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World Superbike: Razgatlioglu Sweeps Portimao Test

Michael Gougis
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World Superbike: Razgatlioglu Sweeps Portimao Test

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) topped the session for the second time in two days, followed in P2 by Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) for the second time in two days as well. Bringing up the rear of the top three, Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) atop his KB998 Rimini placed P3, bumping Michael van der Mark to P4 in the final minutes of the session.

Drier conditions than in Day 1 helped riders push harder early in the day in Day 2, by 9:40 local time (+0:00 UTC), four riders had already broken into the 1’41s mark; whereas at this time in Day 1, riders had not even taken to the track yet, and by the end of the day, only 12 riders hit that mark. While the grid had more dry time than in Day 1, rain would return to fall on the WorldSBK parade in Portimao. After the lunch break, intermittent showers would continue and leave the track wet, only drying off in the last half hour of the session.

After a dominant performance by the grid’s Panigale V4R riders, Portimao’s two days of testing still featured Ducati machinery in numbers up around the top 10, but not the all-Ducati top five in the Tissot Superpole and all-Ducati top six Race 2 seen in Australia. Ducati riders nonetheless performed in the top half of the timesheet, led by Nicolo Bulega in P2 with his best lap time of 1’40.017s. After a stunning hat-trick in Australia and a P2 yesterday, he suffered a crash in Turn 11 of the circuit at around 10:00 today; he was fortunately cleared by the medical team and returned to the track atop a different bike, atop which he logged his P2 time. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) made an appearance after not participating in Day 1’s rainy test day, earning a P9 with his fastest lap being a 1’40.717 just slower than his 2024 fastest lap here of 1’40.612s. Following up his strong P5 performance in Day 1, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) had another strong day which via his 1’40.651s lap, he placed P6. His Barni Spark teammate, Yari Montella continues to look increasingly comfortable on his bike, placing P11on 56 laps. After a personal best in Australia and a similarly fast Day 1 of testing, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) with a time of 1’40.928s again cracked the top ten for the second time in the pair of testing days. Andrea Iannone was uncharacteristically off-pace in Day 2 as he brought up the rear of the Ducati cadre in P14 on a 1’41.514s lap.

Toprak Razgatlioglu enjoyed a return to the top of the podium in Portimao’s Test Day 1. Phillip Island is a track that tends to give him more trouble than others, and after Race 2, ‘El Turco’ was clearly frustrated. He seems to be progressing well as between the change in scenery and changes to the bike, he set the top time of the day at 1’39.592s, beating the circuit’s all-time WorldSBK record, set by the ‘Professor of Portimao’ himself, Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha). Impressively, it is not the first time he has hit this lofty benchmark, as I last season’s preseason testing, he accomplished the same feat. Michael van der Mark looked to be worlds more comfortable as well, he sat in P2 as the riders entered their rain-induced early lunch break at 12:00 local time and finished the day in P4 only thanks to late runs from Bulega and Alex Lowes.

After an impressive P4 finish yesterday, Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) was not quite as fast in Day 2. While he did say that the bike might struggle to replicate Day 1’s results in warmer weather, P12 in Day 2 on the back of a 1’41.264s lap leaves the work for him and his Honda HRC team cut out for them. In that pursuit, Tetsuta Nagashima put down a combined 63 laps and finished P17 from a 1’42.644s lap. One place ahead of Nagashima, Tarran Mackenzie was the fastest rider for PETRONAS MIE Honda, a 1’42.623s lap earned him a P16. Honda HRC Test rider Tommy Bridwell was slightly slower than Nagashima, just 0.126s slower after 25 laps. Zaqhwan Zaidi (Petronas MIE Honda Racing team) ran his fastest lap of the day as a 1’45.816s on 32 laps.

In Day 2, Yamaha stayed on the gas; Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) shined in Day 1 in Portimao’s testing, landing a P3 finish on Day 1. The result came after a still strong, but uncharacteristically slow weekend in Australia; while a pair of P7’s in Races 1 and 2 were his worst result at Phillip Island in his WorldSBK career, it is if anything, a testament to the affinity ‘Loka’ has for Phillip Island. #55 in Day 2 finished P7, with his fastest lap of 1’40.702s . Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) showed even steeper signs of improvement, from a trio of P11’s in Australia to P6 in Day 1 in Portimao, and only 0.189s away from Nicolo Bulega in P2. Day 2 saw him up around the podium again for most of the day, finishing in P4 off of a fastest lap of 1’40.544s. The WorldSBK grid’s newest rider, Augusto Fernandez continues to get up to speed on his Yamaha R1, landing a fastest lap of 1’41.362s, landing him P13.

After a strong showing from both Bimota riders on Day 1 in which again the Lowes-Bassani pair finished one immediately after the other in P7 and P8, Day 2 featured Alex Lowes shining with a blistering 1’40.359s lap earning him P3; this time out in the track being the first time this season we’ve seen an appreciable gap between the two riders in time after they have been practically inseparable on the time sheet. Axel Bassani continued his work atop the bike earning another strong result with a 1’41.049s P9.

Yamaha riders continued their strong form in Portimao on Day 2. In Day 1 Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) topped the timesheet and the Turk does it again in Day 2 via his 1’43.623s lap. Behind him, fellow Yamaha R9 rider Lucas Mahias (GMT94- Yamaha) was tailing Oncu, clocking in at 1’44.301s despite running only 22 laps.in P3 for WorldSSP, representing the third different Yamaha team, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) ran 54 laps, and his fastest among them was a 1’44.655s. In P4, Michael Rinaldi (GMT94-Yamaha) clocked in at 1’44.865, only 0.210s behind Manzi.

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’39.592s 47 laps

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.017s 38 laps

3. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 1’40.359s 45 laps

4. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’40.436s 46 laps

5. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’40.544s 33 laps

6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’40.651s 35 laps

MotoGP: Sprint Race Results From Termas De Río Hondo (Updated)

Mathilde Gasnier
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MotoGP: Sprint Race Results From Termas De Río Hondo (Updated)

Marc Marquez won the MotoGP Tissot Sprint race Saturday afternoon at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25 on Michelin control tires, the Six-time MotoGP World Champion won the 12-lap race by 0.903 seconds.

His brother, Alex Marquez was the runner-up on his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP24. 

The two-time World Champion, Francesco Bagnaia finished third on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25, making it three Ducatis on the podium.
 

French sensation, Johann Zarco crossed the finish line fourth on his Castrol LCR Honda RC213V. 

For the championship, Alex Marquez is 11 points behind his brother Marc Marquez who has 49 points. Francesco Bagnaia is third with 30 points.

Session for ARG MotoGP SPR 1
 Session for ARG MotoGP SPR 2

 

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Marc Marquez fends off Alex Marquez to clinch Saturday gold in Termas. The #93 was run close by the #73 but it’s the six-time MotoGP Champion who continues his 2025 victory streak, Bagnaia collects the bronze medal. 

A second perfect Saturday on the spin comes the way of Marc Marquez as the Ducati Lenovo Team star fends off the threat of Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) to win his second Tissot Sprint of the season, this time at the Gran Premio YPF Energía de Argentina. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) bagged P3 for the third time in 2025 to pocket more important points, but last year’s #1 was 3.8s off the win.

Sprint race podium from left to right, Alex Marquez, Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sprint race podium from left to right, Alex Marquez, Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia. Photo courtesy Dorna.

HOW THE SPRINT UNFOLDED: A Marquez battle out front

Marc Marquez got another perfect launch from pole and grabbed the holeshot ahead of Alex Marquez, as Bagnaia grabbed an early P3 with Johann Zarco (LCR Honda CASTROL) not getting away well from Row 1 – the Frenchman was P6.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was a faller on Lap 1 following contact with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), as the former’s teammate Pedro Acosta climbed up to P4 ahead of the fast starting Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Meanwhile, the Marquez brothers were pulling the pin at the front.

On Lap 4 of 12, Alex was 0.2s behind Marc, while Pecco was operating 1.3s away from the scrap. The 2022 and 2023 MotoGP World Champion was 0.5s ahead of Acosta, who in turn had Zarco right up his tailpipes.

At the halfway stage, Alex Marquez wasn’t allowing Marc Marquez to escape. Both were setting 1:37.7s, with Bagnaia also in the 1:37s but a couple of tenths slower per lap at this stage. And on the next lap, Bagnaia was back in the 1:38s. The Italian didn’t have any answers to the Marquez duo, so it was a two-horse race for Tissot Sprint victory in Argentina.

With four laps to go, the gap was 0.371s. Was Alex Marquez now struggling to keep tabs on his older brother? It looked like that was the case. The gap grew to 0.475s with three laps left, and then it was 0.721s with two laps to go. The fight was now seemingly over, but Alex Marquez was still close enough to keep his sibling sweating.

Sweat he did, but the six-time MotoGP World Champion made zero mistakes on the last lap to bring his Ducati GP25 home for a third win of the season, his second in a row on a Saturday. Alex Marquez crossed the line 0.903s shy to claim another podium, with Bagnaia forced to settle for P3 – but it’s more important points on the board for the #63.

THE POINTS SCORERS

After a sluggish launch from the grid, Zarco picked his way back up to P4 to finish just 1.1s behind Bagnaia. That’s a top Saturday outing for the incredibly impressive LCR Honda star, as Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) rounded out the top five. Marco Bezzecchi flew the Aprilia Racing flag in P6, the Italian beat his VR46 Academy stablemate, Morbidelli, by a second. The latter collected P7 in the Sprint, with Joan Mir(Honda HRC Castrol) claiming two Sprint points in P8 after a late move on Acosta as the KTM rider dropped to P9 after a bright opening few laps.

The run continues then. Marc Marquez dances his way to a maximum Sprint points haul in Termas, but he was made to work for it by Alex Marquez who will be hunting revenge on Sunday. Can Bagnaia bridge the gap and bring the fight to his Ducati rivals? And what can Zarco manage to do if a better start is unravelled? Find out at 15:00 local time (UTC -3) when Sunday’s much anticipated Grand Prix of Argentina fires into life. 

FULL RESULTS!

Moto2: Gonzalez Takes Pole Position At Termas De Río Hondo

Mathilde Gasnier
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Moto2: Gonzalez Takes Pole Position At Termas De Río Hondo
Manuel Gonzalez was the man to beat during Moto2 World qualifying Saturday at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. The Spaniard rider topped qualifying session with a new lap record time. Riding his Pirelli-shod LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex, Gonzalez navigated the 2.99-mile (4.81 km) course in 1:40.870, breaking his own’s 2025 All-Time Lap Record he set on Friday afternoon of 1:41.713.
 

The Brit Jake Dixon was second-best with a 1:41.070 on his ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Boscoscuro. 

Spaniard Marcos Ramirez claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:41.096 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex. 

His teammate and American Joe Roberts finished Saturday qualifying 16th with a best time of 1:41.474.

Session for ARG Moto2 Q2

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Gonzalez makes it two for two with Termas pole. The Championship leader heads Dixon and Ramirez in Argentina. 

Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) has continued his stunning start to 2025 as he takes pole in Argentina, edging out Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing). With some Thai GP frontrunners in Q1 and only some making it through, it was close as ever in the Triumph-powered class.

Q1: The late rush to move through
There were plenty of fast faces not often in Q1 who had their eye on a place in the pole shootout. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) led much of the session before Celestino Vietti (Team HDR Heidrun) and then Alex Escrig (KLINT Forward Factory Team) pipped him. That put more at risk of not moving through and late on, the Turkish rider was denied the chance as Brazilian Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) and Czech rider Filip Salač (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) just edged him out.

Q2: Two for two
After the first runs it was Gonzalez leading the way ahead of Dixon, with Vietti, Ramirez and Moreira next up. But as they headed back out, Dixon improved first to take provisional pole, and then Escrig slotted into second. Gonzalez was on a fast one though and the #18 took it back with just over a minute left on the clock, putting in a 1:40.870. Ramirez then made another move to take over in third, joining Dixon and polesitter Gonzalez on the front row.

THE GRID
Behind that trio, the second row is an all-Q1 affair: Escrig, Moreira and Salač. Alonso Lopez (Team HDR Heidrun) heads Row 3 from Darryn Binder (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), with Vietti in P9. Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) completes the top ten.

For full results click here – and tune in for more Moto2 on Sunday from 13:15 (UTC-3)!

Moto3: Bertelle Claims Pole Position At Termas De Río Hondo

Mathilde Gasnier
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Moto3: Bertelle Claims Pole Position At Termas De Río Hondo

Matteo Bertelle earned pole position during Moto3 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. Riding his LEVELUP-MTA KTM on Pirelli control tires, Bertelle turned a lap time of 1:46.034. Not only was that good enough to lead the 26-rider field, it was also good enough to eclipse David Almansa’s 2025 All-Time Lap Record he set Friday afternoon at 1:46.981.

Angel Piqueras was the best of the rest with a 1:46.266 on his FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI KTM, and his teammate Ryusei Yamanaka claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:46.330.

Session for ARG Moto3 Q2

 

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Bertelle goes from Q1 to stunning second pole of 2025. The Italian heads Piqueras and Yamanaka after taking a clean sweep of Q1 and Q2.

Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP-MTA) was a surprise name in Q1 after Friday in Argentina, but the Italian definitely came out swinging on Saturday. He headed Q1 and then went out in Q2 and did it again, so he’ll head the grid for the second time in two Grands Prix. FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI pairing Angel Piqueras and Ryusei Yamanaka complete the front row at the Gran Premio YPF Energia de Argentina.  

Q1: To rain or not to rain…
Ominous raindrops in the air ahead of qualifying made it a tense session but Bertelle got the job done by a stunning margin of 0.462 to head through. He was joined by Marcos Uriarte (GRYD – MLav Racing), Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and Adrian Cruces (CIP Green Power), with one surprise being Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) as the Italian didn’t make the cut. He gave it a good go though, and on his final fast lap in worsening conditions pulled of a bucking bronco of a save – just losing the chance to move up the order and through to Q2.

Q2: And I’ll do it again
The weather held for slicks and another early stunner came in from Bertelle that put the Italian provisional pole, ahead of Riccardo Rossi (Rivacold Snipers Team) and rookie Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Heading out for their second runs though, drama hit for Rossi as he slid out and collected Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power).

In the meantime, Carpe improved, Thai GP winner Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) likewise, and then Piqueras leapfrogged into second. Friday’s fastest David Almansa (Leopard Racing) then moved into P2 before Piqueras hit back, with Yamanaka the last big mover – up into fourth and then into third on his last lap around.

THE GRID
Behind Bertelle, Piqueras and Yamanaka, Almansa heads Row 2 joined by rookie sensation Carpe and points leader Rueda. Then it’s Rossi, Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA) and home hero Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), with his teammate Joel Esteban completing the top ten.

For full results click HERE and get ready for lights out at 12:00 (UTC-3) on Sunday!

MotoGP : Marc Marquez On Pole In Argentina

Mathilde Gasnier
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MotoGP : Marc Marquez On Pole In Argentina

Marc Marquez earned pole position to close out MotoGP World Championship qualifying on Saturday at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25, the six-time MotoGP World Champion broke the All-Time Lap Record of 1:37.295 he set Friday afternoon with a time of 1:36.917 around the 2.99-mile (4.81 km) circuit during Qualifying Two (Q2) on Saturday.

Again, his brother Alex was second-quickest with a 1:37.163 lap on his BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP Desmosedici GP24, and Johann Zarco claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:37.205 on his Castrol LCR Honda RC213V. 

Row-two qualifiers included two-time MotoGP World Champion and Marc Marquez’s teammate Francesco Bagnaia (1:37.268), 2024 Rookie of the Year Pedro Acosta on his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16 (1:37.274), and Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio (1:37.286).

Session for ARG MotoGP Q2

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Marquez storms to sensational Termas pole with first-ever 1’36 lap. #93 vs #73 continues in Argentina as Zarco puts Honda on the front row for the first time since 2023. 

Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) has now taken back-to-back poles for the first time since 2019, with another stunner coming in from the #93 at the Gran Premio YPF Energia de Argentina. His 1:36.917 is the first ever 1:36 of the venue, a new lap record, and puts him quarter of a second clear at the top.

Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), who was close on Friday too, is next on the chase in second, with Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) making some magic in third for Honda’s first front row since 2023 – just 0.042 off the #73 ahead.

STORY OF QUALIFYING: Q1’s scrap to get to Q2

A hot lap early on bagged Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) a slot at the top with Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) in hot pursuit in P2 provisionally, but the final four minutes were going to be dramatic as everyone hit the track for their shot at going into Q2. It was all over at Turn 2 for Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda LCR) who fell and would therefore not improve, whilst Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) replicated his fellow rookie a lap later, likewise missing out on a Q2 passage. On the first lap of his second run, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) came to the fore and went P2, demoting rival Miller to P3 and joining Morbidelli in the pole shootout.

Q2 CORKER: Marc on fire to annihilate lap record

The business end of qualifying: Q2 ignites and straight away, the lap record was obliterated by none other than Marc Marquez, who was fractionally outside the first-ever 1’36s motorcycle lap of the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit. A huge performance by Johann Zarco (LCR Honda CASTROL) put him provisionally on the front row, what would be a first for Honda since 2023 at Mugello.

With the final five minutes beckoning, it was full throttle to try and better their lap time. Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was following his brother, whilst Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) salvaged P4. However, it was his teammate Marquez who was lighting up the time screens; on his penultimate flying lap, he set the first and only-ever 1’36 lap of the Termas de Rio Hondo track. A 1’36.917 sees him go from pole, his first back-to-back poles since 2019’s Austrian and British Grands Prix. Brother Alex secured P2 and Zarco clung on to a first Honda front row and his first since 2023’s season-closing Grand Prix in Valencia.

FIREWORKS BEHIND: dark horses in top places

It was fourth place for Pecco who seeks to make a traditional fast start off the line but he’ll have ‘El Tiburon’ Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) for company too, with the #37 putting himself right in amongst the sharp end of the grid. Completing the second row, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), was less than a tenth of a second off the front row.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) secured his best qualifying of the season so far in P7, ahead of Q1 ascendant Morbidelli. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) goes from P9, one place ahead of Mir, with the 2020 World Champion making it two Hondas in the top ten. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) round out the Q2 field, with Rins taking his best grid slot since Sepang last year.

MotoGP qualifying results, setting the grid for the Tissot Sprint and Sunday Grand Prix.

MotoGP : Alex Marquez Quickest In Saturday Practice

Mathilde Gasnier
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MotoGP : Alex Marquez Quickest In Saturday Practice

Alex Marquez led the final MotoGP World Championship free practice session on Saturday morning at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. Riding his BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP Desmosedici GP24 on spec Michelin tires, the Spaniard turned a lap time of 1:37.795 which led the field of 22 riders. 

His brother, Marc Marquez  was next best with a 1:37.882 on his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP25.

Frenchman Johann Zarco was third-fastest at 1:37.965 on his CASTROL LCR Honda RC213V, followed by Fabio Di Giannantonio at 1:38.017 on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Ducati GP25; Pedro Acosta  at 1:38.211 on a Red Bull KTM RC16; and rookie Fermin Aldeguer at 1:38.372 on his BK8 Gresini Ducati GP24.

Session for ARG MotoGP FP2

Moto2 : Dixon Tops Final Practice At Termas De Río Hondo

Mathilde Gasnier
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Moto2 : Dixon Tops Final Practice At Termas De Río Hondo

Jake Dixon was quickest during Moto2 World Championship practice Saturday morning at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. Riding his Pirelli-shod ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Boscoscuro on the 2.99-mile (4.81 km) track, the Briton recorded a 1:41.486 to lead the field of 28 riders.

Barry Baltus was the best of the rest with a 1:41.559 on his Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO Kalex. 

His teammate, Aron Canet was third-fastest with a 1:41.706. 

American Joe Roberts finished Saturday morning’s practice session 17th with a best time of 1:42.270 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.

Session for ARG Moto2 FP2

Moto3: Bertelle Heads Saturday Practice In Argentina

Mathilde Gasnier
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Moto3: Bertelle Heads Saturday Practice In Argentina

Matteo Bertelle led Moto3 World Championship practice Saturday morning, at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. Bertelle used his Pirelli-shod LEVELUP-MTA KTM to lap the 2.99-mile (4.81 km) track in 1:46.303, which led the field of 26 riders.

David Muñoz was second-best with a time of 1:47.044 on his LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP KTM. 

Stefano Nepa, piloting his SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda, claimed the third and final spot on the front with a lap time of 1:47.074.

Session for ARG Moto3 FP2

Intro: Riding The New 2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS

Michael Gougis
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Intro: Riding The New 2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS

“The apex of that corner is right where the stream is flowing across the track.”

Those words by the Triumph representative leading the circuit tour pretty much summed up the two days of riding in the Algarve in Portugal at the global media launch of the 2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS. On the first day of our ride, our wave of journalists just got done with the first photo shoot on the street before the rain hit, and the pavement didn’t dry entirely until everyone had packed up and headed home.

 

Riding on Pirelli race rain tires at Circuito Internacional do Algarve. Photo courtesy Triumph.

Still, for blasting along country roads and ripping around the Circuito Internacional do Algarve racetrack near Portimao, Portugal, the new Speed Triple is a really competent riding companion. Upgraded semi-active suspension, new electronic rider aids, and more power is a recipe for a good time, but it’s how they all work together that really matters.

What we learned in two days on the road and track is that Triumph engineers not only improved the motorcycle, but refined it so that every feature not only works on its own, but also works together to deliver a great ride. It’s fast, handles and rides well, and does so in a way that’s accessible. Beyond any individual technological advancement, that’s the big deal that stands out to me.

 

The 2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS in Granite/Performance Yellow. Photo courtesy Triumph.

Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS Technical Overview

New engine tuning, a new exhaust system and a new balancer strategy bumps the claimed output a bit. Horsepower goes to 180.5 bhp at 10,750 rpm and 94.4 lbs.-ft. of torque at 8,750 rpm, and the power goes through a six-speed transmission with clutchless up- and down-shifting en route to the fat 190/55 Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 rear tire. Unchanged is the 1160cc displacement, the 90.0mm x 60.8mm bore and stroke, and the general architecture of the inline, three-cylinder, DOHC engine. Brembo Stylema brake calipers work with 320mm discs in the front and are controlled by an adjustable Brembo master cylinder and a cornering-sensitive ABS system.

The chassis remains the same for 2025, with a twin-spar/tubular-aluminum frame and an aluminum swingarm. An aluminum subframe helps keep the claimed curb weight to 438.7 pounds. An adjustable steering damper is fitted, but the biggest change is the new semi-active Ohlins Smart EC3 Objective Based Tuning interface that controls the 43mm inverted front forks and the Ohlins rear shock.

In short, the rider doesn’t select settings. The rider tells the system what they want–generally, more or less support in various phases of the riding process–and the electronic brain adjusts damping and selects the optimal settings to reach that goal. The suspension and engine work together, so that when selecting settings as the rider is riding, the suspension knows what gear the engine is in, throttle settings, etc. New spool-type damping valves in the forks and shock allow for faster adjustments over a wider setting range.

New electronic four-position wheelie control, engine braking modes, and brake slide assist are incorporated into the five ride modes available – Rain, Road, Sport, Track and the customizable Rider mode.

The bars are slightly higher and wider, there are new color schemes–Jet Black, Granite and Diablo Red, and Granite and Performance Yellow. There’s a new seat cowl and an emergency braking system that causes the stylish tail light to flash when the rider hits the brakes hard. American market suggested retail is $19,995.

Riding The Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS

I turned on the heated grips, threw a leg over the seat, and the bike immediately felt small-ish and really solid. The low, tubular bar position isn’t dramatically different than on the prior model, the pegs are mid-rear-set, and the bar-end mirrors are stylish and thankfully arched back over the grips, so they don’t add to the width of the machine — an important consideration when splitting traffic.

Twist the throttle and the engine feels big. There’s no other word to describe it. It’s a bit slower-revving than a supersport bike, but it pounds out torque at relatively low rpm, and while it’s revvy it’s not overly so. Triumph reps say the company wrote the origin story of the streetfighter with the 1994 Speed Triple 900, and big power is part of that narrative. And since there’s no replacement for displacement when it comes to creating power, Triumph engineers opted for big pistons moving through a big stroke. There’s just enough vibration to create a sense of character, the engine/intake noise is a unique growl, and even after the engine punches through a meaty mid-range, it still pulls to redline quickly.

It’s complete and glorious overkill on the street, but the steep, power-eating uphill front straight at the Portimao circuit puts any engine to the test. With a wet surface sapping my desire to really twist the throttle at the exit to the final corner, I was still able to get the Speed Triple to touch 248 kph on a soaking, wind-gusting straight. That’s just shy of 155 mph. Since plunging downhill into a wet Turn One at those speeds didn’t seem like a good idea, I was letting off the throttle early, so I’m pretty sure there’s more to come there.

The active suspension helped the bike feel remarkably planted on the street, especially given that the Pirelli SP V3 tires are really not primarily aimed at use in the wet. The suspension constantly adapts the compression and rebound settings, modulating the spikes in tire loading, which helps avoid breaking traction.

Michael Gougis on the wet track at Portimao, riding a Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS.

What I took away from riding the Triumph on the wet track was the feeling of confidence that the effective electronics suite delivered. Our bikes were set with Rain-mode traction control but Road-mode throttle mapping, which progressively gave us all 180 horsepower. As the day wore on, I got more and more aggressive with the throttle, with more and more lean angle (Pirelli technicians on hand for the Superbike World Championship tests the following day had installed full-on Pirelli soft racing rain tires, and those are magic) and harder on the brakes. We were braking hard enough to trigger the emergency warning tail light and dragging knees with rooster tails of water spraying from both wheels.

The bike never did anything sketchy, and given the circumstances, I’ll remember that for a long time. The bike felt like it had my back in a riding situation where I really wanted a wingman, and that allowed me to go faster than I would have felt comfortable going otherwise. But at the end of the day, streetfighters aren’t about lap times. They’re about emotion, feeling and experience, and that’s what Triumph delivers better than ever with the latest version of the Speed Triple.

 

At least it wasn’t actually raining during the pre-track-riding orientation tour of the circuit. Photo by Michael Gougis.

 

Triumph technicians wash one wave of Speed Triple 1200 RS bikes that had been out for the street ride. World Superbike teams are unloading and setting up for a two-day test immediately following the Triumph intro. Photo by Michael Gougis.

World Superbike: Razgatlioglu Fastest On Test Day One In Portugal

Michael Gougis
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World Superbike: Razgatlioglu Fastest On Test Day One In Portugal

(Editorial note: America Garrett Gerloff did not ride his Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-10 RR on Day One of the test.)

Rain played a central role at testing in Portimao for the second time this year, delaying the start of on track action in Day 1 at Portimao. Substantial rainfall overnight left the track very wet throughout the morning, preventing the first MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship riders from taking to the track until an hour after the scheduled start. As the track dried however, teams were able to take advantage of the day, with seven riders finishing within a second of the fastest time.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and his team seem to be working out the problems from their M 1000 RR, ‘El Turco’ was fastest by a margin of more than half a second on the day. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing -Ducati) started slightly later than most of the grid but in another strong day at the office, matching Toprak’s top speed of the day of 305.9 km/h. With less than a tenth of a second separating them, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) and Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) impressed in their return to Portimao after testing here in late January.

After a disappointing Australian Round opener, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and his crew look to be making progress with their new M1000 RR. In his fifth lap of the day, ‘El Turco’ laid down a fastest lap of 1’42.428s, wrestling P1 from Remy Gardner. He would go on to shave off more and more time as the day continued and the track continued to dry off, improving his time to 1’40.543s, the only rider to crack the 1’40s mark. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) looked to be still finding his footing with the new chassis of the M 1000 RR, the Dutchman finished in P11, with a time of 1’42.002s.

While Portimao’s Day 1 of Testing brought more manufacturer diversity than what was seen in Australia, Panigale V4R’s remained plentiful in the top 10. Bulega was again fastest among the Italian manufacturer’s riders with his 1’41.168s lap, and his teammate Alvaro Bautista did not participate in the day’s testing, however according to official channels, he will appear in Day 2. Danilo Petrucci was up around the podium the entire day, finishing in P5 and a time of 1’41.281s. Sam Lowes kept the ball rolling after his career-best performance at Phillip Island, this time landing a P9, 0.257s behind P8 with his time of 1’41.929s. Andrea Iannone finished in P12 after a late start to the day, finishing with a time of 1’42.074s. Yari Montella closed out the top 10 with his time of 1’41.987.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was resurgent after an uncharacteristically quiet Australian Round. Locatelli’s fastest lap clocked in at 1’41.202s, just 0.034s slower than Nicolo Bulega in P2. Joining him in the top six, Remy Gardner bounced back in a big way from a disappointing home round in Australia, finishing P6 on the day and only 0.076s slower than Danilo Petrucci in P5. Gardner’s time of 1’41.357s made him one of 12 riders to break into the 1’41s mark. In P13, newcomer Augusto Fernandez logged a fastest lap of 1’42.373s. Fernandez suffered a fall in Turn 15 nearing the end of the session however he walked away uninjured from the incident and continued riding shortly after. Dominique Aegerter clocked in a fastest lap of 1’42.531s, earning him P14.

Only two places separated the two Bimota riders after Day 1 of testing in Portimao. Alex Lowes led the pair in P7, his fastest lap of 1’41.372s was just over two tenths of a second faster than his partner, Axel Bassani. For his part, Bassani landed just behind Lowes in P8 with a time of 1’41.672s, only 0.177s separating the two riders.

Vierge (Honda HRC) replicated the form he was displaying this preseason with an impressive P3 on the back of his 1’41.260s fastest lap. Next up for Honda HRC was test rider Borja Gomez, the fellow Spaniard logging a P15 result on a time of 1’42.722s. Just behind him in P16, Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) started later than others, at 13:20 and went on to land a time of 1’43.080s. Next up was Tetsuta Nagashima, (Honda HRC) who registered 70 laps, fastest among them being 1’43.220s. Zaqhwan Zaidi (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) continued to work on acclimating himself to the bike, logging a personal fastest lap on the day of 1’47.792s

Can Oncu and Aldi Mahendra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing) had a stellar Day 1 at Portimao, P1 and P2 among WorldSSP riders. Oncu’s fastest lap was 1’44.423s, and 0.211s behind him was his teammate Aldi Mahendra, with a time of 1’44.634s. Yamaha’s R9 continues to distinguish itself, as P3 and P4 were also riders of the new Yamaha bike. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 – YAMAHA) was P3 in WorldSSP with his time of 1’45.215s. Following him, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) finished P4 among WorldSSP riders with a 1’45.681s.

The top six in WorldSBK from Day 1 of the test at Portimao:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’40.543, 41 laps

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41.168, 50 laps

3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) 1’41.202, 50 laps

4. Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) 1’41.260, 61 laps

5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’41.281, 41 laps

6. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT YAMAHA WorldSBK Team) 1’41.357, 57 laps

 

Portimao-Test-march-day-1

World Superbike: Razgatlioglu Sweeps Portimao Test

Toprak Razgatlioglu (1). Photo courtesy WorldSBK.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) topped the session for the second time in two days, followed in P2 by Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) for the second time in two days as well. Bringing up the rear of the top three, Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) atop his KB998 Rimini placed P3, bumping Michael van der Mark to P4 in the final minutes of the session.

Drier conditions than in Day 1 helped riders push harder early in the day in Day 2, by 9:40 local time (+0:00 UTC), four riders had already broken into the 1’41s mark; whereas at this time in Day 1, riders had not even taken to the track yet, and by the end of the day, only 12 riders hit that mark. While the grid had more dry time than in Day 1, rain would return to fall on the WorldSBK parade in Portimao. After the lunch break, intermittent showers would continue and leave the track wet, only drying off in the last half hour of the session.

After a dominant performance by the grid’s Panigale V4R riders, Portimao’s two days of testing still featured Ducati machinery in numbers up around the top 10, but not the all-Ducati top five in the Tissot Superpole and all-Ducati top six Race 2 seen in Australia. Ducati riders nonetheless performed in the top half of the timesheet, led by Nicolo Bulega in P2 with his best lap time of 1’40.017s. After a stunning hat-trick in Australia and a P2 yesterday, he suffered a crash in Turn 11 of the circuit at around 10:00 today; he was fortunately cleared by the medical team and returned to the track atop a different bike, atop which he logged his P2 time. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) made an appearance after not participating in Day 1’s rainy test day, earning a P9 with his fastest lap being a 1’40.717 just slower than his 2024 fastest lap here of 1’40.612s. Following up his strong P5 performance in Day 1, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) had another strong day which via his 1’40.651s lap, he placed P6. His Barni Spark teammate, Yari Montella continues to look increasingly comfortable on his bike, placing P11on 56 laps. After a personal best in Australia and a similarly fast Day 1 of testing, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) with a time of 1’40.928s again cracked the top ten for the second time in the pair of testing days. Andrea Iannone was uncharacteristically off-pace in Day 2 as he brought up the rear of the Ducati cadre in P14 on a 1’41.514s lap.

Toprak Razgatlioglu enjoyed a return to the top of the podium in Portimao’s Test Day 1. Phillip Island is a track that tends to give him more trouble than others, and after Race 2, ‘El Turco’ was clearly frustrated. He seems to be progressing well as between the change in scenery and changes to the bike, he set the top time of the day at 1’39.592s, beating the circuit’s all-time WorldSBK record, set by the ‘Professor of Portimao’ himself, Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha). Impressively, it is not the first time he has hit this lofty benchmark, as I last season’s preseason testing, he accomplished the same feat. Michael van der Mark looked to be worlds more comfortable as well, he sat in P2 as the riders entered their rain-induced early lunch break at 12:00 local time and finished the day in P4 only thanks to late runs from Bulega and Alex Lowes.

After an impressive P4 finish yesterday, Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) was not quite as fast in Day 2. While he did say that the bike might struggle to replicate Day 1’s results in warmer weather, P12 in Day 2 on the back of a 1’41.264s lap leaves the work for him and his Honda HRC team cut out for them. In that pursuit, Tetsuta Nagashima put down a combined 63 laps and finished P17 from a 1’42.644s lap. One place ahead of Nagashima, Tarran Mackenzie was the fastest rider for PETRONAS MIE Honda, a 1’42.623s lap earned him a P16. Honda HRC Test rider Tommy Bridwell was slightly slower than Nagashima, just 0.126s slower after 25 laps. Zaqhwan Zaidi (Petronas MIE Honda Racing team) ran his fastest lap of the day as a 1’45.816s on 32 laps.

In Day 2, Yamaha stayed on the gas; Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) shined in Day 1 in Portimao’s testing, landing a P3 finish on Day 1. The result came after a still strong, but uncharacteristically slow weekend in Australia; while a pair of P7’s in Races 1 and 2 were his worst result at Phillip Island in his WorldSBK career, it is if anything, a testament to the affinity ‘Loka’ has for Phillip Island. #55 in Day 2 finished P7, with his fastest lap of 1’40.702s . Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) showed even steeper signs of improvement, from a trio of P11’s in Australia to P6 in Day 1 in Portimao, and only 0.189s away from Nicolo Bulega in P2. Day 2 saw him up around the podium again for most of the day, finishing in P4 off of a fastest lap of 1’40.544s. The WorldSBK grid’s newest rider, Augusto Fernandez continues to get up to speed on his Yamaha R1, landing a fastest lap of 1’41.362s, landing him P13.

After a strong showing from both Bimota riders on Day 1 in which again the Lowes-Bassani pair finished one immediately after the other in P7 and P8, Day 2 featured Alex Lowes shining with a blistering 1’40.359s lap earning him P3; this time out in the track being the first time this season we’ve seen an appreciable gap between the two riders in time after they have been practically inseparable on the time sheet. Axel Bassani continued his work atop the bike earning another strong result with a 1’41.049s P9.

Yamaha riders continued their strong form in Portimao on Day 2. In Day 1 Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) topped the timesheet and the Turk does it again in Day 2 via his 1’43.623s lap. Behind him, fellow Yamaha R9 rider Lucas Mahias (GMT94- Yamaha) was tailing Oncu, clocking in at 1’44.301s despite running only 22 laps.in P3 for WorldSSP, representing the third different Yamaha team, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) ran 54 laps, and his fastest among them was a 1’44.655s. In P4, Michael Rinaldi (GMT94-Yamaha) clocked in at 1’44.865, only 0.210s behind Manzi.

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’39.592s 47 laps

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.017s 38 laps

3. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 1’40.359s 45 laps

4. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’40.436s 46 laps

5. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’40.544s 33 laps

6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’40.651s 35 laps

MotoGP: Sprint Race Results From Termas De Río Hondo (Updated)

MotoGP Sprint race. Photo courtesy Dorna.
MotoGP Sprint race. Photo courtesy Dorna.

Marc Marquez won the MotoGP Tissot Sprint race Saturday afternoon at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25 on Michelin control tires, the Six-time MotoGP World Champion won the 12-lap race by 0.903 seconds.

His brother, Alex Marquez was the runner-up on his BK8 Gresini Racing Ducati Desmosedici GP24. 

The two-time World Champion, Francesco Bagnaia finished third on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25, making it three Ducatis on the podium.
 

French sensation, Johann Zarco crossed the finish line fourth on his Castrol LCR Honda RC213V. 

For the championship, Alex Marquez is 11 points behind his brother Marc Marquez who has 49 points. Francesco Bagnaia is third with 30 points.

Session for ARG MotoGP SPR 1
 Session for ARG MotoGP SPR 2

 

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Marc Marquez fends off Alex Marquez to clinch Saturday gold in Termas. The #93 was run close by the #73 but it’s the six-time MotoGP Champion who continues his 2025 victory streak, Bagnaia collects the bronze medal. 

A second perfect Saturday on the spin comes the way of Marc Marquez as the Ducati Lenovo Team star fends off the threat of Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) to win his second Tissot Sprint of the season, this time at the Gran Premio YPF Energía de Argentina. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) bagged P3 for the third time in 2025 to pocket more important points, but last year’s #1 was 3.8s off the win.

Sprint race podium from left to right, Alex Marquez, Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sprint race podium from left to right, Alex Marquez, Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia. Photo courtesy Dorna.

HOW THE SPRINT UNFOLDED: A Marquez battle out front

Marc Marquez got another perfect launch from pole and grabbed the holeshot ahead of Alex Marquez, as Bagnaia grabbed an early P3 with Johann Zarco (LCR Honda CASTROL) not getting away well from Row 1 – the Frenchman was P6.

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was a faller on Lap 1 following contact with Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), as the former’s teammate Pedro Acosta climbed up to P4 ahead of the fast starting Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Meanwhile, the Marquez brothers were pulling the pin at the front.

On Lap 4 of 12, Alex was 0.2s behind Marc, while Pecco was operating 1.3s away from the scrap. The 2022 and 2023 MotoGP World Champion was 0.5s ahead of Acosta, who in turn had Zarco right up his tailpipes.

At the halfway stage, Alex Marquez wasn’t allowing Marc Marquez to escape. Both were setting 1:37.7s, with Bagnaia also in the 1:37s but a couple of tenths slower per lap at this stage. And on the next lap, Bagnaia was back in the 1:38s. The Italian didn’t have any answers to the Marquez duo, so it was a two-horse race for Tissot Sprint victory in Argentina.

With four laps to go, the gap was 0.371s. Was Alex Marquez now struggling to keep tabs on his older brother? It looked like that was the case. The gap grew to 0.475s with three laps left, and then it was 0.721s with two laps to go. The fight was now seemingly over, but Alex Marquez was still close enough to keep his sibling sweating.

Sweat he did, but the six-time MotoGP World Champion made zero mistakes on the last lap to bring his Ducati GP25 home for a third win of the season, his second in a row on a Saturday. Alex Marquez crossed the line 0.903s shy to claim another podium, with Bagnaia forced to settle for P3 – but it’s more important points on the board for the #63.

THE POINTS SCORERS

After a sluggish launch from the grid, Zarco picked his way back up to P4 to finish just 1.1s behind Bagnaia. That’s a top Saturday outing for the incredibly impressive LCR Honda star, as Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) rounded out the top five. Marco Bezzecchi flew the Aprilia Racing flag in P6, the Italian beat his VR46 Academy stablemate, Morbidelli, by a second. The latter collected P7 in the Sprint, with Joan Mir(Honda HRC Castrol) claiming two Sprint points in P8 after a late move on Acosta as the KTM rider dropped to P9 after a bright opening few laps.

The run continues then. Marc Marquez dances his way to a maximum Sprint points haul in Termas, but he was made to work for it by Alex Marquez who will be hunting revenge on Sunday. Can Bagnaia bridge the gap and bring the fight to his Ducati rivals? And what can Zarco manage to do if a better start is unravelled? Find out at 15:00 local time (UTC -3) when Sunday’s much anticipated Grand Prix of Argentina fires into life. 

FULL RESULTS!

Moto2: Gonzalez Takes Pole Position At Termas De Río Hondo

Manuel Gonzalez will start tomorrow race from pole position. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Manuel Gonzalez will start tomorrow race from pole position. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Manuel Gonzalez was the man to beat during Moto2 World qualifying Saturday at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. The Spaniard rider topped qualifying session with a new lap record time. Riding his Pirelli-shod LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP Kalex, Gonzalez navigated the 2.99-mile (4.81 km) course in 1:40.870, breaking his own’s 2025 All-Time Lap Record he set on Friday afternoon of 1:41.713.
 

The Brit Jake Dixon was second-best with a 1:41.070 on his ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Boscoscuro. 

Spaniard Marcos Ramirez claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:41.096 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex. 

His teammate and American Joe Roberts finished Saturday qualifying 16th with a best time of 1:41.474.

Session for ARG Moto2 Q2

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Gonzalez makes it two for two with Termas pole. The Championship leader heads Dixon and Ramirez in Argentina. 

Manuel Gonzalez (Liqui Moly Dynavolt Intact GP) has continued his stunning start to 2025 as he takes pole in Argentina, edging out Jake Dixon (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing). With some Thai GP frontrunners in Q1 and only some making it through, it was close as ever in the Triumph-powered class.

Q1: The late rush to move through
There were plenty of fast faces not often in Q1 who had their eye on a place in the pole shootout. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) led much of the session before Celestino Vietti (Team HDR Heidrun) and then Alex Escrig (KLINT Forward Factory Team) pipped him. That put more at risk of not moving through and late on, the Turkish rider was denied the chance as Brazilian Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) and Czech rider Filip Salač (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) just edged him out.

Q2: Two for two
After the first runs it was Gonzalez leading the way ahead of Dixon, with Vietti, Ramirez and Moreira next up. But as they headed back out, Dixon improved first to take provisional pole, and then Escrig slotted into second. Gonzalez was on a fast one though and the #18 took it back with just over a minute left on the clock, putting in a 1:40.870. Ramirez then made another move to take over in third, joining Dixon and polesitter Gonzalez on the front row.

THE GRID
Behind that trio, the second row is an all-Q1 affair: Escrig, Moreira and Salač. Alonso Lopez (Team HDR Heidrun) heads Row 3 from Darryn Binder (ITALJET Gresini Moto2), with Vietti in P9. Aron Canet (Fantic Racing Lino Sonego) completes the top ten.

For full results click here – and tune in for more Moto2 on Sunday from 13:15 (UTC-3)!

Moto3: Bertelle Claims Pole Position At Termas De Río Hondo

Matteo Bertelle from Q1 to Pole Position. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Matteo Bertelle charged from Q1 to Pole Position. Photo courtesy Dorna.

Matteo Bertelle earned pole position during Moto3 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. Riding his LEVELUP-MTA KTM on Pirelli control tires, Bertelle turned a lap time of 1:46.034. Not only was that good enough to lead the 26-rider field, it was also good enough to eclipse David Almansa’s 2025 All-Time Lap Record he set Friday afternoon at 1:46.981.

Angel Piqueras was the best of the rest with a 1:46.266 on his FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI KTM, and his teammate Ryusei Yamanaka claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:46.330.

Session for ARG Moto3 Q2

 

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Bertelle goes from Q1 to stunning second pole of 2025. The Italian heads Piqueras and Yamanaka after taking a clean sweep of Q1 and Q2.

Matteo Bertelle (LEVELUP-MTA) was a surprise name in Q1 after Friday in Argentina, but the Italian definitely came out swinging on Saturday. He headed Q1 and then went out in Q2 and did it again, so he’ll head the grid for the second time in two Grands Prix. FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI pairing Angel Piqueras and Ryusei Yamanaka complete the front row at the Gran Premio YPF Energia de Argentina.  

Q1: To rain or not to rain…
Ominous raindrops in the air ahead of qualifying made it a tense session but Bertelle got the job done by a stunning margin of 0.462 to head through. He was joined by Marcos Uriarte (GRYD – MLav Racing), Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) and Adrian Cruces (CIP Green Power), with one surprise being Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) as the Italian didn’t make the cut. He gave it a good go though, and on his final fast lap in worsening conditions pulled of a bucking bronco of a save – just losing the chance to move up the order and through to Q2.

Q2: And I’ll do it again
The weather held for slicks and another early stunner came in from Bertelle that put the Italian provisional pole, ahead of Riccardo Rossi (Rivacold Snipers Team) and rookie Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Heading out for their second runs though, drama hit for Rossi as he slid out and collected Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power).

In the meantime, Carpe improved, Thai GP winner Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) likewise, and then Piqueras leapfrogged into second. Friday’s fastest David Almansa (Leopard Racing) then moved into P2 before Piqueras hit back, with Yamanaka the last big mover – up into fourth and then into third on his last lap around.

THE GRID
Behind Bertelle, Piqueras and Yamanaka, Almansa heads Row 2 joined by rookie sensation Carpe and points leader Rueda. Then it’s Rossi, Joel Kelso (LEVELUP – MTA) and home hero Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3), with his teammate Joel Esteban completing the top ten.

For full results click HERE and get ready for lights out at 12:00 (UTC-3) on Sunday!

MotoGP : Marc Marquez On Pole In Argentina

Marc Marquez will start the race from pole position. Photo courtesy Ducati Corse Team.
Marc Marquez will start the race from pole position. Photo courtesy Ducati Corse Team.

Marc Marquez earned pole position to close out MotoGP World Championship qualifying on Saturday at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. Riding his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP25, the six-time MotoGP World Champion broke the All-Time Lap Record of 1:37.295 he set Friday afternoon with a time of 1:36.917 around the 2.99-mile (4.81 km) circuit during Qualifying Two (Q2) on Saturday.

Again, his brother Alex was second-quickest with a 1:37.163 lap on his BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP Desmosedici GP24, and Johann Zarco claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:37.205 on his Castrol LCR Honda RC213V. 

Row-two qualifiers included two-time MotoGP World Champion and Marc Marquez’s teammate Francesco Bagnaia (1:37.268), 2024 Rookie of the Year Pedro Acosta on his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing RC16 (1:37.274), and Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio (1:37.286).

Session for ARG MotoGP Q2

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Marquez storms to sensational Termas pole with first-ever 1’36 lap. #93 vs #73 continues in Argentina as Zarco puts Honda on the front row for the first time since 2023. 

Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team) has now taken back-to-back poles for the first time since 2019, with another stunner coming in from the #93 at the Gran Premio YPF Energia de Argentina. His 1:36.917 is the first ever 1:36 of the venue, a new lap record, and puts him quarter of a second clear at the top.

Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP), who was close on Friday too, is next on the chase in second, with Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) making some magic in third for Honda’s first front row since 2023 – just 0.042 off the #73 ahead.

STORY OF QUALIFYING: Q1’s scrap to get to Q2

A hot lap early on bagged Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) a slot at the top with Jack Miller (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) in hot pursuit in P2 provisionally, but the final four minutes were going to be dramatic as everyone hit the track for their shot at going into Q2. It was all over at Turn 2 for Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda LCR) who fell and would therefore not improve, whilst Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team) replicated his fellow rookie a lap later, likewise missing out on a Q2 passage. On the first lap of his second run, Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) came to the fore and went P2, demoting rival Miller to P3 and joining Morbidelli in the pole shootout.

Q2 CORKER: Marc on fire to annihilate lap record

The business end of qualifying: Q2 ignites and straight away, the lap record was obliterated by none other than Marc Marquez, who was fractionally outside the first-ever 1’36s motorcycle lap of the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit. A huge performance by Johann Zarco (LCR Honda CASTROL) put him provisionally on the front row, what would be a first for Honda since 2023 at Mugello.

With the final five minutes beckoning, it was full throttle to try and better their lap time. Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) was following his brother, whilst Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) salvaged P4. However, it was his teammate Marquez who was lighting up the time screens; on his penultimate flying lap, he set the first and only-ever 1’36 lap of the Termas de Rio Hondo track. A 1’36.917 sees him go from pole, his first back-to-back poles since 2019’s Austrian and British Grands Prix. Brother Alex secured P2 and Zarco clung on to a first Honda front row and his first since 2023’s season-closing Grand Prix in Valencia.

FIREWORKS BEHIND: dark horses in top places

It was fourth place for Pecco who seeks to make a traditional fast start off the line but he’ll have ‘El Tiburon’ Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) for company too, with the #37 putting himself right in amongst the sharp end of the grid. Completing the second row, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), was less than a tenth of a second off the front row.

Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) secured his best qualifying of the season so far in P7, ahead of Q1 ascendant Morbidelli. Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) goes from P9, one place ahead of Mir, with the 2020 World Champion making it two Hondas in the top ten. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Alex Rins (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) round out the Q2 field, with Rins taking his best grid slot since Sepang last year.

MotoGP qualifying results, setting the grid for the Tissot Sprint and Sunday Grand Prix.

MotoGP : Alex Marquez Quickest In Saturday Practice

Alex Marquez fastest in FP2 MotoGP in Argentina. Photo courtesy Gresini Racing Team.
Alex Marquez fastest in FP2 MotoGP in Argentina. Photo courtesy Gresini Racing Team.

Alex Marquez led the final MotoGP World Championship free practice session on Saturday morning at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. Riding his BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP Desmosedici GP24 on spec Michelin tires, the Spaniard turned a lap time of 1:37.795 which led the field of 22 riders. 

His brother, Marc Marquez  was next best with a 1:37.882 on his Lenovo Ducati Desmosedici GP25.

Frenchman Johann Zarco was third-fastest at 1:37.965 on his CASTROL LCR Honda RC213V, followed by Fabio Di Giannantonio at 1:38.017 on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Ducati GP25; Pedro Acosta  at 1:38.211 on a Red Bull KTM RC16; and rookie Fermin Aldeguer at 1:38.372 on his BK8 Gresini Ducati GP24.

Session for ARG MotoGP FP2

Moto2 : Dixon Tops Final Practice At Termas De Río Hondo

Jake Dixon quickest in FP2 in Argentina. Photo courtesy Marc VDS Racing Team.
Jake Dixon quickest in FP2 in Argentina. Photo courtesy Marc VDS Racing Team.

Jake Dixon was quickest during Moto2 World Championship practice Saturday morning at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. Riding his Pirelli-shod ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Boscoscuro on the 2.99-mile (4.81 km) track, the Briton recorded a 1:41.486 to lead the field of 28 riders.

Barry Baltus was the best of the rest with a 1:41.559 on his Fantic Racing LINO SONEGO Kalex. 

His teammate, Aron Canet was third-fastest with a 1:41.706. 

American Joe Roberts finished Saturday morning’s practice session 17th with a best time of 1:42.270 on his OnlyFans American Racing Team Kalex.

Session for ARG Moto2 FP2

Moto3: Bertelle Heads Saturday Practice In Argentina

Matteo Bertelle fastest in FP2 in Argentina. Photo courtesy LEVELUP MTA Team.
Matteo Bertelle fastest in FP2 in Argentina. Photo courtesy LEVELUP MTA Team.

Matteo Bertelle led Moto3 World Championship practice Saturday morning, at Termas de Río Hondo, in Argentina. Bertelle used his Pirelli-shod LEVELUP-MTA KTM to lap the 2.99-mile (4.81 km) track in 1:46.303, which led the field of 26 riders.

David Muñoz was second-best with a time of 1:47.044 on his LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP KTM. 

Stefano Nepa, piloting his SIC58 Squadra Corse Honda, claimed the third and final spot on the front with a lap time of 1:47.074.

Session for ARG Moto3 FP2

Intro: Riding The New 2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS

Riding the 2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS at Circuito Internacional do Algarve in Portugal. Photo courtesy Triumph.

“The apex of that corner is right where the stream is flowing across the track.”

Those words by the Triumph representative leading the circuit tour pretty much summed up the two days of riding in the Algarve in Portugal at the global media launch of the 2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS. On the first day of our ride, our wave of journalists just got done with the first photo shoot on the street before the rain hit, and the pavement didn’t dry entirely until everyone had packed up and headed home.

 

Riding on Pirelli race rain tires at Circuito Internacional do Algarve. Photo courtesy Triumph.

Still, for blasting along country roads and ripping around the Circuito Internacional do Algarve racetrack near Portimao, Portugal, the new Speed Triple is a really competent riding companion. Upgraded semi-active suspension, new electronic rider aids, and more power is a recipe for a good time, but it’s how they all work together that really matters.

What we learned in two days on the road and track is that Triumph engineers not only improved the motorcycle, but refined it so that every feature not only works on its own, but also works together to deliver a great ride. It’s fast, handles and rides well, and does so in a way that’s accessible. Beyond any individual technological advancement, that’s the big deal that stands out to me.

 

The 2025 Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS in Granite/Performance Yellow. Photo courtesy Triumph.

Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS Technical Overview

New engine tuning, a new exhaust system and a new balancer strategy bumps the claimed output a bit. Horsepower goes to 180.5 bhp at 10,750 rpm and 94.4 lbs.-ft. of torque at 8,750 rpm, and the power goes through a six-speed transmission with clutchless up- and down-shifting en route to the fat 190/55 Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP V3 rear tire. Unchanged is the 1160cc displacement, the 90.0mm x 60.8mm bore and stroke, and the general architecture of the inline, three-cylinder, DOHC engine. Brembo Stylema brake calipers work with 320mm discs in the front and are controlled by an adjustable Brembo master cylinder and a cornering-sensitive ABS system.

The chassis remains the same for 2025, with a twin-spar/tubular-aluminum frame and an aluminum swingarm. An aluminum subframe helps keep the claimed curb weight to 438.7 pounds. An adjustable steering damper is fitted, but the biggest change is the new semi-active Ohlins Smart EC3 Objective Based Tuning interface that controls the 43mm inverted front forks and the Ohlins rear shock.

In short, the rider doesn’t select settings. The rider tells the system what they want–generally, more or less support in various phases of the riding process–and the electronic brain adjusts damping and selects the optimal settings to reach that goal. The suspension and engine work together, so that when selecting settings as the rider is riding, the suspension knows what gear the engine is in, throttle settings, etc. New spool-type damping valves in the forks and shock allow for faster adjustments over a wider setting range.

New electronic four-position wheelie control, engine braking modes, and brake slide assist are incorporated into the five ride modes available – Rain, Road, Sport, Track and the customizable Rider mode.

The bars are slightly higher and wider, there are new color schemes–Jet Black, Granite and Diablo Red, and Granite and Performance Yellow. There’s a new seat cowl and an emergency braking system that causes the stylish tail light to flash when the rider hits the brakes hard. American market suggested retail is $19,995.

Riding The Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS

I turned on the heated grips, threw a leg over the seat, and the bike immediately felt small-ish and really solid. The low, tubular bar position isn’t dramatically different than on the prior model, the pegs are mid-rear-set, and the bar-end mirrors are stylish and thankfully arched back over the grips, so they don’t add to the width of the machine — an important consideration when splitting traffic.

Twist the throttle and the engine feels big. There’s no other word to describe it. It’s a bit slower-revving than a supersport bike, but it pounds out torque at relatively low rpm, and while it’s revvy it’s not overly so. Triumph reps say the company wrote the origin story of the streetfighter with the 1994 Speed Triple 900, and big power is part of that narrative. And since there’s no replacement for displacement when it comes to creating power, Triumph engineers opted for big pistons moving through a big stroke. There’s just enough vibration to create a sense of character, the engine/intake noise is a unique growl, and even after the engine punches through a meaty mid-range, it still pulls to redline quickly.

It’s complete and glorious overkill on the street, but the steep, power-eating uphill front straight at the Portimao circuit puts any engine to the test. With a wet surface sapping my desire to really twist the throttle at the exit to the final corner, I was still able to get the Speed Triple to touch 248 kph on a soaking, wind-gusting straight. That’s just shy of 155 mph. Since plunging downhill into a wet Turn One at those speeds didn’t seem like a good idea, I was letting off the throttle early, so I’m pretty sure there’s more to come there.

The active suspension helped the bike feel remarkably planted on the street, especially given that the Pirelli SP V3 tires are really not primarily aimed at use in the wet. The suspension constantly adapts the compression and rebound settings, modulating the spikes in tire loading, which helps avoid breaking traction.

Michael Gougis on the wet track at Portimao, riding a Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS.

What I took away from riding the Triumph on the wet track was the feeling of confidence that the effective electronics suite delivered. Our bikes were set with Rain-mode traction control but Road-mode throttle mapping, which progressively gave us all 180 horsepower. As the day wore on, I got more and more aggressive with the throttle, with more and more lean angle (Pirelli technicians on hand for the Superbike World Championship tests the following day had installed full-on Pirelli soft racing rain tires, and those are magic) and harder on the brakes. We were braking hard enough to trigger the emergency warning tail light and dragging knees with rooster tails of water spraying from both wheels.

The bike never did anything sketchy, and given the circumstances, I’ll remember that for a long time. The bike felt like it had my back in a riding situation where I really wanted a wingman, and that allowed me to go faster than I would have felt comfortable going otherwise. But at the end of the day, streetfighters aren’t about lap times. They’re about emotion, feeling and experience, and that’s what Triumph delivers better than ever with the latest version of the Speed Triple.

 

At least it wasn’t actually raining during the pre-track-riding orientation tour of the circuit. Photo by Michael Gougis.

 

Triumph technicians wash one wave of Speed Triple 1200 RS bikes that had been out for the street ride. World Superbike teams are unloading and setting up for a two-day test immediately following the Triumph intro. Photo by Michael Gougis.

World Superbike: Razgatlioglu Fastest On Test Day One In Portugal

Toprak Razgatlioglu (1). Photo courtesy WorldSBK.

(Editorial note: America Garrett Gerloff did not ride his Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-10 RR on Day One of the test.)

Rain played a central role at testing in Portimao for the second time this year, delaying the start of on track action in Day 1 at Portimao. Substantial rainfall overnight left the track very wet throughout the morning, preventing the first MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship riders from taking to the track until an hour after the scheduled start. As the track dried however, teams were able to take advantage of the day, with seven riders finishing within a second of the fastest time.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and his team seem to be working out the problems from their M 1000 RR, ‘El Turco’ was fastest by a margin of more than half a second on the day. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing -Ducati) started slightly later than most of the grid but in another strong day at the office, matching Toprak’s top speed of the day of 305.9 km/h. With less than a tenth of a second separating them, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) and Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) impressed in their return to Portimao after testing here in late January.

After a disappointing Australian Round opener, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and his crew look to be making progress with their new M1000 RR. In his fifth lap of the day, ‘El Turco’ laid down a fastest lap of 1’42.428s, wrestling P1 from Remy Gardner. He would go on to shave off more and more time as the day continued and the track continued to dry off, improving his time to 1’40.543s, the only rider to crack the 1’40s mark. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) looked to be still finding his footing with the new chassis of the M 1000 RR, the Dutchman finished in P11, with a time of 1’42.002s.

While Portimao’s Day 1 of Testing brought more manufacturer diversity than what was seen in Australia, Panigale V4R’s remained plentiful in the top 10. Bulega was again fastest among the Italian manufacturer’s riders with his 1’41.168s lap, and his teammate Alvaro Bautista did not participate in the day’s testing, however according to official channels, he will appear in Day 2. Danilo Petrucci was up around the podium the entire day, finishing in P5 and a time of 1’41.281s. Sam Lowes kept the ball rolling after his career-best performance at Phillip Island, this time landing a P9, 0.257s behind P8 with his time of 1’41.929s. Andrea Iannone finished in P12 after a late start to the day, finishing with a time of 1’42.074s. Yari Montella closed out the top 10 with his time of 1’41.987.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was resurgent after an uncharacteristically quiet Australian Round. Locatelli’s fastest lap clocked in at 1’41.202s, just 0.034s slower than Nicolo Bulega in P2. Joining him in the top six, Remy Gardner bounced back in a big way from a disappointing home round in Australia, finishing P6 on the day and only 0.076s slower than Danilo Petrucci in P5. Gardner’s time of 1’41.357s made him one of 12 riders to break into the 1’41s mark. In P13, newcomer Augusto Fernandez logged a fastest lap of 1’42.373s. Fernandez suffered a fall in Turn 15 nearing the end of the session however he walked away uninjured from the incident and continued riding shortly after. Dominique Aegerter clocked in a fastest lap of 1’42.531s, earning him P14.

Only two places separated the two Bimota riders after Day 1 of testing in Portimao. Alex Lowes led the pair in P7, his fastest lap of 1’41.372s was just over two tenths of a second faster than his partner, Axel Bassani. For his part, Bassani landed just behind Lowes in P8 with a time of 1’41.672s, only 0.177s separating the two riders.

Vierge (Honda HRC) replicated the form he was displaying this preseason with an impressive P3 on the back of his 1’41.260s fastest lap. Next up for Honda HRC was test rider Borja Gomez, the fellow Spaniard logging a P15 result on a time of 1’42.722s. Just behind him in P16, Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) started later than others, at 13:20 and went on to land a time of 1’43.080s. Next up was Tetsuta Nagashima, (Honda HRC) who registered 70 laps, fastest among them being 1’43.220s. Zaqhwan Zaidi (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) continued to work on acclimating himself to the bike, logging a personal fastest lap on the day of 1’47.792s

Can Oncu and Aldi Mahendra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing) had a stellar Day 1 at Portimao, P1 and P2 among WorldSSP riders. Oncu’s fastest lap was 1’44.423s, and 0.211s behind him was his teammate Aldi Mahendra, with a time of 1’44.634s. Yamaha’s R9 continues to distinguish itself, as P3 and P4 were also riders of the new Yamaha bike. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 – YAMAHA) was P3 in WorldSSP with his time of 1’45.215s. Following him, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) finished P4 among WorldSSP riders with a 1’45.681s.

The top six in WorldSBK from Day 1 of the test at Portimao:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’40.543, 41 laps

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41.168, 50 laps

3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) 1’41.202, 50 laps

4. Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) 1’41.260, 61 laps

5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’41.281, 41 laps

6. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT YAMAHA WorldSBK Team) 1’41.357, 57 laps

 

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