Supersport crown caps Manzi’s journey before WorldSBK move in 2026.
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) has been crowned the 2025 FIM Supersport World Champion, securing the title with 2 races to go after a commanding campaign aboard the new Yamaha R9.
For Manzi, the title represents a career milestone after two runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024. The Italian has been a dominant force in 2025, scoring 10 victories and 18 podiums on his way to Championship glory.
Stefano Manzi. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing):
“It feels amazing to be World Champion. It’s difficult to find the words to describe it. After finishing second two years in a row, to finally win is incredible. It’s a lifetime of work, when you start riding young, you dream about this, and to achieve it is amazing.
The key moment for me was the difficult period when I crashed at Most and Misano. That was a wake-up call, reminding me that you are not unbeatable and must stay focused to win the title. From that moment, I worked hard, avoided repeating mistakes, and finally I can say I achieved it, it’s an incredible feeling.”
Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing Team. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing Team Manager:
“This has been a three-year project, and to win the championship now in the third year is unbelievable. It was even more special the way Stefano did it, because we all know how pressure affects riders, but he left all the pressure in the hotel and won the race to become Champion.
From the start of the season, we could see he had stepped up his game massively. His growth year after year has been amazing. Not just as a rider – in his first year he was already at a very high level – but he lacked consistency and workflow. There was also work to do on the mental side, and this year he made huge strides mentally, personally, and in performance. He’s now complete and ready for Superbike.”
RACING JOURNEY
Manzi began his career in the Italian Championship and JuniorGP before moving to the Moto3 World Championship in 2015 and then to Moto2 in 2017, where his highlights included a pole position and a fourth-place finish. He switched to WorldSSP in 2022 with Dynavolt Triumph, taking his first win at Portimao, before joining Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing and immediately establishing himself as a title contender. In 2025, he finally clinched the WorldSSP Championship title, solidifying his position as a top rider in the category.
With the 2025 crown, Manzi adds his name to the list of Supersport Champions and confirms his place among the most competitive riders in the paddock. Next season, he will step up to WorldSBK with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team.
Nicolo Bulega won World Superbike Race Two Sunday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R, the championship point leader won the 21-lap race by just 4.868 seconds.
Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR, and Bulega’s teammate, Alvaro Bautista was third.
Alex Lowes finished the race fourth on his Kawasaki Bimota KB998 Rimini.
Andrea Locatelli got fifth on his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF-R1.
Americans Garrett Gerloff finished 11th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and wildcard Bobby Fong got 18th on his Performance Attack Yamaha YZF-R1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu leads the championship with 580 points, 39 ahead of Nicolo Bulega who has 541 points. Danilo Petrucci is third with 292 points.
TITLE FIGHT ROLLS ON: Bulega beats Razgatlioglu in Race 2 at Estoril as Championship battles goes to Jerez. The #11 got a good start when lights went out and converted that into his sole win of the weekend, ensuring the title fight will be decided at the season finale.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed victory in Race 2 at the Circuito Estoril as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship concluded at the historic Portuguese venue. The #11 ensured the title battle will roll on to the season finale at Jerez next week with his 17th WorldSBK victory, as Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) came home in second for the EICMA Estoril Round.
BULEGA BATTLES TO P1: Victory for the #11, Razgatlioglu second
As in the previous two races, Razgatlioglu lost ground at the start of the race, dropping to fifth behind Bulega, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) and Bautista, moving ahead of the #19 to take P4 at Turn 1 on Lap 2. At Turn 6, ‘El Turco’ tried to pass Iannone but ‘The Maniac’ fought back; however, the #29 was given a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start. At Turn 9, Razgatlioglu was up to second after getting ahead of Locatelli and soon set his sights on Bulega, who was 1.4 seconds clear at the start of Lap 3. The pair traded similar lap times throughout the first quarter of the race, with the gap hovering at just over a second. On Lap 7, ‘Bulegas’ lapped four tenths quicker to open the gap to 1.5 seconds, appearing to put some breathing room between himself and the BMW rider. By the halfway mark, Bulega had extended the gap to over two seconds. While the gap did fluctuate a bit, Bulega went on to claim victory in Race 2, ensuring the title fight would go to the final round at Jerez.
BAUTISTA TAKES THREE P3S: A triple visit to the rostrum
The fight for third was another barnstorming battle, with Bautista slower in the first stages of the race and having to fend off his rivals. He had ‘Loka’ behind him at the start of Lap 5, who in turn was under pressure from Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), who forced his way ahead of the Yamaha rider at Turn 1. That order remained stable throughout the race with Bautista taking his third P3 finish of the weekend, which moved him into third in the Championship standings. Bulega’s victory and Bautista’s rostrum ensured Aruba.it Racing – Ducati wrapped up the Teams’ Championship for 2025. The #22 finished in fourth after losing time in the final stages to Bautista, with Locatelli claiming P5.
A BIG FIGHT INSIDE THE TOP TEN: Vierge claims sixth ahead of Gardner
Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) took the chequered flag in P6 as he finished as the only Honda rider in the top ten, finishing 1.4 seconds clear of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in seventh. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) ensured both Bimotas were inside the top ten as he finished in eighth, directly ahead of Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in ninth.
VAN DER MARK RESISTS GERLOFF: Scrapping for the top ten
Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had to fend off a hard-charging Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) to secure a finish in the top ten, eventually finishing just 0.128s clear of the Texan. Iannone battled back to 12th after his penalty, with ‘The Maniac’ initially dropping out of the points after his penalty. Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) was 13th ahead of Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), who rounded out the points-paying positions.
FINISHING THE RACE: Narrowly missing out on P15
Tito Rabat (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) narrowly missed out on P15 as he finished half-a-second down on Montella, while he had a 12-second margin to wildcard Tetsuta Nagashima (Honda HRC) in 17th. Bobby Fong (Attack Performance Yamaha Racing) was the last classified rider in 18th place.
RETIRING FROM RACE 2: Four riders don’t finish
Michael Rinaldi (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was the first rider to drop out of the race when he crashed at Turn 7, retiring from the race. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) crashed out of the race at Turn 7 on Lap 13. Meanwhile, home hero Ivo Lopes (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) retired in the early stages of Race 2. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM BONOVO Action) was a faller in the final few laps when he came down at Turn 1.
Stefano Manzi won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday afternoon at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. The Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF-R9 rider won the 18-lap race by 2.599 secondS and became the 2025 WorldSSP Champion – the first ever to conquer the crown with the Yamaha R9.
Philipp Oettl was second on his Feel Racing Ducati Panigale V2, and Jeremy Alcoba got third on his Kawasaki ZX-6R 636.
Former MotoAmerica regular Valentin Debise suffered a mechanical issue on his Renzi Corse Ducati Panigale V2 and didn’t finish the race.
Stefano Manzi leads the championship with 425 points, 82 ahead of Can Oncu who has 343 points. Tom Booth-Amos is third with 233 points.
Toprak Razgatlioglu won the World Superbike Superpole Race Sunday morning at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR, the 2024 WorldSuperbike Champion won the 10-lap race by 0.545 second.
Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, and his teammate, Alvaro Bautista was third, 8.942 seconds behind the race winner.
Andrea Locatelli finished fourth on his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF R1.
Andrea Iannone got fifth on his Team Pata go Eleven Ducati Panigale V4R.
Americans Garrett Gerloff finished 12th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and Bobby Fong was 18th on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF R1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu leads the championship with 560 points, 44 ahead of Nicolo Bulega who has 516 points. Danilo Petrucci is third with 284 points.
DOUBLING UP: Razgatlioglu claims Superpole Race honours ahead of Bulega, Bautista resists challenges for P3. ‘El Turco’ made it two from two at Estoril by beating title rival Bulega by half-a-second in the 10-lap Superpole Race.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took another step towards this year’s title in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with his second win of the EICMA Estoril Round. He fended off Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to claim the 21st win of his 2025 season and gain another three points on ‘Bulegas’. It means Razgatlioglu has the chance to wrap up the title in Race 2; he will be crowned Champion if he outscores the #11 by 18 points.
FIGHTING FOR VICTORY: Razgatlioglu vs Bulega once again
Bulega got the holeshot for the 10-lap race, before Razgatlioglu dropped down to third behind Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). He was soon ahead of the #19 at Turn 6 on the opening lap, before passing Bulega at Turn 1 on Lap 2. At Turn 6, ‘El Turco’ ran wide and briefly claimed the lead, for just one corner at Turn 7; they then swapped again at Turn 9 but the #1 held position. Bulega tried to respond at Turn 1 but Razgatlioglu held on, before building a gap over his title rival. The gap stabilised until the second half of the race, when ‘Bulegas’ started crawling all over Razgatlioglu. However, the BMW rider soon maintained the gap to claim victory on Sunday morning and move another step closer to this year’s title.
BATTLING FOR THE PODIUM: Bautista just holds on…
The fight for the final front row spot in Race 2 went all the way to the wire. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) held on to claim P3 ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), although he spent the start of the race fending off Locatelli’s teammate, Jonathan Rea. The #65 was hounding the #19 before Locatelli got ahead at Turn 1 at Lap 5. However, Rea’s hopes of a second row start in Race 2 ended when he crashed at Turn 7 from P5. Bautista claimed third to secure a front row start this afternoon.
STARTING RACE 2 FROM ROW 2: Locatelli from P4, Iannone fights to P5
Locatelli withstood a late charge from Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) to claim P4, with ‘The Maniac’ forced to settle for fifth despite pulling off another charge through the field. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) had been challenging Locatelli for fourth heading onto the final lap, but he crashed while trying to pass the #55, dropping him down to 15th. The second row will be completed by Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who had to fend off Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) – who used the SCQ tyre – to secure a P6 finish and put him in a strong position for this afternoon.
RACE 2’S ROW THREE: Vierge leads Bassani and van der Mark
Vierge will instead go from the third row after his P7 finish, with Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) in eighth place; gaining one position after his teammate’s fall. The third row in Race 2 will be completed by Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who came home in ninth.
The top nine from the Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.545s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +8.942s
Toprak Razgatlioglu won FIM Superbike World Championship Race One Saturday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Razgatlioglu started from pole position and rode his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR to a 1.948-second margin of victory in the 20-lap race.
Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R and his teammate Alvaro Bautista crossed the finish line third.
Andrea Locatelli went from 8th on the grid to 4th at the finish on his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF R1.
Alex Lowes was fifth on his Kawasaki Bimota KB998 Rimini.
Americans Garrett Gerloff went from 13th on the grid to 10th at the finish on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and wildcard Bobby Fong finished 17th on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF R1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu leads the championship with 548 points, 41 ahead of Nicolo Bulega who has 507 points. Danilo Petrucci is third with 284 points.
DRAMA AT ESTORIL: Razgatlioglu beats Bulega in red-flagged Race 1 at Estoril as Bautista completes podium. The reigning Champion strengthened his grip on the title race with a commanding Race 1 victory at Estoril.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed a hard-fought victory in Race 1 at the Circuito Estoril after dropping to fifth on the opening lap, before fighting his way back into the lead. ‘El Turco’ gained five points on title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) during the opening duel for the EICMA Estoril Round after ‘Bulegas’ finished in second place in a red-flagged race.
THE ORIGINAL START: Red flag after five-rider crash at Turn 1
The race was red flagged after a Turn 1 pile-up. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) lost the front at Turn 1 and left riders behind him with nowhere to go, with Tetsuta Nagashima (Honda HRC), Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) all going down, while Tarran Mackenzie (MGM BONOVO Action) took a big hit to his right side but kept his Ducati upright. With the red flag thrown before Lap 1, it was a complete restart, with all five riders involved taking the restart, based on the original grid positions over a 20-lap distance.
RAZGATLIOGLU FIGHTS BACK AND BOLTS: From P5 on Lap 1 to the lead
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) got a stunning start when lights went out to leap from third to first, ahead of teammate Bulega, while Razgatlioglu dropped down to P5. He soon got ahead of Pata Maxus Yamaha duo Jonathan Rea and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) to move into P3, before passing the #11 at Turn 8 for P2 on Lap 2. At the start of Lap 3, ‘El Turco’ outbraked Bautista at Turn 1 move into the lead and he immediately pulled out a gap over Bautista. On the third lap, Bulega moved ahead of Bautista at Turn 6, which left the #19 vulnerable to Rea behind. However, no one was able to match Razgatlioglu’s pace, as he stormed to victory in Portugal ahead of Bulega. Over the second half of the race, Bulega started closing the gap on Razgatlioglu, who made the switch from the SC2 to the SC1 front tyre during the red flag stoppage. Heading into the final quarter, ‘El Turco’ started pulling a gap over ‘Bulegas’ once again as he managed the final few laps to claim a valuable victory. It was Razgatlioglu’s 20th win of the season, while Bulega took the 51st rostrum of his career.
FIGHTING FOR THIRD: Rea takes the battle to Bautista for the rostrum
Bautista and Rea continued their duel for third in the first half of the race, with Rea looking faster than the Ducati rider but unable to pass his old nemesis. A mistake from Rea on Lap 8 at Turn 1, where he ran wide, dropped him a few tenths behind the Spaniard. However, he was able to recover that gap over the course of the lap. On Lap 12, Rea took advantage of a Bautista error to be all over the Ducati rider, while Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was now in the fight for P3. Two laps later and Bautista had built his gap over again to take his 16th rostrum of the year. Lowes got ahead of Rea on Lap 15 at Turn 1, before teammate Locatelli followed him straight through to demote the #65 into P6. On Lap 16, ‘Loka’ moved ahead of Lowes to claim P4 at Turn 1, with the #22 finishing P5 and Rea in P6, after fending off Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) and Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) in seventh and eighth respectively.
SCORING POINTS: Gerloff rounds out top 10, Bassani bounces back from crash for P11
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished around two seconds down on Iannone ahead to finish in P9, while Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) claimed tenth as he climbed up the order from his starting position. Bassani was 11th, two seconds clear of Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) in 12thas the Brit finished inside the points. Tito Rabat (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was 13th with Mackenzie and van der Mark rounding out the points-paying positions. Nagashima was four seconds down on van der Mark as he finished in 16th, ahead of wildcard Bobby Fong (Attack Performance Yamaha Racing) in 17th. Local rider Ivo Lopes (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was the last finisher in 18th.
TO NOTE: Three retirements, ‘Petrux’ takes Top Independent Rider in 2025
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) retired from the race after a Lap 1 crash at Turn 6 while Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) crashed out of the race on Lap 3 at Turn 3 with the Spaniard sliding out of contention as he made his comeback from injury at Estoril. Sofuoglu was ordered to leave the track with a technical problem which forced him out of the race. Michael Rinaldi (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) did not take part in Race 1 after being declared unfit for Saturday after Tissot Superpole; the #12 has been suffering from gastroenteritis.
Elsewhere, with both Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) both declared unfit ahead of Race 1, ‘Petrux’ was officially declared as the Top Independent Rider for 20205.
The top six from WorldSBK Race 1, full results here:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.948s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +14.729s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +16.563s
5. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +17.044s
6. Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +18.575s
Fastest Lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW) – 1’35.632s
Valentin Debise won FIM Supersport World Championship Race One Saturday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his Renzi Corse Ducati Panigale V2, the Frenchman won the 18-lap race by 0.440 second.
Stefano Manzi was the runner-up on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF- R9, just 0.374 second ahead of third-place finisher Can Oncu, who rode a BluCru Evan Bros Yamaha YZF-R9.
Stefano Manzi leads the championship with 400 points, 64 ahead of Can Oncu who has 336 points. Jaume Masia is third with 227 points.
INSTANT CLASSIC: Debise defeats Manzi after #62 fights back from P13, Oncu takes title fight to Sunday. The table is set for a Race 2 coronation after a firecracker of a Race 1 contest.
In the FIM Supersport World Championship’s EICMA Estoril Round, Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) and his Ducati V2 kept to their recent winning ways. He has caught fire in the last two rounds in Iberia as Race 1 at the Circuito Estoril saw him outpace both title heavyweights to win his second career WorldSSP race. Crossing the line in P2, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) beat out his title rival Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team), all but assuring the title will be his on Sunday, provided he doesn’t lose more than 14 points to Oncu in Race 2
DEBISE DOUBLES UP IN 2025: Two wins in three races for the French rider
Oncu protected his pole starting position by claiming the holeshot. Leading the race through the first lap, his title rival Manzi had already climbed up eight positions into P5 by the start of Lap 2. The title rivals clashed for P1 throughout the race; however, it was Debise who emerged victorious. The Frenchman scrapped with Oncu for P1 at the start of the race, even carving out a margin of a quarter of a second ahead of the Championship rivals as they sparred for P2 behind him. As the #61 and #62 fought in each corner, Debise increased his gap at the front, pulling away to win with nearly a half-second margin behind him. Manzi increased his title lead by four points to a total of 64 points thanks to his P2 over Oncu. With this result, Manzi is on track to be crowned WorldSSP Champion after Race 2 as long as there are no Sunday surprises.
OETTL MAKES IT THREE P4’S IN A ROW: The #65 picks up where he left off from Aragon
Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) fought at the front in the early running; however, by Lap 8, he had fallen to the back of the lead group in P5. The German righted the ship and maintained his pace to achieve a P4 finish. Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) remained within visual range of the lead group; however, he lacked the several tenths of a second to close the gap and fight in earnest with the lead group, finishing in his same start position of P5. Alberto Surra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) was tailing his teammate Oncu in the podium fight early on. Surra’s grip wore down as the laps piled up, and the Italian ended up crossing the line in P6.
ALCOBA’S RECOVERY RUN: The Spanish rookie improved his P24 start to a P7 finish
Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) did well to gain positions to ride in P7 after his P10 grid start position; however, a late crash on Lap 16 saw the Brit hit the gravel, ending his race. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) got his Kawasaki ZX-6R 636 into the top eight after starting mired down in P24, and after Booth-Amos’s misfortune, he gained his spot to finish in P7. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) recovered from his P15 start position to finish P8. Raffaele de Rosa (QJMOTOR Factory Racing) continued his impressive Estoril form, holding onto his top 10 pace to place P9. Finishing off the top ten, Andorran rider Xavi Cardelus (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) took home P10 in Race 1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu took pole position during World Superbike Superpole qualifying Saturday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his ROKIT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR on Pireili control tires, the Turkish rider recorded a lap time of 1:34.203, which was not only good enough to top the 22-rider field and secure pole position it also eclipsed his own 2025 All-Time Lap Record of 1:35.202 he set this morning during FP3.
Nicolo Bulega qualified second with a 1:34.549 on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R.
His teammate, Alvaro Bautista did a 1:35.163 to earn the third and final spot on the front row.
Row two starters include Kawasaki Bimota’s Alex Lowes (1:35.198), Honda HRC’s Xavi Vierge (1:35.255), and Pata Maxus Yamaha’s Jonathan Rea (1:35.277).
Americans Garrett Gerloff qualified 13th with a 1:35.827 on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and wildcard Bobby Fong was 21st with a lap time of 1:37.426 on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF R1.
TAKING POLE IN STYLE: Razgatlioglu takes P1 in Superpole after destroying lap record, Bulega P2. ‘El Turco’ was a second quicker than his own lap record from FP3 as he claimed the 24th WorldSBK pole of his career.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was virtually unbeatable in the Tissot Superpole session at the Circuito Estoril after setting an incredible 1’34.203s to claim pole for the EICMA Estoril Round. ‘El Turco’ was a second quicker than his own FP3 lap record, and more than a second faster from the 2022 pole lap record, as he beat title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to P1 in Portugal.
THE FIRST RUN: Razgatlioglu obliterates his own lap record
Razgatlioglu continued where he finished FP3 by smashing the all-time lap record on his first lap in Superpole, with a 1’34.743s to lay down a marker, before going even faster on his second run with a 1’34.669s. That left him with a six tenths advantage over Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in second, who was a tenth clear of teammate Alvaro Bautista after the first runs had been completed.
BULEGA RESPONDS, RAZGATLIOGLU ON TOP: Stunning lap records from both…
Bulega was the first of the two title contenders to head out for his second run, with Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) following the #11. Bulega went into a provisional pole position with a 1’34.549s, giving ‘El Turco’ a marker which the #1 used to full advantage, setting a 1’34.203s – more than a second quicker than the 2022 pole lap record as he secured pole at the Circuito Estoril, more than three tenths clear of Bulega – using the harder SC2 front tyre. Bautista completed the front row with a 1’35.163s to put the #19 in a great position to fight Bulega and Razgatlioglu when lights go out for the races. It’s Razgatlioglu’s 24th pole in WorldSBK and he becomes the first rider to take three poles at Estoril, while Bautista returned to the top three for the first time since Aragon 2024; a wait of 377 days.
ON THE SECOND ROW: Bimota, Honda and Yamaha
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) continued Bimota’s fine Estoril form as he took P4 with a 1’35.198s with the #22 showing good race pace in Friday’s practice session. Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) will go from the second row in P5 after lapping a second off Razgatlioglu’s time while Rea will go from sixth after setting a 1’35.277s while following Bulega. Rea arguably enjoyed his best Yamaha weekend of 2024 at Estoril last year and will hope he’s in the podium battle.
GARDNER SHINES AT ESTORIL: P7 for the Australian, Bassani lines up ninth
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) lines up just behind Rea in P7, after lapping a tenth off the #65, while Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) makes it three Yamahas in a row with P8. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) put the second Bimota on the third row after setting a 1’35.438s while Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) rounded out the top ten.
The top six from Tissot Superpole, full results here:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’34.203s
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.346s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.960s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.995s
Toprak Razgatlioglu was fastest during World Superbike FP3 Saturday morning at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR on Pirelli control tires, the Turkish rider recorded a lap time of 1:35.202, which was not only good enough to top the 22-rider it also eclipsed Jonathan Rea’s 2022 All-Time Lap Record of 1:35.346.
Sam Lowes finished the session second with a 1:35.560 on his ELF Marc VDS Racing Ducati Panigale V4R.
Remy Gardner did a 1:35.570 on his GYTR GRT Yamaha YZF R1 to earn the third and final spot on the front row.
Americans Garrett Gerloff got 13th with a 1:35.991 on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and wildcard Bobby Fong was 22nd with a lap time of 1:38.558 on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF R1.
Razgatlioglu blitzes Estoril lap record to claim P1 in FP3, four manufacturers in the top four. The Championship leader was a few tenths quicker than Bulega’s FP2 efforts as he set the fastest lap of the weekend so far.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) set the pace on Saturday morning as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship took to the Circuito Estoril for Free Practice 3. The BMW star was more than three tenths clear of his nearest rival in the final practice session for the EICMA Estoril Round, while title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fifth; the #11 did improve on his Friday time.
Razgatlioglu was quickest out of the blocks to set an early 1’35.303s, comfortably the fastest time of the weekend and four tenths quicker than Bulega’s FP2 effort. It was also faster than the all-time lap record by four hundredths of a second, before he improved to a 1’35.202s a lap later as he put in consistent and fast lap times in the 20-minute session. That left Razgatlioglu clear at the top and the initial nine-tenths gap to P2 did come down throughout FP3, with Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) claiming second place with a 1’35.560s and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) completing the top three, just 0.010s behind the #14.
Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was quick on Friday and continued that on Saturday with fourth in Free Practice 3 after posting a 1’35.588s as he ensured four different manufacturers were in the top four. Bulega secured fifth, four tenths down on the #1, with Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) rounding out the top six; he was just 0.003s down on the #11 in P5.
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) ensured both Bimota KB998 Rimini machines were in the top seven as he lapped 0.454s down on Razgatlioglu, but just over half-a-tenth slower than his teammate in fourth. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was eighth ahead of Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with the two Spaniards rounding out the top ten.
Let’s face it, the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event is a brutal process, especially for teenagers who already have to deal with the dreaded teenage angst. The pool of talent is literally as big as the world itself because the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup is a World Championship, and only 113 riders from around the globe were chosen to participate in the Event.
Of that 113, eight of the riders chosen were either American or have been racing on American soil. And, of those eight, seven of them—Hank Vossberg, Ella Dreher, Bodie Paige, Kensei Matsudaira, Mikey Lou Sanchez, Mahdi Salem, and Joshua Raymond Jr.—made it through the first cutdown, which winnowed the field of 113 young athletes to just 56.
That was tough enough, but it got exponentially tougher on final day of the Selection Event. Of the 56 finalists, only eight riders were chosen to become part of the 20th edition of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.
I’ll say it: we had seven riders among that final group of 56. The chances seemed pretty good that at least one of our seven would be chosen among the eight. Nope, it didn’t happen. Am I bitter? Yup, I sure am. I’ll bet a lot of people who’ve been following this process are bitter. But the seven MotoAmerica kids aren’t. By all accounts, they loved the experience.
“What a week,”commented Vossberg. “It was my first time ever out of the country and longest time away from home. We started last week training with one of the best coaches out there. Sergio Gadea helped us prepare for the Rookies Cup. Rookies Cup was a whole experience in itself. We had two sessions each day, and each session, I was able to improve my lap times, my lines, and my confidence on the bike, it being my first time on one. I was chosen, along with all the other MotoAmerica Talent Cup riders to move onto the third day! On the last day of riding, I went faster and improved more, but I know I have a lot to work on before Rookies Cup.
“I want to thank my Mom and Dad for supporting me on this journey, I couldn’t have done it without them. Thank you to MotoAmerica for giving me and many other riders this chance to elevate our racing career! Thank you to all the filmers, Steve Radley and Federico Sarria, and everyone else who was a part of putting together the awesome show Generation Speed!
“Everyone else that supported me this season, thank you!”
Dreher said, “What an awesome couple weeks here in Spain. We started off at Aspar Circuit doing some training for five days and getting some super knowledgeable info and coaching from Sergio Gadea. We came into the Selection Event super positive and knew what to expect. I made it to the third day, which kept my hopes high. It was definitely nerve-racking sitting listening to names be called. Sadly, I did not get in, but it was quite the experience riding with the fastest riders out there. I’m going to take what I learned back to the U.S and come back stronger.
“Thank you to John Ludwig for everything you have done, and of course, for dealing with me for 3 weeks. 😂 And my madré Michelle Skradski missing me tons for doing what I love. ❤️ Thank you to Sergio Gadea for his coaching. It definitely helped tremendously and guided me in the direction of being the best.”
“Last but not least, thank you to Sullivan Mounsey for the advice (during) the couple weeks we had over here. Also, don’t forget ping-pong.😉“
More, from a news release issued by MotoAmerica:
Bodie Paige was one of two Australians who competed in the 2025 Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul Championship. Photo courtesy of Bodie Paige.
By Sean Bice
Bodie Paige:
“That’s a wrap on the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event. I want to thank all of them for this amazing experience and opportunity. I am very happy to have made it through to the final day and my performance over the last two days. I will take the positives away and come back hope to come back even stronger next year.
“Congratulations to my fellow Australian compatriot Archie Schmidt and all the other successful riders for being selected for the 2026 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season.
“It’s time to get back to work. Next stop, the U.S.!”
Josh Raymond with the KTM RC 250 R he rode during the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event. Photo courtesy of Joshua Raymond Jr.
Joshua Raymond Jr.:
“When you have over 100 of the fastest kids in the world competing for only 8 open spots, it really makes everyone up their game. The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event is a great time. I improved with every lap, and I made it to the final day, which is a huge accomplishment.”
Kensei Matsudaira with his good friend and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Toni Elias. Photo courtesy of Kensei Matsudaira.
Kensei Matsudaira:
“Trying out for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup was a great experience, even though I wasn’t one of the selected riders this year. I’ve raced with many of those who were selected, and they were simply on another level. I know where I need to be next year, but honestly nothing really changes for me since the goal has always been to be able to fight for wins and championships at the highest level in Europe. I’ll be continuing to train here in Spain until the end of the year and finishing the season with my last race in the European Talent Cup at Valencia where, hopefully, I’ll be able to take another step forward toward my goals.
“Big thank you to MotoAmerica, Wayne Rainey, Chuck Aksland, and Roadracing World for supporting me in my journey from the US. It was an honor to be one of the riders representing the U.S. at the Rookies Cup Selection Event, and I’m looking forward to doing the same at the FIM MiniGP World Final coming up in November at Valencia.”
Mahdi Salem is one of the fast, young road racers from New Jersey. Photo courtesy of Mahdi Salem.
Mahdi Salem:
“Made it all the way to the final day and left it all on track. Didn’t get the spot this first year, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and this is just the beginning. Congrats to my friends Travis Borg (Malta) and Afonso Almeida (Portugal) for making it into the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.”
Former MotoAmerica Mini Cup rider Mikey Lou Sanchez at the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event in Guadix, Spain. Photo courtesy of Mikey Lou Sanchez.
Mikey Lou Sanchez:
“It was a good experience. I had a great time, and I’m glad I was invited, even though I was not chosen this year. I’m going to keep working, I hope to be invited to try out again next year. I’m going to focus on getting the best results I can to finish out this year in the European Talent Cup.”
Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega topped Friday’s WorldSBK FP2 session at Estoril with a best lap of 1:35.778. ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team’s Toprak Razgatlioglu, bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team’s Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani, and Motocorsa Racing’s Ryan Vickers completed the top five.
Stefano Manzi (62) at Estoril. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Supersport crown caps Manzi’s journey before WorldSBK move in 2026.
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) has been crowned the 2025 FIM Supersport World Champion, securing the title with 2 races to go after a commanding campaign aboard the new Yamaha R9.
For Manzi, the title represents a career milestone after two runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024. The Italian has been a dominant force in 2025, scoring 10 victories and 18 podiums on his way to Championship glory.
Stefano Manzi. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing):
“It feels amazing to be World Champion. It’s difficult to find the words to describe it. After finishing second two years in a row, to finally win is incredible. It’s a lifetime of work, when you start riding young, you dream about this, and to achieve it is amazing.
The key moment for me was the difficult period when I crashed at Most and Misano. That was a wake-up call, reminding me that you are not unbeatable and must stay focused to win the title. From that moment, I worked hard, avoided repeating mistakes, and finally I can say I achieved it, it’s an incredible feeling.”
Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing Team. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Kervin Bos – Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing Team Manager:
“This has been a three-year project, and to win the championship now in the third year is unbelievable. It was even more special the way Stefano did it, because we all know how pressure affects riders, but he left all the pressure in the hotel and won the race to become Champion.
From the start of the season, we could see he had stepped up his game massively. His growth year after year has been amazing. Not just as a rider – in his first year he was already at a very high level – but he lacked consistency and workflow. There was also work to do on the mental side, and this year he made huge strides mentally, personally, and in performance. He’s now complete and ready for Superbike.”
RACING JOURNEY
Manzi began his career in the Italian Championship and JuniorGP before moving to the Moto3 World Championship in 2015 and then to Moto2 in 2017, where his highlights included a pole position and a fourth-place finish. He switched to WorldSSP in 2022 with Dynavolt Triumph, taking his first win at Portimao, before joining Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing and immediately establishing himself as a title contender. In 2025, he finally clinched the WorldSSP Championship title, solidifying his position as a top rider in the category.
With the 2025 crown, Manzi adds his name to the list of Supersport Champions and confirms his place among the most competitive riders in the paddock. Next season, he will step up to WorldSBK with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team.
Nicolo Bulega won World Superbike Race Two Sunday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R, the championship point leader won the 21-lap race by just 4.868 seconds.
Toprak Razgatlioglu was the runner-up on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR, and Bulega’s teammate, Alvaro Bautista was third.
Alex Lowes finished the race fourth on his Kawasaki Bimota KB998 Rimini.
Andrea Locatelli got fifth on his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF-R1.
Americans Garrett Gerloff finished 11th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and wildcard Bobby Fong got 18th on his Performance Attack Yamaha YZF-R1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu leads the championship with 580 points, 39 ahead of Nicolo Bulega who has 541 points. Danilo Petrucci is third with 292 points.
TITLE FIGHT ROLLS ON: Bulega beats Razgatlioglu in Race 2 at Estoril as Championship battles goes to Jerez. The #11 got a good start when lights went out and converted that into his sole win of the weekend, ensuring the title fight will be decided at the season finale.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed victory in Race 2 at the Circuito Estoril as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship concluded at the historic Portuguese venue. The #11 ensured the title battle will roll on to the season finale at Jerez next week with his 17th WorldSBK victory, as Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) came home in second for the EICMA Estoril Round.
BULEGA BATTLES TO P1: Victory for the #11, Razgatlioglu second
As in the previous two races, Razgatlioglu lost ground at the start of the race, dropping to fifth behind Bulega, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) and Bautista, moving ahead of the #19 to take P4 at Turn 1 on Lap 2. At Turn 6, ‘El Turco’ tried to pass Iannone but ‘The Maniac’ fought back; however, the #29 was given a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start. At Turn 9, Razgatlioglu was up to second after getting ahead of Locatelli and soon set his sights on Bulega, who was 1.4 seconds clear at the start of Lap 3. The pair traded similar lap times throughout the first quarter of the race, with the gap hovering at just over a second. On Lap 7, ‘Bulegas’ lapped four tenths quicker to open the gap to 1.5 seconds, appearing to put some breathing room between himself and the BMW rider. By the halfway mark, Bulega had extended the gap to over two seconds. While the gap did fluctuate a bit, Bulega went on to claim victory in Race 2, ensuring the title fight would go to the final round at Jerez.
BAUTISTA TAKES THREE P3S: A triple visit to the rostrum
The fight for third was another barnstorming battle, with Bautista slower in the first stages of the race and having to fend off his rivals. He had ‘Loka’ behind him at the start of Lap 5, who in turn was under pressure from Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), who forced his way ahead of the Yamaha rider at Turn 1. That order remained stable throughout the race with Bautista taking his third P3 finish of the weekend, which moved him into third in the Championship standings. Bulega’s victory and Bautista’s rostrum ensured Aruba.it Racing – Ducati wrapped up the Teams’ Championship for 2025. The #22 finished in fourth after losing time in the final stages to Bautista, with Locatelli claiming P5.
A BIG FIGHT INSIDE THE TOP TEN: Vierge claims sixth ahead of Gardner
Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) took the chequered flag in P6 as he finished as the only Honda rider in the top ten, finishing 1.4 seconds clear of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in seventh. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) ensured both Bimotas were inside the top ten as he finished in eighth, directly ahead of Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in ninth.
VAN DER MARK RESISTS GERLOFF: Scrapping for the top ten
Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had to fend off a hard-charging Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) to secure a finish in the top ten, eventually finishing just 0.128s clear of the Texan. Iannone battled back to 12th after his penalty, with ‘The Maniac’ initially dropping out of the points after his penalty. Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) was 13th ahead of Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), who rounded out the points-paying positions.
FINISHING THE RACE: Narrowly missing out on P15
Tito Rabat (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) narrowly missed out on P15 as he finished half-a-second down on Montella, while he had a 12-second margin to wildcard Tetsuta Nagashima (Honda HRC) in 17th. Bobby Fong (Attack Performance Yamaha Racing) was the last classified rider in 18th place.
RETIRING FROM RACE 2: Four riders don’t finish
Michael Rinaldi (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was the first rider to drop out of the race when he crashed at Turn 7, retiring from the race. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) crashed out of the race at Turn 7 on Lap 13. Meanwhile, home hero Ivo Lopes (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) retired in the early stages of Race 2. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM BONOVO Action) was a faller in the final few laps when he came down at Turn 1.
Stefano Manzi won FIM Supersport World Championship Race Two Sunday afternoon at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. The Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF-R9 rider won the 18-lap race by 2.599 secondS and became the 2025 WorldSSP Champion – the first ever to conquer the crown with the Yamaha R9.
Philipp Oettl was second on his Feel Racing Ducati Panigale V2, and Jeremy Alcoba got third on his Kawasaki ZX-6R 636.
Former MotoAmerica regular Valentin Debise suffered a mechanical issue on his Renzi Corse Ducati Panigale V2 and didn’t finish the race.
Stefano Manzi leads the championship with 425 points, 82 ahead of Can Oncu who has 343 points. Tom Booth-Amos is third with 233 points.
Toprak Razgatlioglu won the World Superbike Superpole Race Sunday morning at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR, the 2024 WorldSuperbike Champion won the 10-lap race by 0.545 second.
Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, and his teammate, Alvaro Bautista was third, 8.942 seconds behind the race winner.
Andrea Locatelli finished fourth on his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF R1.
Andrea Iannone got fifth on his Team Pata go Eleven Ducati Panigale V4R.
Americans Garrett Gerloff finished 12th on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and Bobby Fong was 18th on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF R1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu leads the championship with 560 points, 44 ahead of Nicolo Bulega who has 516 points. Danilo Petrucci is third with 284 points.
DOUBLING UP: Razgatlioglu claims Superpole Race honours ahead of Bulega, Bautista resists challenges for P3. ‘El Turco’ made it two from two at Estoril by beating title rival Bulega by half-a-second in the 10-lap Superpole Race.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took another step towards this year’s title in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with his second win of the EICMA Estoril Round. He fended off Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to claim the 21st win of his 2025 season and gain another three points on ‘Bulegas’. It means Razgatlioglu has the chance to wrap up the title in Race 2; he will be crowned Champion if he outscores the #11 by 18 points.
FIGHTING FOR VICTORY: Razgatlioglu vs Bulega once again
Bulega got the holeshot for the 10-lap race, before Razgatlioglu dropped down to third behind Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). He was soon ahead of the #19 at Turn 6 on the opening lap, before passing Bulega at Turn 1 on Lap 2. At Turn 6, ‘El Turco’ ran wide and briefly claimed the lead, for just one corner at Turn 7; they then swapped again at Turn 9 but the #1 held position. Bulega tried to respond at Turn 1 but Razgatlioglu held on, before building a gap over his title rival. The gap stabilised until the second half of the race, when ‘Bulegas’ started crawling all over Razgatlioglu. However, the BMW rider soon maintained the gap to claim victory on Sunday morning and move another step closer to this year’s title.
BATTLING FOR THE PODIUM: Bautista just holds on…
The fight for the final front row spot in Race 2 went all the way to the wire. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) held on to claim P3 ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), although he spent the start of the race fending off Locatelli’s teammate, Jonathan Rea. The #65 was hounding the #19 before Locatelli got ahead at Turn 1 at Lap 5. However, Rea’s hopes of a second row start in Race 2 ended when he crashed at Turn 7 from P5. Bautista claimed third to secure a front row start this afternoon.
STARTING RACE 2 FROM ROW 2: Locatelli from P4, Iannone fights to P5
Locatelli withstood a late charge from Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) to claim P4, with ‘The Maniac’ forced to settle for fifth despite pulling off another charge through the field. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) had been challenging Locatelli for fourth heading onto the final lap, but he crashed while trying to pass the #55, dropping him down to 15th. The second row will be completed by Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who had to fend off Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) – who used the SCQ tyre – to secure a P6 finish and put him in a strong position for this afternoon.
RACE 2’S ROW THREE: Vierge leads Bassani and van der Mark
Vierge will instead go from the third row after his P7 finish, with Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) in eighth place; gaining one position after his teammate’s fall. The third row in Race 2 will be completed by Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who came home in ninth.
The top nine from the Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.545s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +8.942s
World Superbike race start at Estoril. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Toprak Razgatlioglu won FIM Superbike World Championship Race One Saturday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Razgatlioglu started from pole position and rode his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR to a 1.948-second margin of victory in the 20-lap race.
Nicolo Bulega was the runner-up on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R and his teammate Alvaro Bautista crossed the finish line third.
Andrea Locatelli went from 8th on the grid to 4th at the finish on his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF R1.
Alex Lowes was fifth on his Kawasaki Bimota KB998 Rimini.
Americans Garrett Gerloff went from 13th on the grid to 10th at the finish on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and wildcard Bobby Fong finished 17th on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF R1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu leads the championship with 548 points, 41 ahead of Nicolo Bulega who has 507 points. Danilo Petrucci is third with 284 points.
DRAMA AT ESTORIL: Razgatlioglu beats Bulega in red-flagged Race 1 at Estoril as Bautista completes podium. The reigning Champion strengthened his grip on the title race with a commanding Race 1 victory at Estoril.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed a hard-fought victory in Race 1 at the Circuito Estoril after dropping to fifth on the opening lap, before fighting his way back into the lead. ‘El Turco’ gained five points on title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) during the opening duel for the EICMA Estoril Round after ‘Bulegas’ finished in second place in a red-flagged race.
THE ORIGINAL START: Red flag after five-rider crash at Turn 1
The race was red flagged after a Turn 1 pile-up. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) lost the front at Turn 1 and left riders behind him with nowhere to go, with Tetsuta Nagashima (Honda HRC), Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) all going down, while Tarran Mackenzie (MGM BONOVO Action) took a big hit to his right side but kept his Ducati upright. With the red flag thrown before Lap 1, it was a complete restart, with all five riders involved taking the restart, based on the original grid positions over a 20-lap distance.
RAZGATLIOGLU FIGHTS BACK AND BOLTS: From P5 on Lap 1 to the lead
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) got a stunning start when lights went out to leap from third to first, ahead of teammate Bulega, while Razgatlioglu dropped down to P5. He soon got ahead of Pata Maxus Yamaha duo Jonathan Rea and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) to move into P3, before passing the #11 at Turn 8 for P2 on Lap 2. At the start of Lap 3, ‘El Turco’ outbraked Bautista at Turn 1 move into the lead and he immediately pulled out a gap over Bautista. On the third lap, Bulega moved ahead of Bautista at Turn 6, which left the #19 vulnerable to Rea behind. However, no one was able to match Razgatlioglu’s pace, as he stormed to victory in Portugal ahead of Bulega. Over the second half of the race, Bulega started closing the gap on Razgatlioglu, who made the switch from the SC2 to the SC1 front tyre during the red flag stoppage. Heading into the final quarter, ‘El Turco’ started pulling a gap over ‘Bulegas’ once again as he managed the final few laps to claim a valuable victory. It was Razgatlioglu’s 20th win of the season, while Bulega took the 51st rostrum of his career.
FIGHTING FOR THIRD: Rea takes the battle to Bautista for the rostrum
Bautista and Rea continued their duel for third in the first half of the race, with Rea looking faster than the Ducati rider but unable to pass his old nemesis. A mistake from Rea on Lap 8 at Turn 1, where he ran wide, dropped him a few tenths behind the Spaniard. However, he was able to recover that gap over the course of the lap. On Lap 12, Rea took advantage of a Bautista error to be all over the Ducati rider, while Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was now in the fight for P3. Two laps later and Bautista had built his gap over again to take his 16th rostrum of the year. Lowes got ahead of Rea on Lap 15 at Turn 1, before teammate Locatelli followed him straight through to demote the #65 into P6. On Lap 16, ‘Loka’ moved ahead of Lowes to claim P4 at Turn 1, with the #22 finishing P5 and Rea in P6, after fending off Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) and Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) in seventh and eighth respectively.
SCORING POINTS: Gerloff rounds out top 10, Bassani bounces back from crash for P11
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished around two seconds down on Iannone ahead to finish in P9, while Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) claimed tenth as he climbed up the order from his starting position. Bassani was 11th, two seconds clear of Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) in 12thas the Brit finished inside the points. Tito Rabat (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was 13th with Mackenzie and van der Mark rounding out the points-paying positions. Nagashima was four seconds down on van der Mark as he finished in 16th, ahead of wildcard Bobby Fong (Attack Performance Yamaha Racing) in 17th. Local rider Ivo Lopes (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) was the last finisher in 18th.
TO NOTE: Three retirements, ‘Petrux’ takes Top Independent Rider in 2025
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) retired from the race after a Lap 1 crash at Turn 6 while Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) crashed out of the race on Lap 3 at Turn 3 with the Spaniard sliding out of contention as he made his comeback from injury at Estoril. Sofuoglu was ordered to leave the track with a technical problem which forced him out of the race. Michael Rinaldi (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) did not take part in Race 1 after being declared unfit for Saturday after Tissot Superpole; the #12 has been suffering from gastroenteritis.
Elsewhere, with both Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) both declared unfit ahead of Race 1, ‘Petrux’ was officially declared as the Top Independent Rider for 20205.
The top six from WorldSBK Race 1, full results here:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.948s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +14.729s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +16.563s
5. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +17.044s
6. Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +18.575s
Fastest Lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW) – 1’35.632s
Stefano Manzi (62) and Can Oncu (61) at Estoril. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Valentin Debise won FIM Supersport World Championship Race One Saturday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his Renzi Corse Ducati Panigale V2, the Frenchman won the 18-lap race by 0.440 second.
Stefano Manzi was the runner-up on his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing YZF- R9, just 0.374 second ahead of third-place finisher Can Oncu, who rode a BluCru Evan Bros Yamaha YZF-R9.
Stefano Manzi leads the championship with 400 points, 64 ahead of Can Oncu who has 336 points. Jaume Masia is third with 227 points.
INSTANT CLASSIC: Debise defeats Manzi after #62 fights back from P13, Oncu takes title fight to Sunday. The table is set for a Race 2 coronation after a firecracker of a Race 1 contest.
In the FIM Supersport World Championship’s EICMA Estoril Round, Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) and his Ducati V2 kept to their recent winning ways. He has caught fire in the last two rounds in Iberia as Race 1 at the Circuito Estoril saw him outpace both title heavyweights to win his second career WorldSSP race. Crossing the line in P2, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) beat out his title rival Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team), all but assuring the title will be his on Sunday, provided he doesn’t lose more than 14 points to Oncu in Race 2
DEBISE DOUBLES UP IN 2025: Two wins in three races for the French rider
Oncu protected his pole starting position by claiming the holeshot. Leading the race through the first lap, his title rival Manzi had already climbed up eight positions into P5 by the start of Lap 2. The title rivals clashed for P1 throughout the race; however, it was Debise who emerged victorious. The Frenchman scrapped with Oncu for P1 at the start of the race, even carving out a margin of a quarter of a second ahead of the Championship rivals as they sparred for P2 behind him. As the #61 and #62 fought in each corner, Debise increased his gap at the front, pulling away to win with nearly a half-second margin behind him. Manzi increased his title lead by four points to a total of 64 points thanks to his P2 over Oncu. With this result, Manzi is on track to be crowned WorldSSP Champion after Race 2 as long as there are no Sunday surprises.
OETTL MAKES IT THREE P4’S IN A ROW: The #65 picks up where he left off from Aragon
Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) fought at the front in the early running; however, by Lap 8, he had fallen to the back of the lead group in P5. The German righted the ship and maintained his pace to achieve a P4 finish. Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) remained within visual range of the lead group; however, he lacked the several tenths of a second to close the gap and fight in earnest with the lead group, finishing in his same start position of P5. Alberto Surra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) was tailing his teammate Oncu in the podium fight early on. Surra’s grip wore down as the laps piled up, and the Italian ended up crossing the line in P6.
ALCOBA’S RECOVERY RUN: The Spanish rookie improved his P24 start to a P7 finish
Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) did well to gain positions to ride in P7 after his P10 grid start position; however, a late crash on Lap 16 saw the Brit hit the gravel, ending his race. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) got his Kawasaki ZX-6R 636 into the top eight after starting mired down in P24, and after Booth-Amos’s misfortune, he gained his spot to finish in P7. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) recovered from his P15 start position to finish P8. Raffaele de Rosa (QJMOTOR Factory Racing) continued his impressive Estoril form, holding onto his top 10 pace to place P9. Finishing off the top ten, Andorran rider Xavi Cardelus (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) took home P10 in Race 1.
Toprak Razgatlioglu took pole position during World Superbike Superpole qualifying Saturday at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his ROKIT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR on Pireili control tires, the Turkish rider recorded a lap time of 1:34.203, which was not only good enough to top the 22-rider field and secure pole position it also eclipsed his own 2025 All-Time Lap Record of 1:35.202 he set this morning during FP3.
Nicolo Bulega qualified second with a 1:34.549 on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R.
His teammate, Alvaro Bautista did a 1:35.163 to earn the third and final spot on the front row.
Row two starters include Kawasaki Bimota’s Alex Lowes (1:35.198), Honda HRC’s Xavi Vierge (1:35.255), and Pata Maxus Yamaha’s Jonathan Rea (1:35.277).
Americans Garrett Gerloff qualified 13th with a 1:35.827 on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and wildcard Bobby Fong was 21st with a lap time of 1:37.426 on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF R1.
TAKING POLE IN STYLE: Razgatlioglu takes P1 in Superpole after destroying lap record, Bulega P2. ‘El Turco’ was a second quicker than his own lap record from FP3 as he claimed the 24th WorldSBK pole of his career.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was virtually unbeatable in the Tissot Superpole session at the Circuito Estoril after setting an incredible 1’34.203s to claim pole for the EICMA Estoril Round. ‘El Turco’ was a second quicker than his own FP3 lap record, and more than a second faster from the 2022 pole lap record, as he beat title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to P1 in Portugal.
THE FIRST RUN: Razgatlioglu obliterates his own lap record
Razgatlioglu continued where he finished FP3 by smashing the all-time lap record on his first lap in Superpole, with a 1’34.743s to lay down a marker, before going even faster on his second run with a 1’34.669s. That left him with a six tenths advantage over Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in second, who was a tenth clear of teammate Alvaro Bautista after the first runs had been completed.
BULEGA RESPONDS, RAZGATLIOGLU ON TOP: Stunning lap records from both…
Bulega was the first of the two title contenders to head out for his second run, with Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) following the #11. Bulega went into a provisional pole position with a 1’34.549s, giving ‘El Turco’ a marker which the #1 used to full advantage, setting a 1’34.203s – more than a second quicker than the 2022 pole lap record as he secured pole at the Circuito Estoril, more than three tenths clear of Bulega – using the harder SC2 front tyre. Bautista completed the front row with a 1’35.163s to put the #19 in a great position to fight Bulega and Razgatlioglu when lights go out for the races. It’s Razgatlioglu’s 24th pole in WorldSBK and he becomes the first rider to take three poles at Estoril, while Bautista returned to the top three for the first time since Aragon 2024; a wait of 377 days.
ON THE SECOND ROW: Bimota, Honda and Yamaha
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) continued Bimota’s fine Estoril form as he took P4 with a 1’35.198s with the #22 showing good race pace in Friday’s practice session. Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) will go from the second row in P5 after lapping a second off Razgatlioglu’s time while Rea will go from sixth after setting a 1’35.277s while following Bulega. Rea arguably enjoyed his best Yamaha weekend of 2024 at Estoril last year and will hope he’s in the podium battle.
GARDNER SHINES AT ESTORIL: P7 for the Australian, Bassani lines up ninth
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) lines up just behind Rea in P7, after lapping a tenth off the #65, while Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) makes it three Yamahas in a row with P8. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) put the second Bimota on the third row after setting a 1’35.438s while Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) rounded out the top ten.
The top six from Tissot Superpole, full results here:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’34.203s
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.346s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.960s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.995s
Toprak Razgatlioglu (1) on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR at Estoril. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Toprak Razgatlioglu was fastest during World Superbike FP3 Saturday morning at Circuito Estoril, in Portugal. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR on Pirelli control tires, the Turkish rider recorded a lap time of 1:35.202, which was not only good enough to top the 22-rider it also eclipsed Jonathan Rea’s 2022 All-Time Lap Record of 1:35.346.
Sam Lowes finished the session second with a 1:35.560 on his ELF Marc VDS Racing Ducati Panigale V4R.
Remy Gardner did a 1:35.570 on his GYTR GRT Yamaha YZF R1 to earn the third and final spot on the front row.
Americans Garrett Gerloff got 13th with a 1:35.991 on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR and wildcard Bobby Fong was 22nd with a lap time of 1:38.558 on his Attack Performance Yamaha YZF R1.
Razgatlioglu blitzes Estoril lap record to claim P1 in FP3, four manufacturers in the top four. The Championship leader was a few tenths quicker than Bulega’s FP2 efforts as he set the fastest lap of the weekend so far.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) set the pace on Saturday morning as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship took to the Circuito Estoril for Free Practice 3. The BMW star was more than three tenths clear of his nearest rival in the final practice session for the EICMA Estoril Round, while title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fifth; the #11 did improve on his Friday time.
Razgatlioglu was quickest out of the blocks to set an early 1’35.303s, comfortably the fastest time of the weekend and four tenths quicker than Bulega’s FP2 effort. It was also faster than the all-time lap record by four hundredths of a second, before he improved to a 1’35.202s a lap later as he put in consistent and fast lap times in the 20-minute session. That left Razgatlioglu clear at the top and the initial nine-tenths gap to P2 did come down throughout FP3, with Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) claiming second place with a 1’35.560s and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) completing the top three, just 0.010s behind the #14.
Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was quick on Friday and continued that on Saturday with fourth in Free Practice 3 after posting a 1’35.588s as he ensured four different manufacturers were in the top four. Bulega secured fifth, four tenths down on the #1, with Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) rounding out the top six; he was just 0.003s down on the #11 in P5.
Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) ensured both Bimota KB998 Rimini machines were in the top seven as he lapped 0.454s down on Razgatlioglu, but just over half-a-tenth slower than his teammate in fourth. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was eighth ahead of Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with the two Spaniards rounding out the top ten.
MotoAmerica Talent Cup riders, from left, Ella Dreher, Bodie Paige, Kensei Matsudaira, ands Hank Vossberg. Photo courtesy of Ella Dreher.
By Sean Bice
Let’s face it, the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event is a brutal process, especially for teenagers who already have to deal with the dreaded teenage angst. The pool of talent is literally as big as the world itself because the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup is a World Championship, and only 113 riders from around the globe were chosen to participate in the Event.
Of that 113, eight of the riders chosen were either American or have been racing on American soil. And, of those eight, seven of them—Hank Vossberg, Ella Dreher, Bodie Paige, Kensei Matsudaira, Mikey Lou Sanchez, Mahdi Salem, and Joshua Raymond Jr.—made it through the first cutdown, which winnowed the field of 113 young athletes to just 56.
That was tough enough, but it got exponentially tougher on final day of the Selection Event. Of the 56 finalists, only eight riders were chosen to become part of the 20th edition of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.
I’ll say it: we had seven riders among that final group of 56. The chances seemed pretty good that at least one of our seven would be chosen among the eight. Nope, it didn’t happen. Am I bitter? Yup, I sure am. I’ll bet a lot of people who’ve been following this process are bitter. But the seven MotoAmerica kids aren’t. By all accounts, they loved the experience.
“What a week,”commented Vossberg. “It was my first time ever out of the country and longest time away from home. We started last week training with one of the best coaches out there. Sergio Gadea helped us prepare for the Rookies Cup. Rookies Cup was a whole experience in itself. We had two sessions each day, and each session, I was able to improve my lap times, my lines, and my confidence on the bike, it being my first time on one. I was chosen, along with all the other MotoAmerica Talent Cup riders to move onto the third day! On the last day of riding, I went faster and improved more, but I know I have a lot to work on before Rookies Cup.
“I want to thank my Mom and Dad for supporting me on this journey, I couldn’t have done it without them. Thank you to MotoAmerica for giving me and many other riders this chance to elevate our racing career! Thank you to all the filmers, Steve Radley and Federico Sarria, and everyone else who was a part of putting together the awesome show Generation Speed!
“Everyone else that supported me this season, thank you!”
Dreher said, “What an awesome couple weeks here in Spain. We started off at Aspar Circuit doing some training for five days and getting some super knowledgeable info and coaching from Sergio Gadea. We came into the Selection Event super positive and knew what to expect. I made it to the third day, which kept my hopes high. It was definitely nerve-racking sitting listening to names be called. Sadly, I did not get in, but it was quite the experience riding with the fastest riders out there. I’m going to take what I learned back to the U.S and come back stronger.
“Thank you to John Ludwig for everything you have done, and of course, for dealing with me for 3 weeks. 😂 And my madré Michelle Skradski missing me tons for doing what I love. ❤️ Thank you to Sergio Gadea for his coaching. It definitely helped tremendously and guided me in the direction of being the best.”
“Last but not least, thank you to Sullivan Mounsey for the advice (during) the couple weeks we had over here. Also, don’t forget ping-pong.😉“
More, from a news release issued by MotoAmerica:
Bodie Paige was one of two Australians who competed in the 2025 Parts Unlimited Talent Cup By Motul Championship. Photo courtesy of Bodie Paige.
By Sean Bice
Bodie Paige:
“That’s a wrap on the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event. I want to thank all of them for this amazing experience and opportunity. I am very happy to have made it through to the final day and my performance over the last two days. I will take the positives away and come back hope to come back even stronger next year.
“Congratulations to my fellow Australian compatriot Archie Schmidt and all the other successful riders for being selected for the 2026 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season.
“It’s time to get back to work. Next stop, the U.S.!”
Josh Raymond with the KTM RC 250 R he rode during the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event. Photo courtesy of Joshua Raymond Jr.
Joshua Raymond Jr.:
“When you have over 100 of the fastest kids in the world competing for only 8 open spots, it really makes everyone up their game. The Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event is a great time. I improved with every lap, and I made it to the final day, which is a huge accomplishment.”
Kensei Matsudaira with his good friend and 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Toni Elias. Photo courtesy of Kensei Matsudaira.
Kensei Matsudaira:
“Trying out for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup was a great experience, even though I wasn’t one of the selected riders this year. I’ve raced with many of those who were selected, and they were simply on another level. I know where I need to be next year, but honestly nothing really changes for me since the goal has always been to be able to fight for wins and championships at the highest level in Europe. I’ll be continuing to train here in Spain until the end of the year and finishing the season with my last race in the European Talent Cup at Valencia where, hopefully, I’ll be able to take another step forward toward my goals.
“Big thank you to MotoAmerica, Wayne Rainey, Chuck Aksland, and Roadracing World for supporting me in my journey from the US. It was an honor to be one of the riders representing the U.S. at the Rookies Cup Selection Event, and I’m looking forward to doing the same at the FIM MiniGP World Final coming up in November at Valencia.”
Mahdi Salem is one of the fast, young road racers from New Jersey. Photo courtesy of Mahdi Salem.
Mahdi Salem:
“Made it all the way to the final day and left it all on track. Didn’t get the spot this first year, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and this is just the beginning. Congrats to my friends Travis Borg (Malta) and Afonso Almeida (Portugal) for making it into the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.”
Former MotoAmerica Mini Cup rider Mikey Lou Sanchez at the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Selection Event in Guadix, Spain. Photo courtesy of Mikey Lou Sanchez.
Mikey Lou Sanchez:
“It was a good experience. I had a great time, and I’m glad I was invited, even though I was not chosen this year. I’m going to keep working, I hope to be invited to try out again next year. I’m going to focus on getting the best results I can to finish out this year in the European Talent Cup.”
Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega topped Friday’s WorldSBK FP2 session at Estoril with a best lap of 1:35.778. ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team’s Toprak Razgatlioglu, bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team’s Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani, and Motocorsa Racing’s Ryan Vickers completed the top five.
A “press release” is promotional text issued by a rider, team, company or organization to inform
the public about an event, product, or service from the issuer’s own point of view, and if deemed
to have news value, may be placed on roadracingworld.com as a service to our readers.
A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.
Accessibility
Accessibility modes
Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
October 22, 2025
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
