WorldSBK 2025
Round Four – Cremona – Sunday
WorldSBK Riders Reflect on Cremona
In championship points order
Nicolo Bulega – 198 points
“If I had been told a few days ago that I would win three races here in Cremona I wouldn’t have believed it! Winning at this track, my worst track, is something I couldn’t imagine. I want to say thank you to all the Italian fans who came to support us. It’s really special to win here in Italy, in front of so many Italians. This has been my most difficult circuit, and I still can’t believe I managed a hat-trick here. At the start of the season I was thinking that ‘I don’t want to go to Cremona, and now… I’ve taken three wins here. Toprak is always very strong, especially at Most, so I don’t have a specific plan going into that round other than to give 100% and try to beat him. And if I can’t beat him, I’ll try to stay as close as possible.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu – 164 points
“I tried to battle with Nicolo but he had a really strong pace. The Ducati is very fast on this track. Congratulations to Nicolo and the Ducati riders because they’ve been very strong this weekend. I pushed so hard and I gave my best in each race. I’m always trying to improve to fight for the win but P2 is better than nothing. I’m happy. I want to thank my team because they did an incredible job this weekend. We improved a lot from Friday and we’ll see what happens in Most. I’m ready to fight for the win again. Thank you very much.”
Alvaro Bautista – 125 points
“It’s nice to be back on the podium, especially after how the weekend started on Friday. I’m happy because I’ve improved my feeling with the bike, and my pace today was better than yesterday’s. We made progress on Saturday and today we took another step forward. It wasn’t enough to fight with Toprak and Nicolo, but at least we’re closing the gap, and I’m happy about that. It’s always a pleasure to race here in Italy with all these fans.”
Andrea Locatelli – 118 points
“It was a really difficult weekend for us, unfortunately we did not take any good results here in Cremona. We were fighting to start from further back on the grid – but it does not matter about this because also when I made a great start in Race 2 it was difficult to stay there. We need to look at what happened and how to improve because I was fighting a lot with a big, big vibration this morning and all Sunday. Now, I am looking forward and don’t think too much about the missed opportunity – it was a big shame to not be faster, after the good events like Portimao and Assen, I was expecting that also here we could be fast. Sometimes in the racing life this happens! Keep pushing and we try to arrive in Most ready to fight again to go on the podium, this is the target.”
Danilo Petrucci – 107 points
“This morning in the Superpole Race I managed to recover several positions, which allowed me to start well in Race 2. The top three had another pace, but we’re really happy with fourth place and the top independent rider title. I’m still not fully exploiting the potential of the new rear tyre, it sometimes puts me in trouble, but I need to learn how to manage it. Anyway, we had a faster pace than last year.”
Andrea Iannone – 68 points
“Unfortunately today it didn’t go as we hoped; in SP Race I had a good pace and I was trying to close on Alvaro, maybe I could have reached him, but I was penalized for a millimetric Jump Start, thus having to lose a lot of time. In race 2, however, I struggled a lot with the front, in the left turns it always tended to close and we didn’t find a solution that could help us. I tried to defend myself, but I couldn’t keep my pace, thus also suffering the attacks. In the final I lost a bit of time in the battle and I tried to bring home the race in the points zone anyway. I’m sorry to end the Cremona weekend like this, but now we have to focus on the next Round in Most, where last year I got a podium.”
Xavi Vierge – 62 points
“Let’s say I’m happy overall with the weekend. I think we did a good job. This year, it seems like we’ve often managed to perform well on Saturdays, and less so on Sundays, but this time we were strong on Sunday too. So in the end, we wrapped up a solid weekend, working very well as a team. Even if it was just small details, we kept making adjustments to the bike throughout the weekend and always in the right direction, so I have to thank my team for that. The Superpole Race was good – I made a strong start and was able to fight inside the top five again. And Race 2 was also very positive, as I made another good start and was able to stick with the front group. I tried to push with them and break away from the pack behind, and I managed to do that. Unfortunately, I worked the tyres hard over the last seven or eight laps, and at the end I didn’t have anything left. I tried to fight for the top five, but it just wasn’t possible. Still, I think it was a solid weekend. We scored a lot of points for the championship and we’re on a good path.”
Michael van der Mark – 54 points
“We had a consistent weekend. We improved quite a lot but on this track it is so hard to overtake as everyone is doing the same pace. Our pace in every race has been good but track position is very important – and we were a bit unlucky in terms of position in every race actually. We scored some good points but for sure we want to fight for at least top-five. So we have to improve the package. But Most is a different track and i am sure we will do better there.”
Remy Gardner – 49 points
“Not the Sunday we were hoping for, but there are still positives to take. I had a great start in the Superpole Race but got tangled with another rider and lost a few places. My pace was decent, just not enough to crack the top nine, so I had to start Race 2 from tenth. It wasn’t ideal starting from there, but I still managed to maintain strong, consistent speed. We’ll keep pushing to improve and hopefully carry this momentum into the next round in Most — a track where I’ve been strong in the past.”
Axel Bassani – 49 points
“Sunday in Cremona has been a really difficult day, which can happen. Starting in warm-up this morning, I did quite a good lap, but the feeling with the bike set-up was not really good. In the Superpole race, I had big problems to stop the bike, so I started to lose a lot of positions. In the short races, when you are not OK, you are all together, so it is really easy to lose positions. In Race Two, I started to have problems with the rear and the front. I tried to control it and rode to the end, but the feeling was not really good. I think it was not a good day, which can happen in life. For sure, one day does not define who you are, but it is part of the game. See you at the next race.”
Iker Lecuona – 44 points
“Finally, I’m happy, really happy, with at least one of my races here in Cremona. This morning, in the warm-up, the track conditions had changed a lot and I didn’t feel very comfortable on the bike, nor in the Superpole Race. I had a big moment on the first lap when van der Mark hit me really hard, and I lost several positions. I dropped from P6 or P7 down to P13. I managed to work by way back to tenth, but then I crashed because I was simply overriding. After that, it became difficult for me as I lost a bit of focus and got frustrated. But I’m also proud because I was able to reset and go into Race 2 with a clear mind. The team really helped me, not only by supporting me in every moment, but also by quickly repairing all the bikes I destroyed! My start in Race 2 was horrible. I found myself in P13 in the first sector. But I told myself: ‘No way.’ I took my time, properly warmed up the rear tyre, and then started to push. My pace actually surprised me. Even over the last four laps, I was still lapping in the 29.7-29.8 range and overtaking a lot of riders. I really enjoyed it. I reached P5 on the penultimate lap. It’s true that Sam overtook me on the last lap, but that’s okay. It was a good battle. He even came up to me after the race and we joked about that move. When he passed me, he expected me to try something through Turn 13, so he just shut the door. Anyway, it was fun. I’m happy to finish P6 and with such strong pace. Now let’s focus on the next one. I can’t promise I won’t make mistakes — no rider can — but I can promise I’ll keep trying to have more races like today, enjoying myself and giving something to the fans too.”
Alex Lowes – 44 points
“It was fantastic to race the bimota KB998 Rimini for the first time in front of the Italian fans. Obviously, we would have liked to have finished a bit further up, but the final race of the weekend was pretty good. Starting from 16th place, you have to have a bit of luck in the first laps to get a good track position. But, I rode the whole race the best I could. I was feeling strong and I managed to gain four or five places. My best lap was actually the last lap. The feeling on the front was a good step compared to yesterday. I keep saying this, but it is so tight in WorldSBK now that you need a perfect weekend to qualify well, start in that position and fight for the top five. On the first weekend here with the new bike, we were on the back foot a little bit. Hopefully, in the next races we can start Friday Free Practice a bit stronger. But, we made progress all weekend here and that is all that you can do.”
Dominique Aegerter – 41 points
“A tough Sunday overall. I gave it everything in the Superpole Race to break into the top nine, but although my pace wasn’t bad, we had to settle for 13th. We went into Race 2 feeling confident and I managed to stay with the group early on. Unfortunately, I crashed and lost the chance to fight further, but after rejoining, my pace was encouraging. We’ll keep working hard to improve and get back to battling at the front.”
Yari Montella – 22 points
“I’m sorry for how things went today. We had solved some issues, were finding consistency and good pace, and I want to thank the team for that. In Race 2 I started aware of the package I had, and we were having a good race in a competitive group. Unfortunately, in the final laps I started to feel pain in my forearm, which held me back, and I’m really sorry about that. We’ll keep going on this path, just like we did this weekend, regaining a solid pace.”
Garrett Gerloff – 19 points
“It was a really good final day at Cremona in the end. We are still far back from where we would like to be, but at the very least, we are racing with other guys and making passes. I am there more than in the last couple of races. We are making progress, but it is not showing 100% in the results yet – but we are making progress. I am happy today and thanks to the team for all the hard work. I am looking forward to some time off, and then we will be back at Most soon.”
Tarran Mackenzie – 9 ponts
“I’m just happy to walk away in one piece, particularly after a very fast crash in this morning’s Superpole race. Friday afternoon seemed quite positive but then I just struggled with the feeling all weekend really. It wasn’t the smoothest of rounds, but we kept trying right until the end. Even in race 2, I was a bit battered and bruised but gritted my teeth and the pace was good up until the crash. I don’t feel overly comfortable on the bike so to be just off the back of the points group is positive going forward, I think. Next up is Most – I’ve not ridden the Superbike there before but if we can find good feeling right away like we did at Assen, then hopefully we can have a good weekend.”
Zaqhwan Zaidi – 0 points
“Overall, I think we’ve taken a step today, making progress and improving on our lap times by almost one second. I think the feeling is getting better and I understand how I need to change my riding style in order to ride the bike effectively. We need to keep working hard to achieve our target, but I feel that race by race we’re gradually improving. Hopefully I can be stronger again at the next round, and in the meantime, I’ll keep working. We’ve done our best and will try to do more next time. Thanks to the team, they’ve done a great job here, and thanks to everybody who supports us. I’m looking forward to the next round.”
Jonathan Rea – 0 points
“It’s been a tougher weekend than I expected, but I knew we had to start somewhere. The target of the weekend in my own mind was just to try and commit to racing, get passed fit and do my best to complete all three races with no mistakes. We completed that target, of course I wasn’t as competitive as I wanted to be, but considering I was only fully weight-bearing and walking without my air boot three weeks ago I can accept that. Coming back at Cremona, a track I didn’t race at last year and also super physical, I suffered more in my upper body than I did in my foot to be honest, because I was compensating quite a lot riding with my arms instead of my legs. Even though the bike didn’t feel perfect, the team have done everything to try to make me more comfortable and encourage me through this difficult weekend. I have no doubt better days are coming! It was always going to be a process whether I came back here or came back in Most, so today’s “weekend one” and hopefully we can get on a roll forward from this point.”
Team Managers
Marco Barnabò – Barni Ducati Team Principal
“An important day for Danilo, which to me is worth as much as a victory. Congratulations to him and the whole team for the work done. They found the right solution despite the difficulties with the new rear tyre. Montella was having a good top-10 race before his forearm started giving him trouble. Still, I’m satisfied, we’re improving and working well towards the next races. We’d also like to thank our sponsors, who came in large numbers for this home round. It was a real pleasure to welcome them and let them experience this event.”
Denis Sacchetti – GoEleven Team Manager
“I’m very disappointed about today’s two races; this morning Andrea was fast and was trying to fight for the podium, when this opportunity was taken away from him due to a really light Jump start, so much so that we hadn’t even seen it in person. We still finished eighth, limiting the damage. In the afternoon, however, we immediately start struggling with the front and in braking, and we had no rhythm; towards the middle of the race Andrea managed to do two excellent laps in the 29 and a half, but then he had to raise the pace again to not lose the front. It’s a shame not to fully exploit the potential, here we had the speed and were looking for a consistent weekend; we had a good Saturday but we were missing Sunday. Now we move to Most with the aim of finding the consistency to fight at the front!”
Sven Blusch – Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport
“We can be very proud of the team’s performance over the past weeks. You can see how hard we are fighting to get back to the top. After Assen, we have made a significant step forward and are more consistent. Toprak is right behind Bulega – we have already left the rest of the field behind us, which is crucial for us. We have closed the gap and can continue to work in the same way. Positive signs are also visible with Mikey. On the short track, everything was incredibly tight, a tenth faster in qualifying and the whole weekend would have looked different. He continues to work on his riding style to be fast as well. Overall, we definitely had a positive weekend. We look forward with confidence and will continue to give everything so that we will soon be back at the top again.”
Christian Gonschor – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Technical Director
“It was literally a hot race. Even though the results might not fully reflect it, Mickey’s performance was very strong. In qualifying, he was less than a tenth away from fifth place, so a P5 pace was evident both in qualifying and in the races. However, the track is very peculiar and offers very few overtaking opportunities, which made it difficult for him to move forward. Generally, the pace was higher than the race result indicates. Consequently, the weekend was very satisfying. Toprak maximised the high track temperatures and proved with his three second-places that we continue to be competitive and that our package is podium-capable this year as well. To become victory-capable, we still need to find a bit more. We continue to work intensively on this. But Toprak is giving his all, the BMW is giving its all, the team has continued to work hard and made no mistakes. We have improved from session to session in lap times and performance, the gaps have been getting smaller. Overall, it was a very successful race weekend.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Maxus Yamaha:
“The level of WorldSBK is so high that you can’t afford any compromises in order to be competitive – and this weekend, unfortunately we didn’t find a sweet spot to be able to run in front as we did in Assen. The difficulties more or less started in qualifying, when Andrea missed the opportunity to put the bike on the first two rows, and on top of that we faced some unexpected problems during the races that restricted his performance and meant he couldn’t ride in his usual aggressive way to exploit the full potential of the R1. Two reasonable points finishes on Sunday see him still close to third position in the championship and Most was a podium-scoring circuit for us last year, so we’ll work hard to diagnose the problems and look forward to racing in the Czech Republic. For JR, this come-back weekend was definitely a lot tougher than he expected. It’s physically the hardest track on the calendar and, if truth be told, he wasn’t quite ready – especially with no test in advance to get back to full racing speed and distance. The fact that he dug in, finished all three races and showed his aggression and ability to pass other riders early in the races, means that we are excited to see what he can achieve when he’s back to normal peak fitness.”
WorldSBK Superpole Race
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) made it two for two in his home country, running away from Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in Sunday’s Superpole Race at Cremona. Alvaro Bautista rounded out the podium.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) benefitted from a slow jump off the line from Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), the British rider overtaken early by Bautista and Razgatlioglu who he couldn’t catch by the end of the 10 laps.
Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) notched another P5, replicating his Saturday race result to again tie his best result of the season. Danilo Petrucci sixth.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) finished one position ahead of his P8 starting position, just under a quarter a of a second ahead of fellow Italian Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven).
Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) earned a hard-fought P9, engaging in duels with Iannone and Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) up until Lecuona’s unfortunate Turn 2 lowside crash during Lap 9.
Remy Gardner had started strongly but got dusted up early on which left him plenty of work to do, the Australian eventually rounding out the top ten.
WorldSBK Superpole Race Results
WorldSBK Race Two
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) fought with Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in the early laps of Race Two at Cremona on Sunday afternoon.
‘El Turco’ overtook Bulega early on, leading the race for four laps until Bulega struck back on Lap 4 to reinstate himself in P1 before then pulling away to make it a perfect tiple victory weekend on home soil. Tying with Giancarlo Falappa and Frankie Chilli for most race wins from an Italian riding for Ducati and his 34th career podium.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was again the fastest of the rest, claiming his ninth podium of the year.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) started in P6, climbing up to a P4 finish and crossing the finish line a distant 4.243s ahead of the rest of the grid.
Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) made a late run forward in the final laps of the race, overtaking both Honda factory riders to claim P5 despite still struggling with the flu. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) led the Honda factory pair across the finish line in P5, just 0.202s behind Sam Lowes, and 0.617s ahead of his teammate Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) in P7.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) jumped up to an early P5 in the first laps of the race, from there however the Italian rider slowly slid down the order after overtakes from Petrucci, Vierge and Lowes to finish P8.
Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) again duelled with Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) between Laps 12 and 13, securing P9 from him, where he went on to finish the race.
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) rounded out the top ten, less than two tenths of a second ahead of Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team).
WorldSBK Race Two Results
WorldSBK Championship Points
WorldSSP Race Two
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) stalked his prey throughout a thrilling 20 lap Supersport race at Cremona. The Italian rider dropped almost a second behind long-time leader Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) before pouncing past at Turn 13 with three laps remaining.
Masia dropped another position after Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) came past mid-way through the final lap. It was Masia’s first career podium in the FIM Supersport World Championship.
Booth-Amos had a scrap with Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) before the Frenchman crashed out of podium contention with four lap remaining.
Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) started from the third row of the grid and dropped outside the top ten in the early laps. The title contender fought his way back to fifth position at the flag but was three seconds behind Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA).
Manzi now holds a 44 point advantage over Bendsneyder in the Riders Standings. The Yamaha YZF-R9 rider has now won three races this year compared to two wins for MV’s Bendsneyder. Booth-Amos is now seven points behind Bendsneyder.
Stefano Manzi – P1
“It feels amazing to do the double! It is difficult with the weekend schedule to be happy if you win race one as you have to focus on the fact there is another race the next day, so only after Race 2 can you be really happy and winning them both is not easy! It has been an amazing weekend for me, and for Yamaha with the first double win for the R9. Today was a demanding race, but I was able to get the win so of course I am happy! From the beginning of the season, we had a good start and the progression has been super nice so I hope we can continue in this way.”
Oli Bayliss was the first Australian home, earning three points for his 13th place finish. Countryman Luke Power crashed out of 20th position at turn five on lap 15.
Oli Bayliss – P13
“It was a bit of a half and half weekend. I am happy with the feeling on the bike, but not happy with the position.I think we’ve made a pretty good starting point for the next round which means we can start the races hopefully in a better position because we are not missing much with the lap times.Thanks to the team and everyone who supports me.”
WorldSSP Race Two Results
WorldSSP Championship Points
WorldWCR Race Two
Hungry for the win after just missing out in Saturday’s Race 1, Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing) got the job done today, just snatching victory in Race 2 despite the last-gasp efforts of closest rival Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha).
Championship leader Herrera put in a dominant performance, leading from start to finish. A zealous Neila saw an opportunity to pass Maria through the last sector but was unable to make it stick and, in running wide, opened the door for race 1 winner Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing), who just pipped the Spaniard to second place.
Lapping within a second of this leading trio, Sara Sanchez (Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) caught the leaders by the mid-race point but was unable to match their pace to the line, concluding fourth.
Sixth in Race 1, Carl Cox Motorsports’ Avalon Lewis did well to stick with Sanchez during the first half of Race 2, losing just a little ground in the latter stages but assuring herself of fifth position and the final rider to finish with ten-seconds of the race winner.
Forced to run a somewhat solitary race, Mexican rider Astrid Madrigal (Pons Italika Racing FIMLA) concludes a very positive weekend with a strong sixth place finish and another 10 championship points.
Klint Forward Racing teammates Ponziani and Herrera are the highest points scorers of this Cremona round, having banked a precious 45 each.
Emily Bondi (ZELOS Trasimeno) did well to reach the points zone today, placing thirteenth despite having to serve a double lap penalty due to irresponsible riding in Race 1.
Competing as a wildcard at home track Cremona, Italian Denise Dal Zotto (Affinity Sports Academy Rokit Rookies) more than held her own in her second WorldWCR race, improving on her Race 1 result with a fourteenth-place finish.
Madalena Simoes (FB Racing Team) and Isis Carreno (Pons Italika Racing FIMLA) both failed to reach the line after crashing in the early stages. Neither rider was injured.
Maria Herrera – P1
“I changed the strategy a little today and was happier because I was able to push and felt comfortable on the bike. I tried to build a gap but when I saw that we were a group of four or five riders, I knew I had to be calm, relaxed, and try to do my best until the last corner. When I saw Beatriz in front of me, I knew I had to overtake – I braked later and it was difficult but I managed the last corner and was able to win. I feel good about where we are in terms of the championship, because now we head to round three at Donington, a track I enjoy and where I have good memories.”
Roberta Ponziani – P2
“I think we had almost the perfect weekend, even achieving the fastest lap in Race 2. Today’s race was a bit tougher than Race 1; yesterday I had more control, while today the pace was very fast, and Maria was really strong. I made a good start in Race 1 but today not so much and then I made a small mistake on the last lap and wasn’t able to exploit the slipstream. But second is a really good result. A great weekend for me and for the team, and of course for the championship; I’m really happy.”
Beatriz Neila – P3
“I’m happy because I ran a good race, better than yesterday, and my feeling with the bike was better. I tried in the last sector to get past Maria but in the end, I finished third. I’m very happy anyway, as the result is important for the championship standings. I want to thank the whole team and all our partners who support us. We’re second in the championship with more points than we had at this point last year, so I’m happy, and proud because I’ve made a good step. I’ll work hard over the next weeks to be as strong as possible for the next round at Donington.”
WorldWCR Race Two Results
WorldWCR Championship Points
2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Calendar
| Date | Circuit | WorldSBK | WorldSSP | SSP300 | WCR |
| 16-18 May | Most | X | X | X | |
| 13-15 Jun | Misano | X | X | X | |
| 11-13 Jul | Donington | X | X | X | |
| 25-27 Jul | Balaton Park | X | X | X | |
| 5-7 Sep | Magny-Cours | X | X | X | X |
| 26-28 Sep | Aragon | X | X | X | |
| 10-12 Oct | Estoril | X | X | X | |
| 17-19 Oct | Jerez | X | X | X | X |