Superpole and race victory for dominant Bulega at Phillip Island

February 22, 2025

On a scorching day at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dominated proceedings in both the Tissot Superpole and the opening race of the 2025 WorldSBK season.

Tissot Superpole Highlights
Bulega claimed Phillip Island pole position during a red flag interrupted Tissot Superpole session. The Italian rider’s lap time, 1’28.824, comfortably led the way from Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven).
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) led a second row lock-out for Ducati ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing).

A crash for Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) at Turn 10 brought out the red flag and also ended the Spaniard’s weekend due to a foot injury
Untouchable Bulega claims the spoils.

Race 1 Highlights
Bulega converted his pole position into an early lead and the Italian, who has set the pace in every session this weekend, opened a commanding lead in the opening laps.

Bulega led for the opening eight laps before entering the pits for a mandatory change of tyres. The Ducati rider entered pit lane at the first opportunity and would retake the lead on Lap 11 before controlling the race to the chequered flag.

A fast starting Andrea Iannone was the closest challenger to Bulega on the opening lap but when the Italian ran wide on Lap 2 the field splintered and Bulega was released to his lead.

Razgatlioglu spent the opening quarter of the race giving chase to Bulega but dropped to fourth before the pit window opened. His pit stop was efficient and he was in second position when the field reshuffled. He would hold off Bautista for the 20 points on offer for the runner-up finish.

On his return to Ducati machinery Redding converted his second row start into a top five finish. The British rider enjoyed a combative race to consistently fight for the podium.

Bimota’s return to WorldSBK saw the manufacturer lead a lap during the pit window. Both Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani finished inside the top ten in eighth and ninth positions respectively.

Home rider Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) crashed on the opening lap at Turn 4 and would later retire with a technical issue.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati):
“I’m really happy because my feeling was good from the first session of Monday’s test. Every time I get on the bike, I know what I can do and what I have to do. I’m just enjoying riding because it’s an amazing feeling lap by lap. I’m really proud of what we’re doing here this week.
I wasn’t relaxed before the race because I knew that some aggressive riders were starting close to me especially on the first lap after braking. So I tried to stay calm and focused. I started well and I finished well. If I can keep this feeling, I can stay positive about the rest of the weekend. I want to continue in this position.”

Toprak Razgatlıoglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team):
“I feel very good because, finally, I have started to smile again/ I didn’t expect this result but we did a very good job today. My team improved the bike every session. At the start of the race, I wasn’t really strong. As the race progressed I felt better grip and the bike turned better. Maybe this was because the fuel was lower. But in general, we did a very good job in Race 1.
In Superpole, when I followed Bulega, I did a very good lap time but it was only one lap! I was lucky because when I saw Bulega coming, I immediately followed him. In the race, I finished in P2 again, which is perfect. I tried to follow Bulega nut at the start, all the Ducatis passed me on the straight. The Ducati is still very strong on the straight! After that, I just tried to find my rhythm. We are improving every session, even if it’s only small steps, and tomorrow we have two more races. Let’s see what happens.”

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati):
“For sure, we started a bit better than last year so I’m happy about that. We are growing in confidence with the bike. The conditions were extreme today; it was too hot and too windy. When the bike had a lot of lean you couldn’t pick it up and go straight because the wind just pushed you out. A couple of times, I almost went off track on the exit of Turn 2 and Turn 3. It wasn’t very comfortable to ride in these conditions. I tried until the end, but in this situation, it was better to secure a solid race, take some points, and wait for the right moment to push harder. It’s important to finish the weekend with good confidence and build a strong base for the next races.”

Superpole Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’28.824s
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.094s
3. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) +0.442s

Race 1 Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +4.811s
3. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +5.108s
4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +6.813s
5. Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) +6.986s
6. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) +7.548s