Last month signalled the start of the 2025 WorldSBK season, which commenced at the iconic Phillip Island circuit.
Nicolo Bulega was the standout rider, winning all three races and securing the maximum 62 points to kick off the season.
A multitude of talking points arose after the weekend’s events, prompting Motorsport Week to share five key takeaways from the season opener.
1. Nicolo Bulega has another level in him
Arub.it Ducati rider Bulega dominated the weekend’s proceedings, leading every session throughout the weekend and completing a historic treble, his first ever in the series.
Since the introduction of the Superpole Race in 2019, the Italian joins an exclusive list of riders who have achieved this feat, including Jonathan Rea, Alvaro Bautista, Toprak Razgatlioglu, and Danilo Petrucci.
Bulega’s is only in his sophomore year in the series, following an impressive debut campaign in 2024 where he finished as Razgatlioglu’s nearest challenger.
It’s still early days in the new season, but the 25-year-old is sure to improve now that he has a deeper understanding of the finer details of his Panigale V4.
2. Reigning champion Toprak Razgatlioglu is stronger in Europe
Razgatlioglu’s rollercoaster of a weekend in Phillip Island raised multiple surprises considering the manner of his 2024 title-winning campaign.
The Turkish rider began his title defence with one podium finish in Race 1, before finishing 13th in the Superpole and retiring in Race 2.
Despite showing frustration by smashing his windshield and labelling the series as a “Ducati Cup”, time will tell whether BMW is worse off after losing its superconcessions privilege.
Let’s not forget that Razgatlioglu’s record is far more favourable in Europe, considering he has only prevailed on one occasion in Australia, arriving in 2020 when he rode for Yamaha.
READ MORE – Ducati personnel hit back at Toprak Razgatlioglu’s ‘Ducati Cup’ claim
3. Alvaro Bautista’s resurgence in 2025 looks on the cards
Despite Bulega’s success, two-time champion Bautista looked comfortable aboard his Italian marque for the first time since 2023.
Before the season kicked off, the 40-year-old chose to extend for another year and later mentioned his positive feelings about his bike, which led to two podium finishes Down Under.
The notable disparity between the Spaniard’s 2023 and 2024 seasons saw 27 and four victories, but a resurgence looks to be on the cards despite a crash in the Sunday Superpole race.
The series needs Bautista to challenge at the front throughout the season considering his impressive achievements since joining the series in 2019.
4. A mixed bag for PATA Maxus Yamaha
PATA Maxus Yamaha endured a mixed bag both in pre-season testing and throughout the season opener.
Six-time champion Rea suffered multiple fractures to his left foot, resulting in him missing the season opener and the next round at Portimao.
While this setback pushes the Northern Irishman further behind after his first winless campaign since joining the series in 2009, Andrea Locatelli, his teammate, sits as the lead non-Ducati rider in the championship classification.
Locatelli produced two seventh-placed finishes in Race 1 and Race 2 but improved to finish sixth in the Superpole Race.
Yamaha is reportedly heading in the right direction, but the true test of the M1’s competitiveness will come when both riders take to the track.
5. Independents Rivalry: Andrea Iannone and Danilo Petrucci are ready for a blockbuster battle
Petrucci racked up the Independents’ Title in 2024, and although Alex Lowes was his closest challenger last season, we predict Andrea Iannone will be his main challenger for this season.
The Italian duo picked up their first wins in the series in 2024 at Cremona and Aragon respectively, and this season should see even further success.
The vastly experienced MotoGP duo will likely go to and fro both on track and in the championship standings.
We saw last season that both riders have strengths at different tracks, and this season marking Iannone’s second year in the series, it promises to be a titanic battle.
