WorldSBK Most 2025: Bulega breaks Razgatlioglu’s script
The Italian rider remains at the top of the championship after making the difference at the Most circuit, defeating his Turkish rival—who had dominated most of the weekend—in the final race.
may 19, 2025.
Author: Venancio Luis Nieto.
Photos: Dorna WSBK
Round five of the WorldSBK calendar delivered a new chapter in the battle between the two strongest riders of the season: Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).
With much of the grid yet to finalize plans for next season, the weekend began with a chaotic FP1 session that saw crashes from Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven), Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha), and Bulega himself, who suffered a violent highside. That day also saw Alex Lowes (Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) post the third fastest overall time on the Bimota.
Few dared to bet against Razgatlioglu’s chances, especially after he secured pole position with a time of 1’30.397—just three thousandths of a second ahead of Bulega. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) completed the front row. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) qualified seventh, Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) tenth, Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) 13th, and Tito Rabat (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) 20th.
Race 1
Despite Toprak starting from pole, it was Bulega who took the early lead in Race 1, knowing he needed to be proactive to catch his rival off guard. Only seconds later, Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) crashed out in a group incident that also involved Bautista. The double WorldSBK champion had made a poor start from mid-grid but managed to stay upright and crossed the line 14th on the next lap.
Bulega and Razgatlioglu immediately broke away from the pack, with Petrucci unable to keep up. Behind them came Alex Lowes, followed by his brother Sam (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), Rea, Lecuona, Gardner, and Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) rounding out the top 10.
Bulega tried to pull clear early on, but Toprak, confident in his pace, didn’t flinch. Within four laps, the Turk took over the lead, although Bulega hung on. Petrucci, meanwhile, was running a lonely third.
Behind, the focus shifted to the scrap between the Lowes brothers and Bautista’s charge through the field. Already up to ninth and behind Vierge, Bautista soon passed him and began chasing Montella.
Video: WordlWSBK.com
Toprak smashed the lap record and stretched his lead to over a second. Alex Lowes eventually got the better of his brother. With seven laps to go, Bautista passed Montella and was just under a second from Lecuona, whom he overtook three laps later. Though Sam Lowes was still over a second ahead, Bautista caught and passed him on the final lap to finish fifth. A shame, as his pace would have warranted a shot at the podium with Petrucci.
Razgatlioglu took a commanding and expected win—his fifth of the year—with Bulega second. The Italian was pleased with the 20 points earned in a race where that was all he could realistically get. Lecuona, Montella, Vierge, and Rea completed the top 10.
Superpole Race
After a wet warm-up on Sunday morning—where many riders ventured out but only Montella and Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha) set times—the Superpole Race began much like Race 1. Bulega led the way again, followed by Petrucci, with Toprak in third. Once the Turk realized Bulega was trying to escape, he passed Petrucci and slotted in behind the factory Ducati. The chasing group included the Lowes brothers, Bautista, Lecuona, Montella, and Alex Bassani (Bimota by Kawasaki).
On lap three, Toprak hit the front again, trying to impose his pace. Bulega briefly reclaimed the lead but ran wide, and Toprak capitalized. Meanwhile, Bautista had lost sixth to Lecuona.
Bulega pushed to stay in the fight, trading a few moves with Toprak, but it was clear the Italian was riding on the edge. He ran wide again at Turn 1, rejoining more than a second adrift—but crucially, stayed upright.
Toprak powered on toward his second win of the day. The remaining battles were for third—could Sam Lowes steal the podium from Petrucci?—and for fifth, where Bautista was now harrying Lecuona. The Honda man was hanging on with his machine sliding from side to side.
Video: WorldWSBK.com
Petrucci held firm for third, Sam Lowes took fourth, and Bautista completed the top five. Behind them came Alex Lowes, Vierge, Locatelli, and Rea again in tenth.
Race 2
The final race of the weekend promised more of the same. Bulega led away, trailed by Toprak, Sam Lowes, Petrucci, Rea, Locatelli, Gardner, Lecuona, Bassani, and Gerloff.
On the first lap, another crash unfolded—Rea dove inside Bautista, causing a collision that took both him and Vierge down, while Alex Lowes ran off track. Rea was penalized for the incident.
Up front, Bulega and Toprak resumed their duel. Sam Lowes held third, two seconds back, with Petrucci and Rea in pursuit. Bulega pushed, but Toprak stayed with him effortlessly.
There weren’t overtakes everywhere, but watching these two at the limit was spectacle enough. As expected, Toprak made his move with 11 laps to go through a change of direction. Bulega responded into Turn 1. The gloves were off.
Toprak retook the lead and tried to pull clear. Behind, Petrucci had passed Sam Lowes in Turn 15, while Gardner and Bassani were scrapping over fifth. Lecuona was seventh, three seconds behind.
With three laps remaining, Bulega closed the gap once again. At first, it looked like Toprak was playing with him—tempting a mistake—since Bulega didn’t seem to have enough to pass him cleanly.
But the Italian had other plans. He avoided direct combat and waited until the final lap, tucked in behind Toprak onto the last straight and drafted past him at the line by just 0.027 seconds—snatching a win that had seemed destined for Razgatlioglu.
Video: WorldWSBK.com
With the season moving forward, Bulega now has 252 points from five rounds, including two perfect trebles (Australia and Cremona), while Toprak sits at 221 with one treble from Portugal. This weekend, the Turk looked on course for another sweep, but Bulega stopped him—and that could prove decisive by season’s end.
Whether due to misfortune or lack of pace, it now seems unlikely that our own Álvaro Bautista—who dropped from third to fourth overall in Most—can stay in this title race. Since weight was added to his bike, he has not been competitive — a measure that, so far, has done nothing but artificially take one of the title contenders out of the fight.
Opening Photo: Nicolo Bulega edges out Toprak Razgatlioglu at the finish line in Race 2.
