Team in the 1970s and 1980s to our current status as championship winners in both national and international race series, YTRT has established a winning reputation within the motorsports industry.
In 2023, Yamaha Thailand Racing Team made history by becoming the first Thai team to compete in the World Supersport class of the FIM Superbike World Championship. This prestigious series attracts a global audience and is a testament to our commitment to excellence on the international stage. As the only Thai team in the WorldSBK paddock, YTRT is committed to raising our professional standards and profile while competing at the highest level of motorsports and establishing ourselves as a world-class racing team.
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team will focus on a year of growth and progress as we develop our riders and continue to build a leading Thai motorsports team.
2024 Rider Lineup
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider Anupab Sarmoon will race in WorldSSP for his second year with the team. Photo courtesy Yamaha Thailand Racing Team.
Name: Anupab Sarmoon #51
Team: Yamaha Thailand Racing Team
Motorcycle: Yamaha YZF-R6
Date of Birth: 09 December, 1993
Birthplace: Chiang Mai
Anupab Sarmoon will be entering his second season with Yamaha Thailand Racing Team in the 2024 WorldSSP championship. With notable achievements including finishing fourth overall in the 2022 Asia Road Racing Championship and solid performances in the 2023 WorldSSP season, Sarmoon is poised to take a positive step forward in his international racing career.
Krittapat Keankum (39) at Phillip Island, Round One of 2024 WorldSSP. Photo courtesy Yamaha Thailand Racing Team.
Name: Krittapat Keankum #39
Team: Yamaha Thailand Racing Team
Motorcycle: Yamaha YZF-R6
Date of Birth: 22 February, 2005
Birthplace: Nonthabuuri
Krittapat Keankum, a rising talent, joins Yamaha Thailand Racing Team for the 2024 WorldSSP season. After a successful campaign in the R3 bLU cRU championship, finishing sixth in the standings, Keankum is ready to step up to the challenge of racing the supersport Yamaha R6 and aims to showcase his skills on the international stage and the opportunity to progress among Yamaha alumni.
As we embark on the 2024 season, Yamaha Thailand Racing Team is committed to pushing the boundaries of excellence and representing Thailand with pride on the world stage.
Dunlop is pleased to introduce the successor to the highly popular Sportmax Q3+. The Dunlop Sportmax Q5S sets the new benchmark for the ultimate street and track-day tire. Following in the development footsteps of the Q5, the Q5S, when compare to the Q3+, has achieved even higher performance by utilizing aspects from Dunlop’s cutting-edge road race tires developed in Buffalo, NY and used in the MotoAmerica Road Race Series.
Having enhanced constructions, profiles, compounds and tread patterns, the Q5S provides lighter and nimbler handling and improved dry and wet grip to make it even more user-friendly all while maintaining class-leading durability.
To differentiate the Q5S from the Q3+, Dunlop wanted to make the Q5S have a lighter feel to make it more responsive for street riding. With this goal set, Dunlop went to work on making the necessary changes to achieve the performance characteristics they were looking for.
Key features of the all new Sportmax Q5S:
Optimized tread pattern design to improve wear characteristics and enhance warm-up times
Front tire profile has a shorter and narrower profile to improve responsiveness and give the tire a lighter feel.
Front tire has reduced dynamic stiffness and increased damping to improve compliance all to improve braking and handling performance.
Added 200/55ZR17 rear size to allow for additional bike fitments.
Rear tread contains Dunlop’s MT Multi-Tread™ technology, giving riders outstanding mileage without sacrificing handling.
Improved compound to enhance both the wet and dry grip by adjusting the compound formula.
Both front and rear tires utilize Dunlop’s proprietary Racing Type Fine Carbon Technology in the tread compound.
Dunlop’s proprietary Intuitive Response Profile (IRP) for ultra-linear and responsive steering.
Proudly made in Dunlop’s Buffalo, NY factory.
Availability:
The Sportmax Q5S will be sold through all Dunlop retailers, as well as race tire distributors, to be easily accessible to all street or track riders. Tires will be available in all channels beginning mid-December.
Dunlop is pleased to introduce the fifth generation of the Dunlop Sportmax family. The Dunlop Sportmax Q5 is a purpose-built, track-day tire that has been in the making for over 4 years. Evolving from a blend of the highly popular Sportmax Q4 and Dunlop’s cutting-edge MotoAmerica spec road race tires, the Q5 utilizes the very best technologies Dunlop has to offer for a track tire that is still street legal.
Having enhanced constructions, profiles, compounds and tread patterns, the Q5 is the new benchmark for track-day tires. The Q5 is even more user-friendly, as dry and wet grip, tire compliance, and warm-up times have all been improved.
Dunlop has also expanded the size range of the Q5 to include five additional sizes for increased bike fitments: 110/70ZR17, 140/70ZR17, 150/60ZR17, 160/60ZR17, and 200/60ZR17.
Key features of the all new Sportmax Q5:
Sharply defined new tread pattern with lower groove density puts more rubber on the ground at all lean angles
Optimized tread pattern design and position to aid in quicker warm-up times and improved wet-weather performance.
Street-friendly performance— Tire warmers are not necessary for track use.
Designed in five additional sizes for increased bike fitments: 110/70ZR17, 140/70ZR17, 150/60ZR17, 160/60ZR17, and 200/60ZR17.
The front and rear tire profiles have a taller and narrower profile to improve turn-in and compliance while increasing the footprint and grip at camber.
Front tire has reduced vertical stiffness to improve compliance and damping and increased lateral and longitudinal stiffness to improve braking and handling performance.
The 140/70ZR17, 180/60ZR17, 200/55ZR17, and 200/60ZR17 utilize the exact same profiles as the race spec tires developed for the MotoAmerica series.
The rear tires tread features Dunlop’s Jointless Tread (JLT) technology, the same process used in Dunlop’s racing slicks. JLT applies a continuously wound tread strip over the carcass to achieve the ideal stability, flex, and grip where it’s needed most across the tire’s tread profile.
Improved compound to enhance the dry grip by adjusting the compound formula. The culmination of these changes puts the rear tire compound much closer to a true race tire compound.
Dunlop’s proprietary Intuitive Response Profile (IRP) for ultra-linear and responsive steering.
Proudly made in Dunlop’s Buffalo, NY factory on the same proprietary equipment as their road race tires.
Availability:
The Sportmax Q5 will be sold through all Dunlop retailers, as well as race tire distributors, to be easily accessible to all street or track riders. Tires will be available in all channels beginning in November and December.
Chris Clark has finished fifth overall in the 2025 R3 BLU CRU World Cup.
Clark, the first American rider to win a race in the series was one of the standouts of the year – claiming a sensational win in the opening round at Portimão in Portugal followed by a two more podiums during his front running campaign.
The final round of the championship took place in Estoril, Portugal, yesterday and whilst he may have crashed out in the closing stages he was once again fighting for the podium.
In addition to his on track success, Clark was invited to the Yamaha Mastercamp in Spain where he got to ride some of the biggest names in the sport – impressing as he turned his hand to off road disciplines such as flat track for the first time and even jet skiing.
Overall, it was a positive debut season in the Yamaha R3 BLU CRU World Cup – a season that Chris can be proud of.
An announcement regarding the #5’s future will be made in the coming weeks.
Chris Clark:“Race one didn’t go to plan. I was given two long lap penalties after an incident in qualifying which left me with a lot to do. I did my best to manage it, but I ended up losing the group and it was too hard to catch them. My full focus was on trying to win the final race of the year and after starting eighteenth I fought hard and put myself in the position to win. I was in the front group, and I had a real chance for the podium. Unfortunately, I made contact with another rider and we both went down. Nobody can say that I didn’t go down without a fight and that is important – I gave it my all. I want to thank my Smrz Racing BGR guys for all their hard work this year, all my sponsors, my family, my manager, and everyone involved with the Yamaha BLU CRU series. I can’t wait to announce my 2026 plans!”
It started with us asking our listeners for some questions. Then you responded. Now we’re here, with the longest episode in the show’s history. Funny how those things go, eh?
Yes, it’s Q&A-time! Our wonderful Patrons brought the questions, and now Mat and Peter will have to find the answers. We’ve got tires, brakes, bikes, riders, conspiracies, mountain bikes and even clowns and badgers! Trust me: you are not ready.
Could the machine that not too long ago revitalized AMA-sanctioned American Flat Track (AFT) and also provided the preferred platform for the Lightweight class at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy do the same for Moto3 Grand Prix racing?
We’re talking about the 650cc Kawasaki Parallel Twin that has been in production since 2006 and has been winning races for 18 years. And still is. The words “tried and true” spring to mind.
Another contender that has followed the same route is Yamaha’s 690cc Parallel Twin, with more recent success than the Kawasaki. The 690 Yamaha won the AFT Production Twins Championship in 2019 and 2021 with Corey Texter and in 2025 clinched the AFT SuperTwins Championship during the season finale at Eldon Missouri’s Lake Ozark Speedway, ridden by Dallas Daniels.
Dallas Daniels (32) at the American Flat Track season finale at the Lake Ozark Short Track. Photo courtesy Yamaha Motor USA.
Either one of these Japanese Twins could provide the platform for the planned major revision in the Moto3 class of Grand Prix racing where there is concern that many of the current crop of riders are simply too big for the little 250cc single-cylinder racebikes built by Honda and KTM.
When the Moto3 class was launched, the minimum age for riders was 15. In recent years that has been slowly raised and is now 18 years. There are now several riders who struggle to fit onto the small, lithe 250cc Singles and this is a concern for Dorna executives.
There is another concern — the step up from Moto3 to the Moto2 class is now difficult for some riders. There is a big difference between a 185-pound (84 kg) 250cc 55-horsepower Moto3 Single and a 330-pound (150 kg) 765cc Moto2 Triple. When the Moto2 class was initiated as a replacement for the 250cc GP class, the Honda CBR600 engine was used in bikes weighing 308 lbs. (140 kg).
Riders stepping up from Moto3 today have to deal with heavier machines than before, but more importantly, they need to adjust to the vastly different torque output of the Triumph 765cc engines used in Moto2.
This has been a topic of conversation within Dorna Sports S.L., the Spanish company that has held the commercial and audiovisual rights for MotoGP since 1991.
What has been discussed is a completely new set of technical rules. In the near future, likely 2028, the 250cc Singles will be replaced.
But with what? Grand Prix officials are not saying openly but clearly there has been back-channel dialogue, with production-based 500cc twin-cylinder machines mentioned in 2024, while early this year there has been speculation about twin-cylinder engines up to 780cc.
Price Cap
The key to the new regulations is price. In 2024, a $88,000 U.S. (75,000 Euro) price cap for the new Moto3 machines was under consideration. Now a price cap of $59,000 U.S. (50,000 Euro) is being discussed, with bikes weighing as little as 120 kg and producing about 90 horsepower. The price cap for the current Moto3 machines is $205,000 U.S. (175,000 Euro).
Cost Considerations
Escalating costs for racing machines is not confined to the GP classes. It has been a concern in U.S. racing, too.
Concerned at the escalating costs of maintaining the legendary Harley-Davidson XR750s in American Flat Track racing, in 2009 the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) asked former long-time Harley engineer and tuner Bill Werner to find a cheap but competitive (and reliable) XR alternative.
Werner opted for the Kawasaki EX650 Parallel Twin. He had some experience with that model, having prepared a road-racing version for a 300-mile MotoST endurance race at Daytona in March 2007. With 49-year-old Jay Springsteen and 45-year-old Jim Filice riding the Kawasaki entered by the Pair of Nines team and managed by Gary Nixon, the 650 Twin won its class in the MotoST endurance race — by a lap.
So for the flat track racing “proof of concept” Werner bought an EX650 off eBay for $1,500, removed all the fittings needed for road use and with this stripped-down machine, Bryan Smith scored Kawasaki’s first AMA Grand National win at the August 28, 2010 Indianapolis Mile, run the same weekend as the MotoGP at Indianapolis.
Werner says that in addition to the $1,500 for eBay purchase “my total investment to build the bike was $6,000, for suspension, wheels, motor modifications, etc., as opposed to $25,000 plus for the XR750 Harley.”
Werner had backing from Monster Energy and Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA but adds, “It was my way to give back to the sport that did so much for me. I loved the challenge!”
Of the 19 finishers at the 2010 Indy Mile, only two other riders were not racing Harley-Davidson XR750s: 12th-placed Larry Pegram (Ducati) and 16th-place Shawn Baer (Triumph).
Proving that the win at Indy was not a fluke, Smith again beat Harley-Davidson’s Chris Carr the following weekend at the Springfield Mile. This time there was one other Kawasaki 650 Twin in the results, ridden by Johnny Lewis, who finished 10th.
The seed had been planted. A year later there were six Kawasaki Twins among the 54 entries at the September Springfield Mile, with four making it to the 26-lap main event. Of those, Lewis was the best finisher, less than three-10ths of a second behind the winning XR750 Harley-Davidson, with Australian Luke Gough finishing 15th on his EX650.
Another year saw eight of the Kawasaki Twins at the Springfield Mile in September, with Bryan Smith winning on an EX650, this time mounted in a dirt-track frame built by Howerton Motorsports that had been campaigned by the Australian Gough in 2011.
By the 2015 September Springfield Mile, an astounding 27 Kawasaki EX650s made up the GNC2 class’s 35-bike entry, with another 23 in the GNC1 class. That’s 50 Kawasaki 650 Twins…
Once again, Bryan Smith won the GCN1 class, on a Kawasaki, this time prepared by Howerton Motorsports in Indianapolis.
Werner’s effort in the 2010 season had paid off for the AMA and brought a lot more young racers into the sport they had previously been shut out of by the prohibitively-expensive-to-run XR750 Harley-Davidson.
Lightweight TT
But it was not only in AMA flat track racing that the Kawasaki 650 Twin was proving popular. On the other side of the Atlantic, the British Auto Cycle Union decided to re-establish the Lightweight class at the 2012 Isle of Man TT. Rather than using 250cc GP machines, the race was now for series production 650cc Twins. Right away the Kawasaki 650 proved the popular choice, with all but 11 of the 43 starters in the inaugural race on EX650-based machines, Ryan Farquhar winning at a race average speed of 114.15 mph.
This class allowed almost unlimited engine modifications but mandated use of the standard road bike chassis. Private British tuners soon boosted the power output of the 650 Kawasaki Twin and in 2013 James Hillier on the winning Kawasaki averaged 117.69 mph.
Again, Kawasaki 650s dominated the class, 32 of them making up the majority of the 43-bike field. By 2014 all but five of the 49 Lightweight TT entries were 650 Kawasakis.
One of them was an Italian Paton, a 650 Kawasaki engine in a chrome moly frame raced by Ollie Linsdell to sixth.
TT 2013 – Lightweight TT – Michael Rutter (Kawasaki 650 powered) at Braddan Bridge. He crashed on lap2. Photo credit Barry Clay.
The 2015 edition of the race saw the winning average speed upped to 118.936 mph by Ivan Lintin and this time Michael Rutter brought a Paton home in third place, at 117.657 mph.
For the 2016 Lightweight TT, a staggering 53 riders faced the starter, all but 12 of them using 650 Kawasaki power.
Michael Rutter finally gave the Kawasaki-powered Paton a win, when he topped the 39-rider field in 2017, by now almost all on Kawasakis. Despite the custom Italian chassis, his race average of 118.645 mph was a whisker under Lintin’s 2015 record.
TT 2019 – Lightweight Race Winner Michael Dunlop on a Paton powered by a Kawasaki 650 engine. Photo credit Barry Clay.
Rutter made amends in 2018, establishing a new 120.601 mph average on a Paton. There were four other Patons in the race but almost all the rest of the 45 were Kawasakis.
A year later Michael Dunlop won, on a Paton, upping the winning average speed to 121.646 mph.
Supertwins
Then came the great catastrophe – the 2020 and 2021 Covid lock-downs—with no racing at all at the TT. When racing returned in 2022, the regulations had been changed, and the class was now called “Supertwins” with a 700cc capacity limit allowing the new Yamaha YZF-R7 and the Aprilia RS660 in the field.
TT 2022 Supertwin Race Winner Peter Hickman leads Michael Rutter Both on Kawasaki – powered Patons. Photo credit Barry Clay.
No matter, Kawasaki power still prevailed, with Peter Hickman doing the business on a Paton with a 120.006-mph average. The Italian brand won again in 2023, with Michael Dunlop winning from fellow Paton rider Mike Browne in the first of two races.
In the second, Peter Hickman gave the YZF-R7 Yamaha its début Supertwins TT win, but his 119.318 mph average was slower than Dunlop’s 2019 benchmark.
TT 2024 Supertwin Race 1 Peter Hickman Swan Racing Yamaha 2nd. Photo credit Barry Clay
It was left to Dunlop to up his winning speed with a 122.451 mph effort in the second of the two races in 2024. He won both on a 650 Kawasaki-powered Paton. He repeated the effort (two wins on a Paton) in 2025.
Moto3 Potential
When privateers overwhelming chose one particular make and model of production bike for racing, it is a good bet that is because it is easily available and relatively cheap to race.
On that basis alone, could the Kawaski 650 Twin also make good sense for the mooted twin-cylinder class in Moto3?
Paton is already making a chassis and providing a race-ready 108-horsepower engine capable of propelling the machine to a 162 mph (260 km/h) top speed. It sells this ready-to-race package for 48,500 Euro ($56,800 U.S.), just under the mooted new 50,000 Euro price cap for the revamped Moto3 class.
There is also another possibly. In 2019 Kawasaki took a 49.5% stake in the Italian chassis maker Bimota and in 2025 the official Kawasaki entry in the Superbike World Championship runs a ZX10RR engine in a Bimota chassis, the team known as the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team.
Whether Kawasaki has the marketing acumen to pitch a proposal to Dorna for a Bimota 650 Kawasaki Moto3 machine, time will tell. As we can see, the engine is race proven across almost two decades of racing. It comes standard with a slipper clutch and a side-loading (cassette) transmission.
Then there is the 690 Yamaha, which was released in the USA in 2015. Immediately Keith McCarthy, then Yamaha Motor Corp. USA’s Motorsports Racing Division Manager (now retired) saw its potential for flat-track racing, as did Yamaha’s motorcycle product line manager Derek Brooks.
The result was the DT-07 Flat Track Concept bike displayed at the October 2015 AIMExpo in Orlando, Florida.
Unlike the bottom-up Werner-Kawasaki 650 development, this was a top-down approach, with Yamaha having a concept flat-track chassis built for its engine. Over time, it has collaborated with G&G Racing and Estenson Racing to race in the AFT Production Twins class (which it has won twice) and has now won the AFT SuperTwins Championship.
And as noted above, the 690 Yamaha has also provided a platform for Supertwins road-racing at the Isle of Man.
Given Yamaha’s long-term commitment to Grand Prix racing, a Yamaha 690 engine in a Suter or Kalex chassis is probably not beyond the bounds of reality.
Either way, the motorcycle that will become the Moto3 platform in 2028 will almost certainly have its roots in AFT racing!
Attack Performance Strack Racing Yamaha’s Bobby Fong makes steady improvements in WorldSBK debut at Circuito Estoril.
Attack Performance Strack Racing Yamaha’s Bobby Fong made forward strides throughout the weekend as he made his FIM Superbike World Championship debut in Estoril, Portugal. Led by Attack Performance, with support from fellow official Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. team Strack Racing, the American wild card effort gathered valuable data and experience with some additional seat time during the penultimate round of the 2025 WorldSBK season.
In his first race weekend on the world stage, Fong focused on familiarizing himself with the Estoril circuit and finding his flow, as the team continued to work on the development of their Superbike platform for the upcoming 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike season. After qualifying 21st, the Californian made steady improvements, finishing 17th in Saturday’s Race 1, and 18th in Sunday’s Superpole Race and Race 2.
The Attack Performance Strack Racing Yamaha wild card effort looks to continue its work next weekend at the season finale in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, on October 17-19.
Richard Stanboli at Estoril. Photo courtesy Yamaha Motor Corp., USA.
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Strack Racing Yamaha Team Manager:
“We really enjoyed our time in Portugal. The people are great, and the WSBK paddock is happy to have us join them. Yamaha Racing Europe has been very welcoming, and their hospitality is extraordinary. They have gone out of their way to make us feel like part of the Yamaha family. We’ve been working closely with the WorldSBK team on chassis and electronics, comparing notes and data in preparation for our 2026 MotoAmerica effort. We made steady improvements over the course of the weekend, but to improve more, we need some bigger steps. We look forward to Jerez and continuing our European working vacation.”
Bobby Fong at Estoril. Photo courtesy Yamaha Motor Corp., USA.
Bobby Fong – Attack Performance Strack Racing Yamaha #50:
“We knew it was going to be a big task coming here. From the first session to the final race today, we’ve made progress each session and improved our pace. We’re learning a lot. Richard (Stanboli) keeps reminding me that we’re learning for the future, but as a racer, you always want to be a little closer to the front. We’ll keep learning and trying new things with the bike to see what works and what doesn’t, and keep chipping away at it. There are a few key areas where I’m losing time in general, so that’s what we are trying to work on. We’ll do our homework during the week and hopefully improve at the next track. We’re not happy with the position, but we’re happy to be out here enjoying this experience and to keep moving forward.”
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS), is a recognized leader in the outdoor recreation industry. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings include Motorcycles and Scooters, ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles, Snowmobiles, Personal Watercraft, Boats, Outboard Motors, Outdoor Power Equipment, Power Assist Bicycles, Golf Cars [sold, serviced, and distributed by Yamaha Golf-Car Company], Power Assist Wheelchair Systems, Surface Mount Technology and Robotic Machines, Unmanned Helicopters, Accessories, Apparel, Yamalube products, and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of distributors and dealers in the United States.
YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].
Yamaha Motor Finance Corporation, USA, dba Yamaha Financial Services, is an affiliate of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA offering financing solutions to support Yamaha Dealers and loyal Yamaha Customers nationwide.
Supersport crown caps Manzi’s journey before WorldSBK move in 2026.
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) has been crowned the 2025 FIM Supersport World Champion, securing the title with 2 races to go after a commanding campaign aboard the new Yamaha R9.
For Manzi, the title represents a career milestone after two runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024. The Italian has been a dominant force in 2025, scoring 10 victories and 18 podiums on his way to Championship glory.
Stefano Manzi. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing):
“It feels amazing to be World Champion. It’s difficult to find the words to describe it. After finishing second two years in a row, to finally win is incredible. It’s a lifetime of work, when you start riding young, you dream about this, and to achieve it is amazing.
The key moment for me was the difficult period when I crashed at Most and Misano. That was a wake-up call, reminding me that you are not unbeatable and must stay focused to win the title. From that moment, I worked hard, avoided repeating mistakes, and finally I can say I achieved it, it’s an incredible feeling.”
Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing Team. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing Team Manager:
“This has been a three-year project, and to win the championship now in the third year is unbelievable. It was even more special the way Stefano did it, because we all know how pressure affects riders, but he left all the pressure in the hotel and won the race to become Champion.
From the start of the season, we could see he had stepped up his game massively. His growth year after year has been amazing. Not just as a rider – in his first year he was already at a very high level – but he lacked consistency and workflow. There was also work to do on the mental side, and this year he made huge strides mentally, personally, and in performance. He’s now complete and ready for Superbike.”
RACING JOURNEY
Manzi began his career in the Italian Championship and JuniorGP before moving to the Moto3 World Championship in 2015 and then to Moto2 in 2017, where his highlights included a pole position and a fourth-place finish. He switched to WorldSSP in 2022 with Dynavolt Triumph, taking his first win at Portimao, before joining Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing and immediately establishing himself as a title contender. In 2025, he finally clinched the WorldSSP Championship title, solidifying his position as a top rider in the category.
With the 2025 crown, Manzi adds his name to the list of Supersport Champions and confirms his place among the most competitive riders in the paddock. Next season, he will step up to WorldSBK with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team.
Nicolo Bulega won World Superbike Race Two Sunday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R, the championship point leader won the 21-lap race by just 4.868 seconds.
Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR, and Bulega’s teammate, Alvaro Bautista was third.
Alex Lowes finished the race fourth on his Kawasaki Bimota KB998 Rimini.
Andrea Locatelli got fifth on his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF-R1.
Americans Garrett Gerloff finished 11th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and wildcard Bobby Fong got 18th on his Performance Attack Yamaha YZF-R1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu leads the championship with 580 points, 39 ahead of Nicolo Bulega who has 541 points. Danilo Petrucci is third with 292 points.
TITLE FIGHT ROLLS ON: Bulega beats Razgatlioglu in Race 2 at Estoril as Championship battles goes to Jerez. The #11 got a good start when lights went out and converted that into his sole win of the weekend, ensuring the title fight will be decided at the season finale.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed victory in Race 2 at the Circuito Estoril as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship concluded at the historic Portuguese venue. The #11 ensured the title battle will roll on to the season finale at Jerez next week with his 17th WorldSBK victory, as Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) came home in second for the EICMA Estoril Round.
BULEGA BATTLES TO P1: Victory for the #11, Razgatlioglu second
As in the previous two races, Razgatlioglu lost ground at the start of the race, dropping to fifth behind Bulega, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) and Bautista, moving ahead of the #19 to take P4 at Turn 1 on Lap 2. At Turn 6, ‘El Turco’ tried to pass Iannone but ‘The Maniac’ fought back; however, the #29 was given a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start. At Turn 9, Razgatlioglu was up to second after getting ahead of Locatelli and soon set his sights on Bulega, who was 1.4 seconds clear at the start of Lap 3. The pair traded similar lap times throughout the first quarter of the race, with the gap hovering at just over a second. On Lap 7, ‘Bulegas’ lapped four tenths quicker to open the gap to 1.5 seconds, appearing to put some breathing room between himself and the BMW rider. By the halfway mark, Bulega had extended the gap to over two seconds. While the gap did fluctuate a bit, Bulega went on to claim victory in Race 2, ensuring the title fight would go to the final round at Jerez.
BAUTISTA TAKES THREE P3S: A triple visit to the rostrum
The fight for third was another barnstorming battle, with Bautista slower in the first stages of the race and having to fend off his rivals. He had ‘Loka’ behind him at the start of Lap 5, who in turn was under pressure from Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), who forced his way ahead of the Yamaha rider at Turn 1. That order remained stable throughout the race with Bautista taking his third P3 finish of the weekend, which moved him into third in the Championship standings. Bulega’s victory and Bautista’s rostrum ensured Aruba.it Racing – Ducati wrapped up the Teams’ Championship for 2025. The #22 finished in fourth after losing time in the final stages to Bautista, with Locatelli claiming P5.
A BIG FIGHT INSIDE THE TOP TEN: Vierge claims sixth ahead of Gardner
Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) took the chequered flag in P6 as he finished as the only Honda rider in the top ten, finishing 1.4 seconds clear of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in seventh. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) ensured both Bimotas were inside the top ten as he finished in eighth, directly ahead of Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in ninth.
VAN DER MARK RESISTS GERLOFF: Scrapping for the top ten
Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had to fend off a hard-charging Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) to secure a finish in the top ten, eventually finishing just 0.128s clear of the Texan. Iannone battled back to 12th after his penalty, with ‘The Maniac’ initially dropping out of the points after his penalty. Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) was 13th ahead of Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), who rounded out the points-paying positions.
FINISHING THE RACE: Narrowly missing out on P15
Tito Rabat (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) narrowly missed out on P15 as he finished half-a-second down on Montella, while he had a 12-second margin to wildcard Tetsuta Nagashima (Honda HRC) in 17th. Bobby Fong (Attack Performance Yamaha Racing) was the last classified rider in 18th place.
RETIRING FROM RACE 2: Four riders don’t finish
Michael Rinaldi (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was the first rider to drop out of the race when he crashed at Turn 7, retiring from the race. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) crashed out of the race at Turn 7 on Lap 13. Meanwhile, home hero Ivo Lopes (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) retired in the early stages of Race 2. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM BONOVO Action) was a faller in the final few laps when he came down at Turn 1.
Stefano Manzi won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday afternoon at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. The Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF-R9 rider won the 18-lap race by 2.599 secondS and became the 2025 WorldSSP Champion – the first ever to conquer the crown with the Yamaha R9.
Philipp Oettl was second on his Feel Racing Ducati Panigale V2, and Jeremy Alcoba got third on his Kawasaki ZX-6R 636.
Former MotoAmerica regular Valentin Debise suffered a mechanical issue on his Renzi Corse Ducati Panigale V2 and didn’t finish the race.
Stefano Manzi leads the championship with 425 points, 82 ahead of Can Oncu who has 343 points. Tom Booth-Amos is third with 233 points.
Toprak Razgatlioglu won the World Superbike Superpole Race Sunday morning at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR, the 2024 WorldSuperbike Champion won the 10-lap race by 0.545 second.
Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, and his teammate, Alvaro Bautista was third, 8.942 seconds behind the race winner.
Andrea Locatelli finished fourth on his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF R1.
Andrea Iannone got fifth on his Team Pata go Eleven Ducati Panigale V4R.
Americans Garrett Gerloff finished 12th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and Bobby Fong was 18th on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF R1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu leads the championship with 560 points, 44 ahead of Nicolo Bulega who has 516 points. Danilo Petrucci is third with 284 points.
DOUBLING UP: Razgatlioglu claims Superpole Race honours ahead of Bulega, Bautista resists challenges for P3. ‘El Turco’ made it two from two at Estoril by beating title rival Bulega by half-a-second in the 10-lap Superpole Race.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took another step towards this year’s title in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with his second win of the EICMA Estoril Round. He fended off Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to claim the 21st win of his 2025 season and gain another three points on ‘Bulegas’. It means Razgatlioglu has the chance to wrap up the title in Race 2; he will be crowned Champion if he outscores the #11 by 18 points.
FIGHTING FOR VICTORY: Razgatlioglu vs Bulega once again
Bulega got the holeshot for the 10-lap race, before Razgatlioglu dropped down to third behind Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). He was soon ahead of the #19 at Turn 6 on the opening lap, before passing Bulega at Turn 1 on Lap 2. At Turn 6, ‘El Turco’ ran wide and briefly claimed the lead, for just one corner at Turn 7; they then swapped again at Turn 9 but the #1 held position. Bulega tried to respond at Turn 1 but Razgatlioglu held on, before building a gap over his title rival. The gap stabilised until the second half of the race, when ‘Bulegas’ started crawling all over Razgatlioglu. However, the BMW rider soon maintained the gap to claim victory on Sunday morning and move another step closer to this year’s title.
BATTLING FOR THE PODIUM: Bautista just holds on…
The fight for the final front row spot in Race 2 went all the way to the wire. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) held on to claim P3 ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), although he spent the start of the race fending off Locatelli’s teammate, Jonathan Rea. The #65 was hounding the #19 before Locatelli got ahead at Turn 1 at Lap 5. However, Rea’s hopes of a second row start in Race 2 ended when he crashed at Turn 7 from P5. Bautista claimed third to secure a front row start this afternoon.
STARTING RACE 2 FROM ROW 2: Locatelli from P4, Iannone fights to P5
Locatelli withstood a late charge from Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) to claim P4, with ‘The Maniac’ forced to settle for fifth despite pulling off another charge through the field. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) had been challenging Locatelli for fourth heading onto the final lap, but he crashed while trying to pass the #55, dropping him down to 15th. The second row will be completed by Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who had to fend off Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) – who used the SCQ tyre – to secure a P6 finish and put him in a strong position for this afternoon.
RACE 2’S ROW THREE: Vierge leads Bassani and van der Mark
Vierge will instead go from the third row after his P7 finish, with Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) in eighth place; gaining one position after his teammate’s fall. The third row in Race 2 will be completed by Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who came home in ninth.
The top nine from the Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.545s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +8.942s
Toprak Razgatlioglu won FIM Superbike World Championship Race One Saturday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Razgatlioglu started from pole position and rode his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR to a 1.948-second margin of victory in the 20-lap race.
Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R and his teammate Alvaro Bautista crossed the finish line third.
Andrea Locatelli went from 8th on the grid to 4th at the finish on his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF R1.
Alex Lowes was fifth on his Kawasaki Bimota KB998 Rimini.
Americans Garrett Gerloff went from 13th on the grid to 10th at the finish on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and wildcard Bobby Fong finished 17th on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF R1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu leads the championship with 548 points, 41 ahead of Nicolo Bulega who has 507 points. Danilo Petrucci is third with 284 points.
DRAMA AT ESTORIL: Razgatlioglu beats Bulega in red-flagged Race 1 at Estoril as Bautista completes podium. The reigning Champion strengthened his grip on the title race with a commanding Race 1 victory at Estoril.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed a hard-fought victory in Race 1 at the Circuito Estoril after dropping to fifth on the opening lap, before fighting his way back into the lead. ‘El Turco’ gained five points on title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) during the opening duel for the EICMA Estoril Round after ‘Bulegas’ finished in second place in a red-flagged race.
THE ORIGINAL START: Red flag after five-rider crash at Turn 1
The race was red flagged after a Turn 1 pile-up. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) lost the front at Turn 1 and left riders behind him with nowhere to go, with Tetsuta Nagashima (Honda HRC), Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) all going down, while Tarran Mackenzie (MGM BONOVO Action) took a big hit to his right side but kept his Ducati upright. With the red flag thrown before Lap 1, it was a complete restart, with all five riders involved taking the restart, based on the original grid positions over a 20-lap distance.
RAZGATLIOGLU FIGHTS BACK AND BOLTS: From P5 on Lap 1 to the lead
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) got a stunning start when lights went out to leap from third to first, ahead of teammate Bulega, while Razgatlioglu dropped down to P5. He soon got ahead of Pata Maxus Yamaha duo Jonathan Rea and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) to move into P3, before passing the #11 at Turn 8 for P2 on Lap 2. At the start of Lap 3, ‘El Turco’ outbraked Bautista at Turn 1 move into the lead and he immediately pulled out a gap over Bautista. On the third lap, Bulega moved ahead of Bautista at Turn 6, which left the #19 vulnerable to Rea behind. However, no one was able to match Razgatlioglu’s pace, as he stormed to victory in Portugal ahead of Bulega. Over the second half of the race, Bulega started closing the gap on Razgatlioglu, who made the switch from the SC2 to the SC1 front tyre during the red flag stoppage. Heading into the final quarter, ‘El Turco’ started pulling a gap over ‘Bulegas’ once again as he managed the final few laps to claim a valuable victory. It was Razgatlioglu’s 20th win of the season, while Bulega took the 51st rostrum of his career.
FIGHTING FOR THIRD: Rea takes the battle to Bautista for the rostrum
Bautista and Rea continued their duel for third in the first half of the race, with Rea looking faster than the Ducati rider but unable to pass his old nemesis. A mistake from Rea on Lap 8 at Turn 1, where he ran wide, dropped him a few tenths behind the Spaniard. However, he was able to recover that gap over the course of the lap. On Lap 12, Rea took advantage of a Bautista error to be all over the Ducati rider, while Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was now in the fight for P3. Two laps later and Bautista had built his gap over again to take his 16th rostrum of the year. Lowes got ahead of Rea on Lap 15 at Turn 1, before teammate Locatelli followed him straight through to demote the #65 into P6. On Lap 16, ‘Loka’ moved ahead of Lowes to claim P4 at Turn 1, with the #22 finishing P5 and Rea in P6, after fending off Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) and Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) in seventh and eighth respectively.
SCORING POINTS: Gerloff rounds out top 10, Bassani bounces back from crash for P11
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished around two seconds down on Iannone ahead to finish in P9, while Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) claimed tenth as he climbed up the order from his starting position. Bassani was 11th, two seconds clear of Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) in 12thas the Brit finished inside the points. Tito Rabat (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was 13th with Mackenzie and van der Mark rounding out the points-paying positions. Nagashima was four seconds down on van der Mark as he finished in 16th, ahead of wildcard Bobby Fong (Attack Performance Yamaha Racing) in 17th. Local rider Ivo Lopes (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was the last finisher in 18th.
TO NOTE: Three retirements, ‘Petrux’ takes Top Independent Rider in 2025
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) retired from the race after a Lap 1 crash at Turn 6 while Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) crashed out of the race on Lap 3 at Turn 3 with the Spaniard sliding out of contention as he made his comeback from injury at Estoril. Sofuoglu was ordered to leave the track with a technical problem which forced him out of the race. Michael Rinaldi (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) did not take part in Race 1 after being declared unfit for Saturday after Tissot Superpole; the #12 has been suffering from gastroenteritis.
Elsewhere, with both Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) both declared unfit ahead of Race 1, ‘Petrux’ was officially declared as the Top Independent Rider for 20205.
The top six from WorldSBK Race 1, full results here:
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
Fastest Lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW) – 1’35.632s
Valentin Debise won FIM Supersport World Championship Race One Saturday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his Renzi Corse Ducati Panigale V2, the Frenchman won the 18-lap race by 0.440 second.
Stefano Manzi was the runner-up on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF- R9, just 0.374 second ahead of third-place finisher Can Oncu, who rode a BluCru Evan Bros Yamaha YZF-R9.
Stefano Manzi leads the championship with 400 points, 64 ahead of Can Oncu who has 336 points. Jaume Masia is third with 227 points.
INSTANT CLASSIC: Debise defeats Manzi after #62 fights back from P13, Oncu takes title fight to Sunday. The table is set for a Race 2 coronation after a firecracker of a Race 1 contest.
In the FIM Supersport World Championship’s EICMA Estoril Round, Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) and his Ducati V2 kept to their recent winning ways. He has caught fire in the last two rounds in Iberia as Race 1 at the Circuito Estoril saw him outpace both title heavyweights to win his second career WorldSSP race. Crossing the line in P2, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) beat out his title rival Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team), all but assuring the title will be his on Sunday, provided he doesn’t lose more than 14 points to Oncu in Race 2
DEBISE DOUBLES UP IN 2025: Two wins in three races for the French rider
Oncu protected his pole starting position by claiming the holeshot. Leading the race through the first lap, his title rival Manzi had already climbed up eight positions into P5 by the start of Lap 2. The title rivals clashed for P1 throughout the race; however, it was Debise who emerged victorious. The Frenchman scrapped with Oncu for P1 at the start of the race, even carving out a margin of a quarter of a second ahead of the Championship rivals as they sparred for P2 behind him. As the #61 and #62 fought in each corner, Debise increased his gap at the front, pulling away to win with nearly a half-second margin behind him. Manzi increased his title lead by four points to a total of 64 points thanks to his P2 over Oncu. With this result, Manzi is on track to be crowned WorldSSP Champion after Race 2 as long as there are no Sunday surprises.
OETTL MAKES IT THREE P4’S IN A ROW: The #65 picks up where he left off from Aragon
Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) fought at the front in the early running; however, by Lap 8, he had fallen to the back of the lead group in P5. The German righted the ship and maintained his pace to achieve a P4 finish. Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) remained within visual range of the lead group; however, he lacked the several tenths of a second to close the gap and fight in earnest with the lead group, finishing in his same start position of P5. Alberto Surra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) was tailing his teammate Oncu in the podium fight early on. Surra’s grip wore down as the laps piled up, and the Italian ended up crossing the line in P6.
ALCOBA’S RECOVERY RUN: The Spanish rookie improved his P24 start to a P7 finish
Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) did well to gain positions to ride in P7 after his P10 grid start position; however, a late crash on Lap 16 saw the Brit hit the gravel, ending his race. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) got his Kawasaki ZX-6R 636 into the top eight after starting mired down in P24, and after Booth-Amos’s misfortune, he gained his spot to finish in P7. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) recovered from his P15 start position to finish P8. Raffaele de Rosa (QJMOTOR Factory Racing) continued his impressive Estoril form, holding onto his top 10 pace to place P9. Finishing off the top ten, Andorran rider Xavi Cardelus (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) took home P10 in Race 1.
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider Krittapat Keankum prepares for round one of WorldSSP at Phillip Island. Photo courtesy Yamaha Thailand Racing Team.
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team Sets Ambitious Objectives And Announces 2024 Rider Lineup
As the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team (YTRT) gears up for the 2024 season, we are proud to announce our ambitious objectives for the year ahead and build on our 2023 experience.
Bangkok, Thailand – 20 March, 2024: With extensive experience working in international motorsports, YTRT aims to leverage our rich history and experience to excel in the competitive world-championship environment while competing in the 2024 WorldSSP championship series.
Since the inception of motorsports in Thailand, Yamaha Thailand Racing has been at the forefront of the racing scene. With countless victories and championships to our name, we have been trailblazers for Thailand on the world stage. From the dominance of the Siam Yamaha Racing Team in the 1970s and 1980s to our current status as championship winners in both national and international race series, YTRT has established a winning reputation within the motorsports industry.
In 2023, Yamaha Thailand Racing Team made history by becoming the first Thai team to compete in the World Supersport class of the FIM Superbike World Championship. This prestigious series attracts a global audience and is a testament to our commitment to excellence on the international stage. As the only Thai team in the WorldSBK paddock, YTRT is committed to raising our professional standards and profile while competing at the highest level of motorsports and establishing ourselves as a world-class racing team.
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team will focus on a year of growth and progress as we develop our riders and continue to build a leading Thai motorsports team.
2024 Rider Lineup
Yamaha Thailand Racing Team rider Anupab Sarmoon will race in WorldSSP for his second year with the team. Photo courtesy Yamaha Thailand Racing Team.
Name: Anupab Sarmoon #51
Team: Yamaha Thailand Racing Team
Motorcycle: Yamaha YZF-R6
Date of Birth: 09 December, 1993
Birthplace: Chiang Mai
Anupab Sarmoon will be entering his second season with Yamaha Thailand Racing Team in the 2024 WorldSSP championship. With notable achievements including finishing fourth overall in the 2022 Asia Road Racing Championship and solid performances in the 2023 WorldSSP season, Sarmoon is poised to take a positive step forward in his international racing career.
Krittapat Keankum (39) at Phillip Island, Round One of 2024 WorldSSP. Photo courtesy Yamaha Thailand Racing Team.
Name: Krittapat Keankum #39
Team: Yamaha Thailand Racing Team
Motorcycle: Yamaha YZF-R6
Date of Birth: 22 February, 2005
Birthplace: Nonthabuuri
Krittapat Keankum, a rising talent, joins Yamaha Thailand Racing Team for the 2024 WorldSSP season. After a successful campaign in the R3 bLU cRU championship, finishing sixth in the standings, Keankum is ready to step up to the challenge of racing the supersport Yamaha R6 and aims to showcase his skills on the international stage and the opportunity to progress among Yamaha alumni.
As we embark on the 2024 season, Yamaha Thailand Racing Team is committed to pushing the boundaries of excellence and representing Thailand with pride on the world stage.
Dunlop is pleased to introduce the successor to the highly popular Sportmax Q3+. The Dunlop Sportmax Q5S sets the new benchmark for the ultimate street and track-day tire. Following in the development footsteps of the Q5, the Q5S, when compare to the Q3+, has achieved even higher performance by utilizing aspects from Dunlop’s cutting-edge road race tires developed in Buffalo, NY and used in the MotoAmerica Road Race Series.
Having enhanced constructions, profiles, compounds and tread patterns, the Q5S provides lighter and nimbler handling and improved dry and wet grip to make it even more user-friendly all while maintaining class-leading durability.
To differentiate the Q5S from the Q3+, Dunlop wanted to make the Q5S have a lighter feel to make it more responsive for street riding. With this goal set, Dunlop went to work on making the necessary changes to achieve the performance characteristics they were looking for.
Key features of the all new Sportmax Q5S:
Optimized tread pattern design to improve wear characteristics and enhance warm-up times
Front tire profile has a shorter and narrower profile to improve responsiveness and give the tire a lighter feel.
Front tire has reduced dynamic stiffness and increased damping to improve compliance all to improve braking and handling performance.
Added 200/55ZR17 rear size to allow for additional bike fitments.
Rear tread contains Dunlop’s MT Multi-Tread™ technology, giving riders outstanding mileage without sacrificing handling.
Improved compound to enhance both the wet and dry grip by adjusting the compound formula.
Both front and rear tires utilize Dunlop’s proprietary Racing Type Fine Carbon Technology in the tread compound.
Dunlop’s proprietary Intuitive Response Profile (IRP) for ultra-linear and responsive steering.
Proudly made in Dunlop’s Buffalo, NY factory.
Availability:
The Sportmax Q5S will be sold through all Dunlop retailers, as well as race tire distributors, to be easily accessible to all street or track riders. Tires will be available in all channels beginning mid-December.
Dunlop is pleased to introduce the fifth generation of the Dunlop Sportmax family. The Dunlop Sportmax Q5 is a purpose-built, track-day tire that has been in the making for over 4 years. Evolving from a blend of the highly popular Sportmax Q4 and Dunlop’s cutting-edge MotoAmerica spec road race tires, the Q5 utilizes the very best technologies Dunlop has to offer for a track tire that is still street legal.
Having enhanced constructions, profiles, compounds and tread patterns, the Q5 is the new benchmark for track-day tires. The Q5 is even more user-friendly, as dry and wet grip, tire compliance, and warm-up times have all been improved.
Dunlop has also expanded the size range of the Q5 to include five additional sizes for increased bike fitments: 110/70ZR17, 140/70ZR17, 150/60ZR17, 160/60ZR17, and 200/60ZR17.
Key features of the all new Sportmax Q5:
Sharply defined new tread pattern with lower groove density puts more rubber on the ground at all lean angles
Optimized tread pattern design and position to aid in quicker warm-up times and improved wet-weather performance.
Street-friendly performance— Tire warmers are not necessary for track use.
Designed in five additional sizes for increased bike fitments: 110/70ZR17, 140/70ZR17, 150/60ZR17, 160/60ZR17, and 200/60ZR17.
The front and rear tire profiles have a taller and narrower profile to improve turn-in and compliance while increasing the footprint and grip at camber.
Front tire has reduced vertical stiffness to improve compliance and damping and increased lateral and longitudinal stiffness to improve braking and handling performance.
The 140/70ZR17, 180/60ZR17, 200/55ZR17, and 200/60ZR17 utilize the exact same profiles as the race spec tires developed for the MotoAmerica series.
The rear tires tread features Dunlop’s Jointless Tread (JLT) technology, the same process used in Dunlop’s racing slicks. JLT applies a continuously wound tread strip over the carcass to achieve the ideal stability, flex, and grip where it’s needed most across the tire’s tread profile.
Improved compound to enhance the dry grip by adjusting the compound formula. The culmination of these changes puts the rear tire compound much closer to a true race tire compound.
Dunlop’s proprietary Intuitive Response Profile (IRP) for ultra-linear and responsive steering.
Proudly made in Dunlop’s Buffalo, NY factory on the same proprietary equipment as their road race tires.
Availability:
The Sportmax Q5 will be sold through all Dunlop retailers, as well as race tire distributors, to be easily accessible to all street or track riders. Tires will be available in all channels beginning in November and December.
Chris Clark (5) at Estoril. Photo courtesy Chris Clark Racing
Chris Clark has finished fifth overall in the 2025 R3 BLU CRU World Cup.
Clark, the first American rider to win a race in the series was one of the standouts of the year – claiming a sensational win in the opening round at Portimão in Portugal followed by a two more podiums during his front running campaign.
The final round of the championship took place in Estoril, Portugal, yesterday and whilst he may have crashed out in the closing stages he was once again fighting for the podium.
In addition to his on track success, Clark was invited to the Yamaha Mastercamp in Spain where he got to ride some of the biggest names in the sport – impressing as he turned his hand to off road disciplines such as flat track for the first time and even jet skiing.
Overall, it was a positive debut season in the Yamaha R3 BLU CRU World Cup – a season that Chris can be proud of.
An announcement regarding the #5’s future will be made in the coming weeks.
Chris Clark:“Race one didn’t go to plan. I was given two long lap penalties after an incident in qualifying which left me with a lot to do. I did my best to manage it, but I ended up losing the group and it was too hard to catch them. My full focus was on trying to win the final race of the year and after starting eighteenth I fought hard and put myself in the position to win. I was in the front group, and I had a real chance for the podium. Unfortunately, I made contact with another rider and we both went down. Nobody can say that I didn’t go down without a fight and that is important – I gave it my all. I want to thank my Smrz Racing BGR guys for all their hard work this year, all my sponsors, my family, my manager, and everyone involved with the Yamaha BLU CRU series. I can’t wait to announce my 2026 plans!”
Marc Marquez (93) and Brad Binder (33) at Circuit of The Americas, 2025. Photo by Michael Gougis.
It started with us asking our listeners for some questions. Then you responded. Now we’re here, with the longest episode in the show’s history. Funny how those things go, eh?
Yes, it’s Q&A-time! Our wonderful Patrons brought the questions, and now Mat and Peter will have to find the answers. We’ve got tires, brakes, bikes, riders, conspiracies, mountain bikes and even clowns and badgers! Trust me: you are not ready.
TT 2025 Supertwin Practice Michael Rutter (3) on his 700cc Yamaha leads Paul Jordan on his 660 Aprilia. Photo credit Barry Clay.
FIRST PERSON/OPINION & SPECULATION:
COULD A FLAT-TRACKER SOLVE DORNA’s MOTO3 PROBLEM?
By Michael Esdaile
Could the machine that not too long ago revitalized AMA-sanctioned American Flat Track (AFT) and also provided the preferred platform for the Lightweight class at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy do the same for Moto3 Grand Prix racing?
We’re talking about the 650cc Kawasaki Parallel Twin that has been in production since 2006 and has been winning races for 18 years. And still is. The words “tried and true” spring to mind.
Another contender that has followed the same route is Yamaha’s 690cc Parallel Twin, with more recent success than the Kawasaki. The 690 Yamaha won the AFT Production Twins Championship in 2019 and 2021 with Corey Texter and in 2025 clinched the AFT SuperTwins Championship during the season finale at Eldon Missouri’s Lake Ozark Speedway, ridden by Dallas Daniels.
Dallas Daniels (32) at the American Flat Track season finale at the Lake Ozark Short Track. Photo courtesy Yamaha Motor USA.
Either one of these Japanese Twins could provide the platform for the planned major revision in the Moto3 class of Grand Prix racing where there is concern that many of the current crop of riders are simply too big for the little 250cc single-cylinder racebikes built by Honda and KTM.
When the Moto3 class was launched, the minimum age for riders was 15. In recent years that has been slowly raised and is now 18 years. There are now several riders who struggle to fit onto the small, lithe 250cc Singles and this is a concern for Dorna executives.
There is another concern — the step up from Moto3 to the Moto2 class is now difficult for some riders. There is a big difference between a 185-pound (84 kg) 250cc 55-horsepower Moto3 Single and a 330-pound (150 kg) 765cc Moto2 Triple. When the Moto2 class was initiated as a replacement for the 250cc GP class, the Honda CBR600 engine was used in bikes weighing 308 lbs. (140 kg).
Riders stepping up from Moto3 today have to deal with heavier machines than before, but more importantly, they need to adjust to the vastly different torque output of the Triumph 765cc engines used in Moto2.
This has been a topic of conversation within Dorna Sports S.L., the Spanish company that has held the commercial and audiovisual rights for MotoGP since 1991.
What has been discussed is a completely new set of technical rules. In the near future, likely 2028, the 250cc Singles will be replaced.
But with what? Grand Prix officials are not saying openly but clearly there has been back-channel dialogue, with production-based 500cc twin-cylinder machines mentioned in 2024, while early this year there has been speculation about twin-cylinder engines up to 780cc.
Price Cap
The key to the new regulations is price. In 2024, a $88,000 U.S. (75,000 Euro) price cap for the new Moto3 machines was under consideration. Now a price cap of $59,000 U.S. (50,000 Euro) is being discussed, with bikes weighing as little as 120 kg and producing about 90 horsepower. The price cap for the current Moto3 machines is $205,000 U.S. (175,000 Euro).
Cost Considerations
Escalating costs for racing machines is not confined to the GP classes. It has been a concern in U.S. racing, too.
Concerned at the escalating costs of maintaining the legendary Harley-Davidson XR750s in American Flat Track racing, in 2009 the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) asked former long-time Harley engineer and tuner Bill Werner to find a cheap but competitive (and reliable) XR alternative.
Werner opted for the Kawasaki EX650 Parallel Twin. He had some experience with that model, having prepared a road-racing version for a 300-mile MotoST endurance race at Daytona in March 2007. With 49-year-old Jay Springsteen and 45-year-old Jim Filice riding the Kawasaki entered by the Pair of Nines team and managed by Gary Nixon, the 650 Twin won its class in the MotoST endurance race — by a lap.
So for the flat track racing “proof of concept” Werner bought an EX650 off eBay for $1,500, removed all the fittings needed for road use and with this stripped-down machine, Bryan Smith scored Kawasaki’s first AMA Grand National win at the August 28, 2010 Indianapolis Mile, run the same weekend as the MotoGP at Indianapolis.
Werner says that in addition to the $1,500 for eBay purchase “my total investment to build the bike was $6,000, for suspension, wheels, motor modifications, etc., as opposed to $25,000 plus for the XR750 Harley.”
Werner had backing from Monster Energy and Kawasaki Motors Corp. USA but adds, “It was my way to give back to the sport that did so much for me. I loved the challenge!”
Of the 19 finishers at the 2010 Indy Mile, only two other riders were not racing Harley-Davidson XR750s: 12th-placed Larry Pegram (Ducati) and 16th-place Shawn Baer (Triumph).
Proving that the win at Indy was not a fluke, Smith again beat Harley-Davidson’s Chris Carr the following weekend at the Springfield Mile. This time there was one other Kawasaki 650 Twin in the results, ridden by Johnny Lewis, who finished 10th.
The seed had been planted. A year later there were six Kawasaki Twins among the 54 entries at the September Springfield Mile, with four making it to the 26-lap main event. Of those, Lewis was the best finisher, less than three-10ths of a second behind the winning XR750 Harley-Davidson, with Australian Luke Gough finishing 15th on his EX650.
Another year saw eight of the Kawasaki Twins at the Springfield Mile in September, with Bryan Smith winning on an EX650, this time mounted in a dirt-track frame built by Howerton Motorsports that had been campaigned by the Australian Gough in 2011.
By the 2015 September Springfield Mile, an astounding 27 Kawasaki EX650s made up the GNC2 class’s 35-bike entry, with another 23 in the GNC1 class. That’s 50 Kawasaki 650 Twins…
Once again, Bryan Smith won the GCN1 class, on a Kawasaki, this time prepared by Howerton Motorsports in Indianapolis.
Werner’s effort in the 2010 season had paid off for the AMA and brought a lot more young racers into the sport they had previously been shut out of by the prohibitively-expensive-to-run XR750 Harley-Davidson.
Lightweight TT
But it was not only in AMA flat track racing that the Kawasaki 650 Twin was proving popular. On the other side of the Atlantic, the British Auto Cycle Union decided to re-establish the Lightweight class at the 2012 Isle of Man TT. Rather than using 250cc GP machines, the race was now for series production 650cc Twins. Right away the Kawasaki 650 proved the popular choice, with all but 11 of the 43 starters in the inaugural race on EX650-based machines, Ryan Farquhar winning at a race average speed of 114.15 mph.
This class allowed almost unlimited engine modifications but mandated use of the standard road bike chassis. Private British tuners soon boosted the power output of the 650 Kawasaki Twin and in 2013 James Hillier on the winning Kawasaki averaged 117.69 mph.
Again, Kawasaki 650s dominated the class, 32 of them making up the majority of the 43-bike field. By 2014 all but five of the 49 Lightweight TT entries were 650 Kawasakis.
One of them was an Italian Paton, a 650 Kawasaki engine in a chrome moly frame raced by Ollie Linsdell to sixth.
TT 2013 – Lightweight TT – Michael Rutter (Kawasaki 650 powered) at Braddan Bridge. He crashed on lap2. Photo credit Barry Clay.
The 2015 edition of the race saw the winning average speed upped to 118.936 mph by Ivan Lintin and this time Michael Rutter brought a Paton home in third place, at 117.657 mph.
For the 2016 Lightweight TT, a staggering 53 riders faced the starter, all but 12 of them using 650 Kawasaki power.
Michael Rutter finally gave the Kawasaki-powered Paton a win, when he topped the 39-rider field in 2017, by now almost all on Kawasakis. Despite the custom Italian chassis, his race average of 118.645 mph was a whisker under Lintin’s 2015 record.
TT 2019 – Lightweight Race Winner Michael Dunlop on a Paton powered by a Kawasaki 650 engine. Photo credit Barry Clay.
Rutter made amends in 2018, establishing a new 120.601 mph average on a Paton. There were four other Patons in the race but almost all the rest of the 45 were Kawasakis.
A year later Michael Dunlop won, on a Paton, upping the winning average speed to 121.646 mph.
Supertwins
Then came the great catastrophe – the 2020 and 2021 Covid lock-downs—with no racing at all at the TT. When racing returned in 2022, the regulations had been changed, and the class was now called “Supertwins” with a 700cc capacity limit allowing the new Yamaha YZF-R7 and the Aprilia RS660 in the field.
TT 2022 Supertwin Race Winner Peter Hickman leads Michael Rutter Both on Kawasaki – powered Patons. Photo credit Barry Clay.
No matter, Kawasaki power still prevailed, with Peter Hickman doing the business on a Paton with a 120.006-mph average. The Italian brand won again in 2023, with Michael Dunlop winning from fellow Paton rider Mike Browne in the first of two races.
In the second, Peter Hickman gave the YZF-R7 Yamaha its début Supertwins TT win, but his 119.318 mph average was slower than Dunlop’s 2019 benchmark.
TT 2024 Supertwin Race 1 Peter Hickman Swan Racing Yamaha 2nd. Photo credit Barry Clay
It was left to Dunlop to up his winning speed with a 122.451 mph effort in the second of the two races in 2024. He won both on a 650 Kawasaki-powered Paton. He repeated the effort (two wins on a Paton) in 2025.
Moto3 Potential
When privateers overwhelming chose one particular make and model of production bike for racing, it is a good bet that is because it is easily available and relatively cheap to race.
On that basis alone, could the Kawaski 650 Twin also make good sense for the mooted twin-cylinder class in Moto3?
Paton is already making a chassis and providing a race-ready 108-horsepower engine capable of propelling the machine to a 162 mph (260 km/h) top speed. It sells this ready-to-race package for 48,500 Euro ($56,800 U.S.), just under the mooted new 50,000 Euro price cap for the revamped Moto3 class.
There is also another possibly. In 2019 Kawasaki took a 49.5% stake in the Italian chassis maker Bimota and in 2025 the official Kawasaki entry in the Superbike World Championship runs a ZX10RR engine in a Bimota chassis, the team known as the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team.
Whether Kawasaki has the marketing acumen to pitch a proposal to Dorna for a Bimota 650 Kawasaki Moto3 machine, time will tell. As we can see, the engine is race proven across almost two decades of racing. It comes standard with a slipper clutch and a side-loading (cassette) transmission.
Then there is the 690 Yamaha, which was released in the USA in 2015. Immediately Keith McCarthy, then Yamaha Motor Corp. USA’s Motorsports Racing Division Manager (now retired) saw its potential for flat-track racing, as did Yamaha’s motorcycle product line manager Derek Brooks.
The result was the DT-07 Flat Track Concept bike displayed at the October 2015 AIMExpo in Orlando, Florida.
Unlike the bottom-up Werner-Kawasaki 650 development, this was a top-down approach, with Yamaha having a concept flat-track chassis built for its engine. Over time, it has collaborated with G&G Racing and Estenson Racing to race in the AFT Production Twins class (which it has won twice) and has now won the AFT SuperTwins Championship.
And as noted above, the 690 Yamaha has also provided a platform for Supertwins road-racing at the Isle of Man.
Given Yamaha’s long-term commitment to Grand Prix racing, a Yamaha 690 engine in a Suter or Kalex chassis is probably not beyond the bounds of reality.
Either way, the motorcycle that will become the Moto3 platform in 2028 will almost certainly have its roots in AFT racing!
Bobby Fong (50) at Estoril, in Portugal. Photo courtesy Yamaha Motor Corp., USA.
Attack Performance Strack Racing Yamaha’s Bobby Fong makes steady improvements in WorldSBK debut at Circuito Estoril.
Attack Performance Strack Racing Yamaha’s Bobby Fong made forward strides throughout the weekend as he made his FIM Superbike World Championship debut in Estoril, Portugal. Led by Attack Performance, with support from fellow official Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. team Strack Racing, the American wild card effort gathered valuable data and experience with some additional seat time during the penultimate round of the 2025 WorldSBK season.
In his first race weekend on the world stage, Fong focused on familiarizing himself with the Estoril circuit and finding his flow, as the team continued to work on the development of their Superbike platform for the upcoming 2026 MotoAmerica Superbike season. After qualifying 21st, the Californian made steady improvements, finishing 17th in Saturday’s Race 1, and 18th in Sunday’s Superpole Race and Race 2.
The Attack Performance Strack Racing Yamaha wild card effort looks to continue its work next weekend at the season finale in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, on October 17-19.
Richard Stanboli at Estoril. Photo courtesy Yamaha Motor Corp., USA.
Richard Stanboli – Attack Performance Strack Racing Yamaha Team Manager:
“We really enjoyed our time in Portugal. The people are great, and the WSBK paddock is happy to have us join them. Yamaha Racing Europe has been very welcoming, and their hospitality is extraordinary. They have gone out of their way to make us feel like part of the Yamaha family. We’ve been working closely with the WorldSBK team on chassis and electronics, comparing notes and data in preparation for our 2026 MotoAmerica effort. We made steady improvements over the course of the weekend, but to improve more, we need some bigger steps. We look forward to Jerez and continuing our European working vacation.”
Bobby Fong at Estoril. Photo courtesy Yamaha Motor Corp., USA.
Bobby Fong – Attack Performance Strack Racing Yamaha #50:
“We knew it was going to be a big task coming here. From the first session to the final race today, we’ve made progress each session and improved our pace. We’re learning a lot. Richard (Stanboli) keeps reminding me that we’re learning for the future, but as a racer, you always want to be a little closer to the front. We’ll keep learning and trying new things with the bike to see what works and what doesn’t, and keep chipping away at it. There are a few key areas where I’m losing time in general, so that’s what we are trying to work on. We’ll do our homework during the week and hopefully improve at the next track. We’re not happy with the position, but we’re happy to be out here enjoying this experience and to keep moving forward.”
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YMUS has a corporate office in California, three corporate offices in Georgia, as well as facilities in Wisconsin, Alabama, and Florida. YMUS subsidiaries Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC), based in Georgia, and Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing U.S.A. (YJBM) based in Tennessee, each assemble and manufacture selected Yamaha brand products. YMUS owns Skeeter Boats [Texas] with its division G3 Boats [Missouri]. Additional U.S.-based subsidiaries include Yamaha Marine Systems Company, Inc. (YMSC) with subsidiary Siren Marine [Rhode Island] and divisions Bennett Marine [Florida], Yamaha Marine Rotational Molders [Wisconsin] and Yamaha Precision Propeller Inc. [Indiana].
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Stefano Manzi (62) at Estoril. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Supersport crown caps Manzi’s journey before WorldSBK move in 2026.
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) has been crowned the 2025 FIM Supersport World Champion, securing the title with 2 races to go after a commanding campaign aboard the new Yamaha R9.
For Manzi, the title represents a career milestone after two runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024. The Italian has been a dominant force in 2025, scoring 10 victories and 18 podiums on his way to Championship glory.
Stefano Manzi. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing):
“It feels amazing to be World Champion. It’s difficult to find the words to describe it. After finishing second two years in a row, to finally win is incredible. It’s a lifetime of work, when you start riding young, you dream about this, and to achieve it is amazing.
The key moment for me was the difficult period when I crashed at Most and Misano. That was a wake-up call, reminding me that you are not unbeatable and must stay focused to win the title. From that moment, I worked hard, avoided repeating mistakes, and finally I can say I achieved it, it’s an incredible feeling.”
Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing Team. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing Team Manager:
“This has been a three-year project, and to win the championship now in the third year is unbelievable. It was even more special the way Stefano did it, because we all know how pressure affects riders, but he left all the pressure in the hotel and won the race to become Champion.
From the start of the season, we could see he had stepped up his game massively. His growth year after year has been amazing. Not just as a rider – in his first year he was already at a very high level – but he lacked consistency and workflow. There was also work to do on the mental side, and this year he made huge strides mentally, personally, and in performance. He’s now complete and ready for Superbike.”
RACING JOURNEY
Manzi began his career in the Italian Championship and JuniorGP before moving to the Moto3 World Championship in 2015 and then to Moto2 in 2017, where his highlights included a pole position and a fourth-place finish. He switched to WorldSSP in 2022 with Dynavolt Triumph, taking his first win at Portimao, before joining Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing and immediately establishing himself as a title contender. In 2025, he finally clinched the WorldSSP Championship title, solidifying his position as a top rider in the category.
With the 2025 crown, Manzi adds his name to the list of Supersport Champions and confirms his place among the most competitive riders in the paddock. Next season, he will step up to WorldSBK with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team.
Nicolo Bulega won World Superbike Race Two Sunday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R, the championship point leader won the 21-lap race by just 4.868 seconds.
Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR, and Bulega’s teammate, Alvaro Bautista was third.
Alex Lowes finished the race fourth on his Kawasaki Bimota KB998 Rimini.
Andrea Locatelli got fifth on his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF-R1.
Americans Garrett Gerloff finished 11th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and wildcard Bobby Fong got 18th on his Performance Attack Yamaha YZF-R1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu leads the championship with 580 points, 39 ahead of Nicolo Bulega who has 541 points. Danilo Petrucci is third with 292 points.
TITLE FIGHT ROLLS ON: Bulega beats Razgatlioglu in Race 2 at Estoril as Championship battles goes to Jerez. The #11 got a good start when lights went out and converted that into his sole win of the weekend, ensuring the title fight will be decided at the season finale.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed victory in Race 2 at the Circuito Estoril as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship concluded at the historic Portuguese venue. The #11 ensured the title battle will roll on to the season finale at Jerez next week with his 17th WorldSBK victory, as Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) came home in second for the EICMA Estoril Round.
BULEGA BATTLES TO P1: Victory for the #11, Razgatlioglu second
As in the previous two races, Razgatlioglu lost ground at the start of the race, dropping to fifth behind Bulega, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) and Bautista, moving ahead of the #19 to take P4 at Turn 1 on Lap 2. At Turn 6, ‘El Turco’ tried to pass Iannone but ‘The Maniac’ fought back; however, the #29 was given a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start. At Turn 9, Razgatlioglu was up to second after getting ahead of Locatelli and soon set his sights on Bulega, who was 1.4 seconds clear at the start of Lap 3. The pair traded similar lap times throughout the first quarter of the race, with the gap hovering at just over a second. On Lap 7, ‘Bulegas’ lapped four tenths quicker to open the gap to 1.5 seconds, appearing to put some breathing room between himself and the BMW rider. By the halfway mark, Bulega had extended the gap to over two seconds. While the gap did fluctuate a bit, Bulega went on to claim victory in Race 2, ensuring the title fight would go to the final round at Jerez.
BAUTISTA TAKES THREE P3S: A triple visit to the rostrum
The fight for third was another barnstorming battle, with Bautista slower in the first stages of the race and having to fend off his rivals. He had ‘Loka’ behind him at the start of Lap 5, who in turn was under pressure from Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), who forced his way ahead of the Yamaha rider at Turn 1. That order remained stable throughout the race with Bautista taking his third P3 finish of the weekend, which moved him into third in the Championship standings. Bulega’s victory and Bautista’s rostrum ensured Aruba.it Racing – Ducati wrapped up the Teams’ Championship for 2025. The #22 finished in fourth after losing time in the final stages to Bautista, with Locatelli claiming P5.
A BIG FIGHT INSIDE THE TOP TEN: Vierge claims sixth ahead of Gardner
Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) took the chequered flag in P6 as he finished as the only Honda rider in the top ten, finishing 1.4 seconds clear of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in seventh. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) ensured both Bimotas were inside the top ten as he finished in eighth, directly ahead of Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in ninth.
VAN DER MARK RESISTS GERLOFF: Scrapping for the top ten
Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had to fend off a hard-charging Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) to secure a finish in the top ten, eventually finishing just 0.128s clear of the Texan. Iannone battled back to 12th after his penalty, with ‘The Maniac’ initially dropping out of the points after his penalty. Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) was 13th ahead of Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), who rounded out the points-paying positions.
FINISHING THE RACE: Narrowly missing out on P15
Tito Rabat (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) narrowly missed out on P15 as he finished half-a-second down on Montella, while he had a 12-second margin to wildcard Tetsuta Nagashima (Honda HRC) in 17th. Bobby Fong (Attack Performance Yamaha Racing) was the last classified rider in 18th place.
RETIRING FROM RACE 2: Four riders don’t finish
Michael Rinaldi (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was the first rider to drop out of the race when he crashed at Turn 7, retiring from the race. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) crashed out of the race at Turn 7 on Lap 13. Meanwhile, home hero Ivo Lopes (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) retired in the early stages of Race 2. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM BONOVO Action) was a faller in the final few laps when he came down at Turn 1.
Stefano Manzi won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday afternoon at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. The Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF-R9 rider won the 18-lap race by 2.599 secondS and became the 2025 WorldSSP Champion – the first ever to conquer the crown with the Yamaha R9.
Philipp Oettl was second on his Feel Racing Ducati Panigale V2, and Jeremy Alcoba got third on his Kawasaki ZX-6R 636.
Former MotoAmerica regular Valentin Debise suffered a mechanical issue on his Renzi Corse Ducati Panigale V2 and didn’t finish the race.
Stefano Manzi leads the championship with 425 points, 82 ahead of Can Oncu who has 343 points. Tom Booth-Amos is third with 233 points.
Toprak Razgatlioglu won the World Superbike Superpole Race Sunday morning at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR, the 2024 WorldSuperbike Champion won the 10-lap race by 0.545 second.
Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, and his teammate, Alvaro Bautista was third, 8.942 seconds behind the race winner.
Andrea Locatelli finished fourth on his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF R1.
Andrea Iannone got fifth on his Team Pata go Eleven Ducati Panigale V4R.
Americans Garrett Gerloff finished 12th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and Bobby Fong was 18th on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF R1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu leads the championship with 560 points, 44 ahead of Nicolo Bulega who has 516 points. Danilo Petrucci is third with 284 points.
DOUBLING UP: Razgatlioglu claims Superpole Race honours ahead of Bulega, Bautista resists challenges for P3. ‘El Turco’ made it two from two at Estoril by beating title rival Bulega by half-a-second in the 10-lap Superpole Race.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took another step towards this year’s title in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with his second win of the EICMA Estoril Round. He fended off Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to claim the 21st win of his 2025 season and gain another three points on ‘Bulegas’. It means Razgatlioglu has the chance to wrap up the title in Race 2; he will be crowned Champion if he outscores the #11 by 18 points.
FIGHTING FOR VICTORY: Razgatlioglu vs Bulega once again
Bulega got the holeshot for the 10-lap race, before Razgatlioglu dropped down to third behind Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). He was soon ahead of the #19 at Turn 6 on the opening lap, before passing Bulega at Turn 1 on Lap 2. At Turn 6, ‘El Turco’ ran wide and briefly claimed the lead, for just one corner at Turn 7; they then swapped again at Turn 9 but the #1 held position. Bulega tried to respond at Turn 1 but Razgatlioglu held on, before building a gap over his title rival. The gap stabilised until the second half of the race, when ‘Bulegas’ started crawling all over Razgatlioglu. However, the BMW rider soon maintained the gap to claim victory on Sunday morning and move another step closer to this year’s title.
BATTLING FOR THE PODIUM: Bautista just holds on…
The fight for the final front row spot in Race 2 went all the way to the wire. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) held on to claim P3 ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), although he spent the start of the race fending off Locatelli’s teammate, Jonathan Rea. The #65 was hounding the #19 before Locatelli got ahead at Turn 1 at Lap 5. However, Rea’s hopes of a second row start in Race 2 ended when he crashed at Turn 7 from P5. Bautista claimed third to secure a front row start this afternoon.
STARTING RACE 2 FROM ROW 2: Locatelli from P4, Iannone fights to P5
Locatelli withstood a late charge from Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) to claim P4, with ‘The Maniac’ forced to settle for fifth despite pulling off another charge through the field. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) had been challenging Locatelli for fourth heading onto the final lap, but he crashed while trying to pass the #55, dropping him down to 15th. The second row will be completed by Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who had to fend off Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) – who used the SCQ tyre – to secure a P6 finish and put him in a strong position for this afternoon.
RACE 2’S ROW THREE: Vierge leads Bassani and van der Mark
Vierge will instead go from the third row after his P7 finish, with Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) in eighth place; gaining one position after his teammate’s fall. The third row in Race 2 will be completed by Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who came home in ninth.
The top nine from the Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.545s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +8.942s
World Superbike race start at Estoril. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Toprak Razgatlioglu won FIM Superbike World Championship Race One Saturday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Razgatlioglu started from pole position and rode his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR to a 1.948-second margin of victory in the 20-lap race.
Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R and his teammate Alvaro Bautista crossed the finish line third.
Andrea Locatelli went from 8th on the grid to 4th at the finish on his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF R1.
Alex Lowes was fifth on his Kawasaki Bimota KB998 Rimini.
Americans Garrett Gerloff went from 13th on the grid to 10th at the finish on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and wildcard Bobby Fong finished 17th on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF R1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu leads the championship with 548 points, 41 ahead of Nicolo Bulega who has 507 points. Danilo Petrucci is third with 284 points.
DRAMA AT ESTORIL: Razgatlioglu beats Bulega in red-flagged Race 1 at Estoril as Bautista completes podium. The reigning Champion strengthened his grip on the title race with a commanding Race 1 victory at Estoril.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed a hard-fought victory in Race 1 at the Circuito Estoril after dropping to fifth on the opening lap, before fighting his way back into the lead. ‘El Turco’ gained five points on title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) during the opening duel for the EICMA Estoril Round after ‘Bulegas’ finished in second place in a red-flagged race.
THE ORIGINAL START: Red flag after five-rider crash at Turn 1
The race was red flagged after a Turn 1 pile-up. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) lost the front at Turn 1 and left riders behind him with nowhere to go, with Tetsuta Nagashima (Honda HRC), Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) all going down, while Tarran Mackenzie (MGM BONOVO Action) took a big hit to his right side but kept his Ducati upright. With the red flag thrown before Lap 1, it was a complete restart, with all five riders involved taking the restart, based on the original grid positions over a 20-lap distance.
RAZGATLIOGLU FIGHTS BACK AND BOLTS: From P5 on Lap 1 to the lead
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) got a stunning start when lights went out to leap from third to first, ahead of teammate Bulega, while Razgatlioglu dropped down to P5. He soon got ahead of Pata Maxus Yamaha duo Jonathan Rea and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) to move into P3, before passing the #11 at Turn 8 for P2 on Lap 2. At the start of Lap 3, ‘El Turco’ outbraked Bautista at Turn 1 move into the lead and he immediately pulled out a gap over Bautista. On the third lap, Bulega moved ahead of Bautista at Turn 6, which left the #19 vulnerable to Rea behind. However, no one was able to match Razgatlioglu’s pace, as he stormed to victory in Portugal ahead of Bulega. Over the second half of the race, Bulega started closing the gap on Razgatlioglu, who made the switch from the SC2 to the SC1 front tyre during the red flag stoppage. Heading into the final quarter, ‘El Turco’ started pulling a gap over ‘Bulegas’ once again as he managed the final few laps to claim a valuable victory. It was Razgatlioglu’s 20th win of the season, while Bulega took the 51st rostrum of his career.
FIGHTING FOR THIRD: Rea takes the battle to Bautista for the rostrum
Bautista and Rea continued their duel for third in the first half of the race, with Rea looking faster than the Ducati rider but unable to pass his old nemesis. A mistake from Rea on Lap 8 at Turn 1, where he ran wide, dropped him a few tenths behind the Spaniard. However, he was able to recover that gap over the course of the lap. On Lap 12, Rea took advantage of a Bautista error to be all over the Ducati rider, while Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was now in the fight for P3. Two laps later and Bautista had built his gap over again to take his 16th rostrum of the year. Lowes got ahead of Rea on Lap 15 at Turn 1, before teammate Locatelli followed him straight through to demote the #65 into P6. On Lap 16, ‘Loka’ moved ahead of Lowes to claim P4 at Turn 1, with the #22 finishing P5 and Rea in P6, after fending off Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) and Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) in seventh and eighth respectively.
SCORING POINTS: Gerloff rounds out top 10, Bassani bounces back from crash for P11
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished around two seconds down on Iannone ahead to finish in P9, while Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) claimed tenth as he climbed up the order from his starting position. Bassani was 11th, two seconds clear of Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) in 12thas the Brit finished inside the points. Tito Rabat (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was 13th with Mackenzie and van der Mark rounding out the points-paying positions. Nagashima was four seconds down on van der Mark as he finished in 16th, ahead of wildcard Bobby Fong (Attack Performance Yamaha Racing) in 17th. Local rider Ivo Lopes (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was the last finisher in 18th.
TO NOTE: Three retirements, ‘Petrux’ takes Top Independent Rider in 2025
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) retired from the race after a Lap 1 crash at Turn 6 while Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) crashed out of the race on Lap 3 at Turn 3 with the Spaniard sliding out of contention as he made his comeback from injury at Estoril. Sofuoglu was ordered to leave the track with a technical problem which forced him out of the race. Michael Rinaldi (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) did not take part in Race 1 after being declared unfit for Saturday after Tissot Superpole; the #12 has been suffering from gastroenteritis.
Elsewhere, with both Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) both declared unfit ahead of Race 1, ‘Petrux’ was officially declared as the Top Independent Rider for 20205.
The top six from WorldSBK Race 1, full results here:
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
Fastest Lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW) – 1’35.632s
Stefano Manzi (62) and Can Oncu (61) at Estoril. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Valentin Debise won FIM Supersport World Championship Race One Saturday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his Renzi Corse Ducati Panigale V2, the Frenchman won the 18-lap race by 0.440 second.
Stefano Manzi was the runner-up on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF- R9, just 0.374 second ahead of third-place finisher Can Oncu, who rode a BluCru Evan Bros Yamaha YZF-R9.
Stefano Manzi leads the championship with 400 points, 64 ahead of Can Oncu who has 336 points. Jaume Masia is third with 227 points.
INSTANT CLASSIC: Debise defeats Manzi after #62 fights back from P13, Oncu takes title fight to Sunday. The table is set for a Race 2 coronation after a firecracker of a Race 1 contest.
In the FIM Supersport World Championship’s EICMA Estoril Round, Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) and his Ducati V2 kept to their recent winning ways. He has caught fire in the last two rounds in Iberia as Race 1 at the Circuito Estoril saw him outpace both title heavyweights to win his second career WorldSSP race. Crossing the line in P2, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) beat out his title rival Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team), all but assuring the title will be his on Sunday, provided he doesn’t lose more than 14 points to Oncu in Race 2
DEBISE DOUBLES UP IN 2025: Two wins in three races for the French rider
Oncu protected his pole starting position by claiming the holeshot. Leading the race through the first lap, his title rival Manzi had already climbed up eight positions into P5 by the start of Lap 2. The title rivals clashed for P1 throughout the race; however, it was Debise who emerged victorious. The Frenchman scrapped with Oncu for P1 at the start of the race, even carving out a margin of a quarter of a second ahead of the Championship rivals as they sparred for P2 behind him. As the #61 and #62 fought in each corner, Debise increased his gap at the front, pulling away to win with nearly a half-second margin behind him. Manzi increased his title lead by four points to a total of 64 points thanks to his P2 over Oncu. With this result, Manzi is on track to be crowned WorldSSP Champion after Race 2 as long as there are no Sunday surprises.
OETTL MAKES IT THREE P4’S IN A ROW: The #65 picks up where he left off from Aragon
Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) fought at the front in the early running; however, by Lap 8, he had fallen to the back of the lead group in P5. The German righted the ship and maintained his pace to achieve a P4 finish. Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) remained within visual range of the lead group; however, he lacked the several tenths of a second to close the gap and fight in earnest with the lead group, finishing in his same start position of P5. Alberto Surra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) was tailing his teammate Oncu in the podium fight early on. Surra’s grip wore down as the laps piled up, and the Italian ended up crossing the line in P6.
ALCOBA’S RECOVERY RUN: The Spanish rookie improved his P24 start to a P7 finish
Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) did well to gain positions to ride in P7 after his P10 grid start position; however, a late crash on Lap 16 saw the Brit hit the gravel, ending his race. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) got his Kawasaki ZX-6R 636 into the top eight after starting mired down in P24, and after Booth-Amos’s misfortune, he gained his spot to finish in P7. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) recovered from his P15 start position to finish P8. Raffaele de Rosa (QJMOTOR Factory Racing) continued his impressive Estoril form, holding onto his top 10 pace to place P9. Finishing off the top ten, Andorran rider Xavi Cardelus (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) took home P10 in Race 1.
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