WorldSBK: Race One Results From Portugal

Mathilde Gasnier

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March 29, 2025

WorldSBK: Race One Results From Portugal

2024 WorldSuperbike Champion, Toprak Razgatlioglu won FIM Superbike World Championship Race One Saturday at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, in Portugal. Razgatlioglu started from pole position rode his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR. to just 0.067- second margin of victory in the 20-lap race.

Rookie sensation, Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up on his Aruba.It Racing – Ducati Panigale V4R and just held off Andrea Locatelli, who rode his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF R1 to third.

Danilo Petrucci crossed the finish line fourth on his Barni Spark Racing Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R.

American Garrett Gerloff went from 16th on the grid to 12th at the finish on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.

Results race 1 WSBK

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Toprak takes victory holding off Bulega as the rivals lock horns in all-time battle at Portimao. Razgatlioglu and Bulega were feeling nostalgic as they reenacted last year’s Championship duel in a dramatic Race 1 in Portimao

MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action burst back onto the track on Saturday, Race 1 bringing with it the possibility of claiming the first points of the Pirelli Portuguese Round. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed the holeshot, however after Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) recuperated his positions from his poor start to the race; what followed was the best duel between the two since the Italian rider joined WorldSBK last year. Bulega and Razgatlioglu clashed head-to-head for P1 across most of the race; changing positions nine times. The dogfight culminated with Bulega overtaking Toprak in the straight of Lap 19, before Toprak slipped back in front at Turn 3. From there, Toprak held on to finish P1 by a mere 0.067s over the Italian sophomore.

TOPRAK VS BULEGA IN RACE 1: Title rivals duel it out from Lap 7 to the chequered flag, nine overtakes in the battle

Polesitter Razgatlioglu bundled his start to the race, falling back several positions to P7, however he quickly found himself back behind Bulega by Lap 4. What followed was the most sustained battle yet seen between the two in WorldSBK. Neither rider backed down as they stayed close behind one another from Lap 4 until Toprak claimed P1 in Lap 19, where he was able to hold off Bulega’s final assaults. The defending Riders’ Champion now sits behind Buelga in second in the Championship standings, Bulega’s 82 points to Toprak’s 45. Toprak’s 58^th win puts him just one win behind four-time World Champion Carl Fogarty; the sixth win for BMW at Portimao, the first time the German manufacturer has hit that number of wins on any track.

LOCATELLI P3, VIERGE P5: Strong results for Yamaha and Honda

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) secured a podium finish by holding off Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) for P3. For his part, Petrucci was once again metronomically consistent, finishing the race where he started in P4 after regaining the position from Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) on Lap 9, with ‘Petrux’ finishing as top Independent rider. Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) started from P6 on the grid, doing well to hold off other riders, finishing P5, securing the best result for Honda of the season so far. Michael van der Mark’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) P6 finish is a step in the right direction after a wayward weekend in Australia, a testament to the progress he and his BMW team seem to have made with their new BMW M1000 RR.

IANNONE RECOVERS TO P7 FROM P16 START: Bassani P9, lone Bimota to finish

Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) was able to cobble together a P7 finish, the product of a tough climb up the grid after his disappointing Tissot Superpole session result which saw him start back in P16 after three-place grid penalty. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished P8, as he and his team will have much to be proud of in Race 1. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) who finished P9, was the only Bimota rider to see the chequered flag after teammate Alex Lowes crashed out of the race on Lap 10 after a high-speed crash at Turn 1.

TAKING HOME POINTS: Lecuona returns with P11, Sofuoglu best rookie

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) tied his best result of the season so far as he finished P10 in Race 1. Xavi Lecuona’s (Honda HRC) first point-scoring race of the season was a solid return to action in P11 after missing time with injury in the offseason then later the Australian Round. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) continues to adapt to his new green machine and finished P12. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) finished P13 to score points for the second time in his WorldSBK rookie season, with Tarran Mackenzie finishing P14, just 0.729s behind Sofuoglu. Tito Rabat (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) claimed the final point-scoring position, finishing P15 just over half a second behind Mackenzie. Ryan Vickers was racing through an elbow injury he picked up in FP3, narrowly missing out on points as he finished P16. Bringing up the rear of the riders who finished the race, Yamaha replacement rider Jason O’Halloran (Pata Maxus Yamaha) finished in P17.

BAUTISTA AND REDDING CRASH OUT IN LAP 1: Lowes brothers DNF

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) collided at Turn 4 on the opening lap, as the incident ended the day for both riders and is being investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) followed Locatelli’s trailblazing start at lights out, clinging to his tail to take an early P3, however the British rider saw his race end prematurely after a Turn 11 crash during Lap 8. WorldSBK Rookies Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Zaqhwan Zaidi (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) both crashed out of the race. Montella’s strong string of performances were abruptly ended by his Lap 3, Turn 5 crash, and Zaidi’s Lap 11, Turn 8 crash prevented him from being able to fight for his first career WorldSBK points.

The top six from the WorldSBK Race 1: Full results here!

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.067s
3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +7.855s
4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +8.991s
5. Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) +15.475s
6. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +17.830s
Fastest lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu, BMW – 1’40.351s

Catch the rest of the WorldSBK action tomorrow live at 11:00 (UTC +1) or on demand with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

MOTO3 : Bertelle Heads Saturday Practice At COTA

Mathilde Gasnier

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March 29, 2025

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MOTO3 : Bertelle Heads Saturday Practice At COTA

Matteo Bertelle led Moto3 World Championship practice Saturday morning, at Circuit of The Americas, COTA, in Austin, Texas. Bertelle used his Pirelli-shod LEVELUP-MTA KTM to lap the 3.43-mile (5.51 km) track in 2:15.695 which led the field of 26 riders.

Angel Piqueras was second-best with a time of 2:15.976 on his FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI KTM.

Bertelle’s teammate, Joel Kelso claimed the third and final spot on the front with a lap time of 2:16.218.

Classification moto3 FP2

WorldSSP: Race One Results From Portimao

Mathilde Gasnier

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March 29, 2025

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WorldSSP: Race One Results From Portimao

Can Oncu won FIM Supersport World Championship Race One Saturday at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, in Portugal. Riding his Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team YZF R9, the Turkish rider won the 17-lap race by 0.836 seconds.

Stefano Manzi was the runner-up on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF- R6, just 0.931 second ahead of third-place finisher Bo Bendsneyder, who rode a MV Agusta Reparto Corse F3 800 RR.

Former MotoAmerica Supersport regular Valentin Debise crossed the finish line 8th on his Renzi Corse Ducati Panigale V2.

Results WSSP RACE 1

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

ONCU STAYS HOT: Race 1 goes to the Turkish youngster for his first win since 2023. Oncu brings home Yamaha’s 150^th WorldSSP win from Portimao’s Race 1, followed by Manzi and Bendsneyder

Racing action is underway at Portimao in the Pirelli Portuguese Round! The FIM Supersport World Championship grid took to the track after Friday afternoon’s Tissot Superpole session which featured Turkish rider Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing) win his career-first WorldSSP pole; and in Saturday’s Race 1 he followed that up with his first win in 2 years and 25 days, earned in 2023’s Indonesian Round Race 1. Following him onto the rostrum for P2, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) gained time on the Turkish rider as he managed to hold off a surging Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) who had prior overtaken Lucas Mahias (GMT94-Yamaha) for P3.

ONCU’S 2^nd EVER WIN IN 101^st start: First win since Indonesia’s Race 1 in 2023

Oncu claimed the holeshot from pole position and quickly stretched his margin to establish a commanding lead, 2.658s ahead of Manzi in P2 by Lap 8. Manzi and Lucas Mahias (GMT94-Yamaha) were glued to one another for the first 10 laps, the two veterans battling with one another as they both tried to make time on Oncu in the distance ahead of them. After putting distance between him and the rest of the pack, Bendsneyder closed down the Yamaha pair in P2 and P3. He passed both Manzi and Mahias in consecutive laps before the #62 brushed hm back out of the way to claim P2 on Lap 14. Manzi from there staved off the Dutchman to secure second, earning his 44^th WorldSSP podium, equaling Fabian Foret for third in all time podiums. Bendsneyder, who started the race in P5, locked down P3 to taste the prosecco for the 3^rd time in WorldSSP.

TOUGH BREAK FOR MAHIAS: Tom Booth-Amos surges up from P12 to take P5 finish

Mahias’ P4 finish was a disappointing result for the Frenchman who had spent the majority of his race battling with Manzi for P2. Lap 11 saw Bendsneyder slip past Mahias at Turn 1, a position he wasn’t able to recover and had to settle for P4. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) took P5, a hard-fought race for Australia’s Race 2 winner in which he had to pull free of a tight pack of riders after starting back in P12. Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) found himself amid the same melee for P5 with Booth-Amos, Debise, Masia and others, from which he was able to take a P6 as the pack spread out late in the race.

MASIA AND DEBISE BATTLE AGAIN: P7 for Masia, P8 for Debise

Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was forced to take a long lap penalty at Turn 14, which he took on Lap 3, for his irresponsible riding incident in Australia where he collided with the rear of Valentin Debise’s (Renzi Corse) bike. He went on to finish P7. Debise began the race in P8, aggressively entering corners to take positions throughout the race, however the tactic on several occasions backfired, running wide and losing hard-fought positions as a result. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) took home a P9 finish from Race 1 in Portimao, dropping down from P4 where he began the race.

AZMAN, VOSTATEK DNF: Toba crashed but returned to take P27

Kaito Toba (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) quickly recovered from a Turn 3 spill in Lap 7, going on to finish in P27. Syarifuddin Azman (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was forced to retire in Lap 10, registering a DNF alongside Ondrej Vostatek (WRP Racing).

The top six from the WorldSSP Race 1: Full results here!

1. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team)
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.836s
3. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.767s
4. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +3.801s
5. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +9.630s
6. Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) +9.888s
Fastest lap: Can Oncu, Yamaha – 1’43.251s

Catch the rest of the WorldSBK action this weekend live or on demand with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu Breaks Lap Record, Takes Pole Position In Portugal

Mathilde Gasnier

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March 29, 2025

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WorldSBK: Razgatlioglu Breaks Lap Record, Takes Pole Position In Portugal

2024 WorldSuperbike Champion, Toprak Razgatlioglu took pole position during World Superbike Superpole qualifying Saturday at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, in Portugal. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR, Razgatlioglu recorded a lap time of 1:39.081, which was not only good enough to top the 23-rider field and secure pole position it also eclipsed the All-Time Lap Record Jonathan Rea set, 1:39.610, in 2022.

Rookie, Nicolo Bulega qualified second with a 1:39.326 on his Aruba.It Racing – Ducati Panigale V4R.

Danilo Petrucci did a 1:39.483 on his factory Barni Spark Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to earn the third and final spot on the front row.

Row two starters include Pata Maxus Yamaha’s Andrea Locatelli (1:39.609), ELF Marc VDS Racing Team’s Sam Lowes (1:39.662), and Honda HRC’s Xavi Vierge (1:39.711).

American Garrett Gerloff qualified 16th with a 1:40.661 on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.

Results Superple WSBK

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Razgatlioglu eclipses Bulega for Portimao pole as he destroys WorldSBK lap record again. The reigning Champion narrowly missed out on a 1’38s lap time but claimed his second consecutive pole at Portimao ahead of Bulega.

For the second time in one day, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) utterly annihilated the lap record at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve as he claimed his 19^th MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship pole position. ‘El Turco’ posted two times that beat his previous record in Tissot Superpole for the Pirelli Portuguese Round as he took P1 ahead of Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), who both beat last year’s pole time to complete the front row.

THE FIRST RUNS: Razgatlioglu obliterates the lap record

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) set an impressive 1’40.031s to take an early P1 but his time was soon blown out of the water by Razgatlioglu who posted a barely-believable 1’39.133s as he smashed his own lap record from FP3 by three tenths, with his teammate, Michael van der Mark, Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) and Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) all overhauling Gardner on the first lap. Van der Mark and Vierge were in the 1’39s. Meanwhile, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and teammate Alvaro Bautista were eighth and 11^th respectively, not setting completely representative laps.

IMPROVING FURTHER: Razgatlioglu lowers the benchmark again

Razgatlioglu remained unbeatable at the top of the field as he claimed his 19^th pole in WorldSBK, obliterating the lap record in the process as he improved on his time with a 1’39.081s to finish 0.245s clear of his rivals. Bulega was able to haul himself up the order as he set a 1’39.326s which, until Razgatlioglu’s pole time, would’ve been a lap record, to line up alongside the #1. The front row will be completed by Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) after the #9 put in a 1’39.483s to climb the order – his time was faster than last year’s pole position time.

LOCATELLI SHINES IN P4: ‘Loka’ leads the second row, Sam Lowes P5

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) will go from fourth place after he set a 1’39.609s to lead the Japanese brand’s charge, hoping his second row start can give him the platform to challenge for a top-five finish. He’s joined on row two by Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) who put in a late lap to surge into P5 with a 1’39.662s, with Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) completing the second row. His 1’39.711s was just six tenths away from Razgatlioglu’s time.

IN THE TOP TEN: van der Mark, two more Yamahas and Bautista…

Van der Mark fell down the order as riders found time on their second run, eventually claiming P7 to lead the third row at a track he’s been a winner at in 2021. Aegerter was another who was usurped by several riders, and he’ll have to settle for P8, although he will start two places ahead of teammate Gardner; the Australian rider did lose a faster lap time due to yellow flags. Sandwiched between the two GRT Yamaha riders will be Bautista, who could only manage a 1’39.874s, with Gardner 0.004s down on the #19.

PENALTY FOR IANNONE, ALEX LOWES LAST: dramatic end to Superpole

Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) could only manage 13^th with a 1’40.366s, but for Race 1, he will start 16^th. ‘The Maniac’ has been given a three-place grid penalty for slow riding in the final 10 minutes of FP3, dropping him to the sixth row for Race 1 – he will start from 13^th in Sunday’s Tissot Superpole Race. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) did not set a valid representative time in Superpole. A crash at Turn 13 for the #22 meant he was under pressure heading into the second run and, while he did set a time good enough for P6, it was set when yellow flags were out for a crash for Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) at Turn 11; Montella walked away unhurt and will line up from 12^th.

The top six from WorldSBK Superpole, full results here:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’39.081s

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.245s

3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.402s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +0.528s

5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.581s

6. Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) +0.630s

Race 1 is coming up from 14:00 Local Time (UTC+0) – watch it all using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

MotoAmerica: Di Mario Takes Talent Cup Pole In Austin

Michael Gougis

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March 28, 2025

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MotoAmerica: Di Mario Takes Talent Cup Pole In Austin

Alessandro Di Mario swept all three MotoAmerica Talent Cup sessions and took pole position for Saturday’s races at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas.

Di Mario was 1.515 seconds clear of Bodie Paige, with Sam Drane completing the front row. Chase Black, Kody Kopp, Carson King, Solly Mervis and Derek Sanchez all qualified within a second and less than three seconds off the leader.

25_4_COTAGP_TCP_Q2_res

MotoGP: More From The Red Bull Grand Prix Of The Americas In Austin

Michael Gougis

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March 28, 2025

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MotoGP: More From The Red Bull Grand Prix Of The Americas In Austin

With a perfect scorecard after two rounds of the 2025 season, Marc Marquez said he had to be wary of overconfidence en route to Circuit of The Americas, where he has won seven races. Marquez was quick to point out that this was the only circuit where he crashed out in 2019, the season where he won 12 of 19 races and set a record for the biggest points gap back to second at the end of the year. The wet surface at COTA indeed bit him in the first practice session on Friday, his factory Ducati launching him into a nasty highside in the downhill Turn Two. Marquez returned to pit lane, finished the session third and led the second session on a damp-but-drying track in the afternoon.

Franco Morbidelli (21). Photo by Michael Gougis.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (49). Photo by Michael Gougis.

Franco Morbidelli carried his momentum from a podium finish in the Grand Prix race in Argentina to Austin, topping the first practice session on Friday and ending the second session third. It was a 2-3 finish to the session for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, with Fabio Di Giannantonio second. After an embarrassing crash in pre-season testing, Di Giannantonio said he felt he could fight for podium positions at COTA.

Alex Marquez (73). Photo by Michael Gougis.

Fermin Aldeguer (54). Photo by Michael Gougis.

BK8 Gresini teammates Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer took fourth and fifth, giving Ducati a clean sweep of the top five positions. Two-time MotoGP World Champion Francesco Bagnaia continued with his difficult beginning to the season, finishing the second session tenth and just making it into Q2 for Saturday.

Jack Miller (43). Even at a world-class circuit like COTA, inflatable barriers provided by the Roadracing World Action Fund are needed to help keep riders safe. Photo by Michael Gougis.

Jack Miller led the non-Ducati charge on his Pramac Yamaha YZR-M1. Quick in the wet, Miller and Joan Mir on the factory Honda were the only two Japanese bikes in the top 10. But this season sees only six Ducatis in the field instead of the eight of last year, and Johann Zarco, who battled for the podium in Argentina but crashed and finished 20th, pointed out earlier that with two of the almighty Desmosedicis gone, the others would obviously move up the order.

Johann Zarco (5). Photo by Michael Gougis.

Raise two kids and have them win 10 World Championships, smash the record books and lead the current season by locking out the top two positions on the podium in four straight races, and fans will want to get selfies taken with you. Julia Marquez is living the racing parent’s dream.

MotoAmerica: Di Mario Leads Talent Cup First Qualifying

Michael Gougis

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March 28, 2025

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MotoAmerica: Di Mario Leads Talent Cup First Qualifying

Alessandro Di Mario topped the first qualifying session for the MotoAmerica Talent Cup class at Circuit of The Americas, with five riders within a second going into the final qualifying session at the end of Saturday.

Di Mario’s fastest lap was canceled, but he still edged Sam Drane by 0.133 seconds. Kody Kopp was third, 0.580 seconds behind Di Mario and just ahead of Bodie Paige, with Carson King fifth.

25_4_COTAGP_TCP_Q1_res

MotoGP : M.Marquez Fastest Friday Afternoon At COTA

Mathilde Gasnier

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March 28, 2025

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MotoGP : M.Marquez Fastest Friday Afternoon At COTA

Marc Marquez led MotoGP World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Texas, Austin. Riding his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP25 on spec Michelin tires, the six-time World Champion turned a lap time of 2:02:929. It was good enough to lead the 22-rider field.

Fabio Di Giannantonio was the best of the rest with a 2:03.665 on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25.

His teammate, Franco Morbidelli was third at 2:03.766 on his Ducati Desmosedici GP24, making it three Ducatis on the front row.

The two-time World Champion, Francesco Bagnaia finished the session 10th with a 2:04.459 on his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP25.

Classification practice motogp

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Marquez leads drying Friday Practice, Bagnaia scrapes through to Q2. There were almost major contrasting fortunes for the factory Ducati outfit but in the end, both sides could breathe a sigh of relief.

Starting wet, finishing dry and with a flurry, Friday afternoon’s MotoGP™ Practice at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas was a real treat. With rain easing off after a lunch time shower, we got the fastest times of the weekend thus far, resulting in Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) setting a 2.09:929 to set the only time in the 2.02 bracket of the day, holding off Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team pairing Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli behind.

WET START: getting a feel for track conditions

Although the opening 20 minutes were completed on wet tyres as a drying line had yet to fully form, the slicks were soon donned and the times soon tumbling. Jack Miller (Prima Pramac MotoGP Team) never shies away from being one of the first to put on slick tyres and he was the first again, followed by the two factory Ducatis and Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP). All four demoted Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) from top spot, as the 2020 World Champion enjoyed competitivity in the opening moments of the hour-long session.

However, with the rain abating and track conditions improving with each passing second, it was always going to be who left it latest in terms of who stood the best chance of being inside the top ten and therefore going directly into Q2. Marc Marquez was the first to blink, slicing nearly a second from the top time and into the 2’04s, whilst at the other end of the top ten, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) was in P10 and had a target on his back from the likes of teammate Ai Ogura, Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Morbidelli.

LATE DRAMA: yellow flags and huge improvements

A late crash for Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) brought out the yellow flags but the Frenchman was all OK. The last 90 seconds were wild with an abundance of late laps and although nobody could get near the #93 – a 0.736s gap to the opposition – it was Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) and teammate Morbidelli that joined him in the top three, ahead of Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) and his teammate Aldeguer, who is through into Q2 for the first time.

Jack Miller’s strong session resulted in him being top Yamaha, ahead of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), who makes Q2 for the first time in KTM. Joan Mir held on to go through directly to Q2, just ahead of Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team). ‘Pecco’ scraped through with a tenth to spare, Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) the first rider forced into Q1.

Q1 JUNGLE: a heavyweight scrap to move into Q2

The 2021 World Champion is in good company in Q1 though with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) and Ai Ogura all having to tough it out – there’re only two spots available so there will be some very big names with some very big disappointments come Q1 on Saturday morning from COTA.

MotoAmerica: Di Mario Tops Friday Talent Cup Practice In Austin

Michael Gougis

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March 28, 2025

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MotoAmerica: Di Mario Tops Friday Talent Cup Practice In Austin

Alessandro Di Mario was fastest in the first ever session of the MotoAmerica Talent Cup series, leading Bodie Paige and Julian Correa on their spec KTM-powered Kramer APX 350 MA racebikes.

The trio had a significant gap to the rest of the field after the initial session for the new series, which took place on a wet track in damp and drizzling conditions.

Talent Cup 25_4_COTAGP_TCP_P1_res

Moto2 : Dixon Quickest Friday Afternoon in Austin

Mathilde Gasnier

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March 28, 2025

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Moto2 : Dixon Quickest Friday Afternoon in Austin

Jake Dixon led Moto2 World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas. Riding his ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Boscoscuro on Pirelli control tires, the Brit lapped the 3.43-mile (5.51 km) road course in 2:18.501, topping the field of 28 riders.

Italian Tony Arbolino was second-best with a time of 2:19.102 on his BluCru Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Boscoscuro.

Spanish rider Alonso Lopez did a third-fastest 2:19.415 on his Team HDR Heidrun Boscoscuro.

American Joe Roberts finished Friday afternoon’s practice session 23th with a best time of 2:21.922 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.

Classification practice moto2

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Dixon in a league of his own, Gonzalez faces Q1. The top two in the Moto2 Championship endure opposing days at a damp Circuit of The Americas.

Days at the office don’t get much better than that if your name is Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team). P1 in FP1 was backed up by a dominant P1 in Practice to see the British rider sail into Saturday as the rider to beat in Moto2 at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas, as Tony Arbolino (BLUCRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2) and Alonso Lopez (Team HDR Heidrun) pocketed P2 and P3 on Friday.

After Alonso Lopez (Team HDR Heidrun) led the opening exchanges of Practice, Dixon surged to the summit of the session by the midway point and with 10 minutes to go, the #96 was 0.7s clear of the chasers on a drying Circuit of The Americas.

With under five minutes to go, a clear dry line was appearing around a large part of the 5.5km long layout, which meant we saw some late improvers. Arbolino climbed to P2 with less than two minutes to go, Sergio Garcia’s QJMOTOR – FRINSA – MSI replacement, Oscar Gutierrez, jumped to an impressive P7 before rookie star Daniel Holgado (CFMOTO Power Electronics Aspar Team) went P5 – and then P4 on his final flyer. But World Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) was struggling. A crash at Turn 12 was followed by the Spaniard being unable to find a better lap once he’d got back out, seeing the title chase leader finish in P26, 3.984s off Dixon’s pace.

Celestino Vietti (Team HDR Heidrun) completed the top five behind Dixon, Arbolino, Lopez and Holgado, with Alex Escrig (KLINT Forward Factory Team) doing a great job to earn P6. Barry Baltus (Fantic Racing LINO SENOGO) and Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) claimed P7 and P8 respectively, as Gutierrez bagged a first automatic Q2 spot in P9. As did Yuki Kunii, the IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia rookie ended Practice in P10, as Aron Canet (Fantic Racing LINO SENOGO), Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP), Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) and Mario Aji (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) were the final top 14 riders on Friday in Austin.

Home her Joe Roberts will also be hoping he can get into the pole position fight from Q1. Photo courtesy Dorna.

Work to do in Q1 then for Gonzalez, while home hero Joe Roberts (OnlyFans American Racing Team) will also be hoping he can get into the pole position fight from Q1 on Saturday afternoon. Tune in at 13:45 local time (UTC -5) to watch how the Moto2 Americas GP grid is formed.

FULL RESULTS!

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