WorldSBK Round 3 2025 Report | Assen’s final race had a late twist, making this the first race weekend with three different race winners since last time out at Assen in 2024, on a weekend where Andrea Locatelli (#55) grabbed his first ever WorldSBK victory. Report: Ed Stratmann/WorldSBK

Friday practice
WorldSBK

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #11) claimed top spot on Friday as the first day of the Pirelli Dutch Round for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship concluded. Bulega was one of three riders to set a lap time in the 1’33s as he laid down his marker at the iconic TT Circuit Assen, finishing ahead of Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team #47) as he secured a P2 finish. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team #1) completed the top three.

Read our Round Two report here…

WorldSSP

Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team #61) secured his second consecutive pole position in the FIM Supersport World Championship by a huge half-a-second margin over Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing #69) in P2 at the TT Circuit Assen. The Turkish star had waited until his sixth season to claim his first pole but didn’t have to wait as long for his second as he smashed the lap record in Tissot Superpole to start from P1 for Race 1.

Saturday
WorldSK

WorldSBK Race 1

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s first race at Assen was a good one, as Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped the podium, followed by Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in his return to the podium after featuring at Portimao and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team #9) in P3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) saw his hopes of continuing his podium streak dashed after missing the rostrum spots in P4.

Bulega claimed the holeshot into the first corner ahead of Locatelli, with ‘Loka’ bundling his way through at Turn 5 before Bulega responded immediately. That allowed Bulega to cruise his way to victory while the chasing pack scrapped it out over the remaining podium places.

Meanwhile, behind Locatelli, sharks in the form of Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team #14), Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Razgatlioglu began to circle until, out of nowhere, on Lap 7, Bautista and Lowes collided at Turn 9 to wipe them both out of the race from the podium fight.

‘El Turco’ briefly overtook Locatelli, however the much-improved Yamaha rider battled back to lock in P2 after following the reigning Champion for a few laps. Petrucci surged late to pass Toprak to bump ‘El Turco’ off the podium for his first podium since Australia’s Tissot Superpole Race.

Razgatlioglu had a sluggish start to the race, falling to P8 in Lap 1, however by Lap 3 he was already back up into the podium fight. Strong performances from Locatelli and Petrucci saw them overtake Toprak’s BMW M 1000 RR to shut the rostrum’s doors to the Turkish star. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC #7) and Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC #97) both had strong results, earning the best combined result of the season for the Honda factory riders, with Vierge only two tenths of a second behind his teammate.

Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team #77) earned the best result of his season so far in P7.

“I’m very happy because we started really well from FP1, and we improved a little bit in every session,” said Bulega. “I had a lot of fun riding my bike during the race, so thanks to my team. They gave me a very good package and I tried to use it 100 percent until the last lap.”

WorldSBK Race 1 Results

  1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
  2. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +7.801s
  3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +14.827s
  4. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +17.137s
  5. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) +22.653s

WorldSSP Race 1

Assen’s ‘Cathedral of Speed’ welcomed the FIM Supersport World Championship riders for their Race 1 in the Pirelli Dutch Round. The afternoon’s action saw the stacked WorldSSP grid lay it on the line again, with Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse #11) coming out on top for his home fans after a Lap 2 red flag. Oncu held an early lead, but first Bendsneyder and later Manzi (#62) caught him to drop him to P3.

The red flag was waved on Lap 2, after Loic Arbel (#4) and Eduardo Montero (#33) collided at Turn 5, with both riders immediately being taken to the medical centre, where Montero was to be reassessed, however Arbel was diagnosed with a lower leg fracture. The race was restarted over a 12-lap distance with the grid based on the Superpole results.

Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) had another trademark quick start to claim the holeshot, establishing a margin for himself at the front of the pack. As the race continued, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) – who leaped up the timesheet into the first corner from P6 – and Bo Bendsneyder gradually cut away at the lead of Oncu until the Dutchman caught Oncu and overtook the Turk for P1. Manzi then seized his opportunity and took on Oncu in the final chicane to claim P2, relegating the polesitter to P3.

Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura #51) didn’t quite have the pace to battle with Manzi and Bendsneyder for the podium positions, but a strong day at the office for the young Spaniard earned him a comfortable P4. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) and Leonardo Taccini had a thrilling dogfight for P5, as the Italian and the Brit trading overtakes until Booth-Amos sealed the fight and claimed P5 and left P6 for Taccini.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results

  1. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)
  2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +3.228s
  3. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +3.930s
  4. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +6.298s
  5. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) +10.800s

Sunday
Superpole Race

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s final day at Assen got off to a flying start with the Tissot Superpole Race. Rain fell overnight, leaving the track saturated with water, and by the 10-lap race’s start, the track remained wet, however the sun had broken through the cloud cover. Toprak took his first P1 of the weekend for his first-ever career win in the wet, overtaking Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who suffered a tech issue which forced him to retire. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) seized the opportunity to take his first-ever WorldSBK podium in P2 at the same track his brother had his maiden win back in 2014. In P3, Alvaro Bautista (#19) claimed his 112th podium, his 12th in Assen.

Bulega started the race in P2, behind only Sam Lowes who started from pole. He claimed an early P1 after overtaking the #14, a lead he clung to until Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took his chance and passed ‘Bulegas’ on the inside to claim P1.

From there, Razgatlioglu pulled away and went on to top the race in P1. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) later was able to take advantage of a tech issue which forced Bulega to retire and passed him in Turn 1 of Lap 7 to earn his best-ever WorldSBK result, although this was after he dropped all the way back down to P10 at the start after running wide at Turn 1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) benefitted from his teammates’ misfortune, claiming P3.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) stayed hot in the damp conditions at Assen, right around the battle at the front once again, and finished P4. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had his best result of his latest home round so far, placing P5 after almost passing ‘Loka’ on several occasions, finishing just two tenths of a second behind the Italian. Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing #45) enjoyed a ride in the rain and earned P6 after fighting his way up from P16.

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team #87) nearly broke into the second row for Race 2 with his P7 in the Superpole Race, finishing four tenths shy of Redding for P6.

Superpole Race Results

  1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
  2. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +3.798s
  3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +6.895s
  4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +9.907s
  5. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +10.147s

WorldSBK Race 2

Andrea Locatelli topped the podium in the final race after Nicolo Bulega’s likely victory was dashed due to a tech issue. Alvaro Bautista scored another podium for Ducati, and Remy Gardner again showed his improvement, earning his first podium since Assen’s Race 2 in 2024.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) fought his way back up to the front after starting in P10. ‘Bulegas’ started a race for the first time outside of the top five in his two years competing in WorldSBK; but that made no difference to the Championship leader as he pulled into P1 by Lap 16, to what seemed like he would cruise to claim his second Race win of the weekend. Everything changed when suddenly his bike sputtered to a stop and he was forced out of the race with a tech issue.

Seizing the opportunity, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) took first to claim his first-ever race win in WorldSBK in his 153rd race start for Yamaha. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) made his rostrum return in P2, earning his 113th career podium. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) rounded out the podium for his first podium since Assen 2024 in Race 2, showcasing the progress made by him and his Yamaha factory team with their Yamaha R1.

Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) fell behind from having started in the first two grid positions. They were each overtaken quickly by Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who took an early P1. From there Lowes battled for the podium positions before falling out of the podium fight, finishing in a still-strong P4. Razgatlioglu fell farther back and continued to lose positions, which he was unable to make back before he finished in P8. In P5, Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) once again carried the flag forward for his new Bimota team, charging up the grid from his P11 start.

“It’s an amazing day! I cannot understand that it’s true. I have good memories here from 2021; I got my first podium, and now my first victory; it’s a sign, maybe! We did an amazing job this weekend,” Locatelli explained.

WorldSBK Race 2 Results

  1. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha)
  2. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.968s
  3. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +4.396s
  4. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +4.803s
  5. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +7.380s

Championship Points

  1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 136 points
  2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 115
  3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) 107
  4. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 86
  5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 81

WorldSSP Race 2

The final race at Assen featured a dramatic last lap overtake, where Turkish young star Can Oncu got by Stefano Manzi who led most of the affair to take his first race win of the weekend. The win was a special moment for Oncu, as it was here in Assen back in 2023 when he suffered a very concerning arm injury which cast doubts on his ability to return to competition. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) was up in the podium battle once again, until an unfortunate spill late in the running on Turn 10 dashed his podium dreams. He was, however, able to continue, and without a fairing, he took P15 to salvage a point.

Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) led the race for the majority of the contest, fighting off constant pressure from Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) and Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) repeatedly until the final chicane. Oncu passed Manzi, and while Manzi passed him back upon the exit of the chicane, he did so by cutting the corner, riding onto the green, and was applied a one position penalty for Exceeding Track Limits. Oncu had a blistering start to the race, jumping up from a P5 grid start position to nip at Manzi’s heels until his late move.

Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) lacked the pace to catch up to Oncu and Manzi ahead of him for the race but powered forward to lead the second group for his second podium of his home round. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) similarly battled his way up into the podium battle before crashing out late in the race at Turn 10 to miss out on the podium, however, as he salvaged a point from the round to finish P15.

Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse #53) partook in the spirited battle for P5 among Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) and Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing #23), eventually coming out on top of the group to finish P4. Masia started from P3 on the grid, enjoying a strong start to the race before falling back to P6.

WorldSSP Race 2 Results

1 Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team)
2 Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.012s
3 Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +3.150s
4 Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) +3.422s
5 Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +5.131s

Championship Points

  1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 125
  2. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 111
  3. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) 84
  4. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) 77
  5. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) 52

WorldWCR
WorldWCR Race 1

The WorldWCR season is officially underway as Herrera (#6) topped its first podium after a track limits penalty for Neila (#36). The FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship took to the track for the first point-scoring opportunity of the season. The second-ever season in WorldWCR history was inaugurated with a win by Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team), who battled all race with Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha), hinting at what might be a battle in the season to come for the Riders’ Championship.

Herrera’s pole position start helped her to a quick getaway, taking the holeshot into Turn 1. She had a tougher time defending P1 than she did in Friday’s Superpole however, as Nelia clung to Herrera’s shadow, looming nearly within striking distance for most of the race. She gave Herrera a run for her money from Lap 9 on, trading overtakes in consecutive laps; culminating in a final sector duel, where Neila overtook Herrera for P1. However, she was given a one position penalty for exceeding track limits on the final lap at Turn 17, demoting her to P2.

Rookie Avalon Lewis (Carl Cox Motorsports #21) jumped up from the second row to take P3 into the first corner. From there, Lewis, Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team #96) and Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team #64) entered a protracted battle for P3, repeatedly overtaking each other as none of the three riders could pull away until Ponziani fell slightly behind the pair of Lewis and Sanchez, going on to finish in P5. As Sanchez and Lewis separated themselves from the pack behind them, they locked horns and battled for P3 until Sanchez in turn pulled away from the New Zealander rookie, who impressed in her first career WorldWCR race, earning P4.

British rookie Chloe Jones (GR Motorsport #6) distinguished herself in her first WorldWCR race, earning P6 ahead of second-year Australian rider Tayla Relph (Full Throttle Racing #8) in P7.

WorldWCR Race 1 Results

  1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team)
  2. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) +0.133s
  3. Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) +8.976s
  4. Avalon Lewis (Carl Cox Motorsports) +10.348s
  5. Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team) +16.455s

WorldWCR Race 2

The opening round of the WorldWCR season saw a tie for first and second place between Neila and Herrera for the title lead after Neila claimed P1 in Race 2 via a brave final lap overtake.

The final event of the weekend for the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship capped off a season-debut weekend to remember. Unlike the rest of the weekend, Sunday’s Race 2 was impacted by overnight rain, which left the track soaked throughout the morning’s warm up sessions. By WorldWCR’s Race 2, the track had largely dried out, allowing the riders to open the throttle, something Maria Herrera was able to do to claim an early P1. However, a dramatic late overtake by Neila earned the #36 her first WorldWCR win, with Sara Sanchez rounding out the top three.

Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team) had a quick jump off of the line from P2, pipping Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) for an early P1. Behind Herrera, the trio of Beatriz Neila, Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) and Avalon Lewis (Carl Cox Motorsports) all rode close behind, whittling time off the margin between them and P1. The group stayed compacted as the race wound down, until Madrid Native Neila made her move in the final lap, holding off Herrera in the final chicane to claim her first career WorldWCR win. Herrera and Sanchez followed her across the line for P2 and P3, while Lewis caught a tough break when she suffered a lowside crash in the final chicane to lose out on her P4.

WorldWCR Race 2 Results

  1. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha)
  2. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team) +0.173s
  3. Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) +.423s
  4. Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team) +19.732s
  5. Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) +19.919s

Championship Points

  1. Beatriz Neila – 45
  2. Maria Herrera – 45
  3. Sara Sanchez – 32
  4. Roberta Ponziani – 24
  5. Tayla Relph – 19

WorldSSP 300
WorldSSP 300 Race 1

Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing #6) secured an emotional home victory at the TT Circuit Assen after a last-lap scrap featuring six riders fighting until the final chicane and to the line in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship as he fended off Humberto Maier (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing #12) and Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport #48) in Race 1 for the Pirelli Dutch Round.

Buis got the holeshot when lights went out as he looked to win on home soil and, while he was able to pull out an initial gap, he was soon swallowed up by the chasing pack as six riders battled for victory.

While the lead was predictably changing hands throughout the 12-lap battle, Brazil’s Humberto Maier (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing) took the lead on the run to the chicane on the final lap, but the #6 responded under braking to claim a famous home win, his 15th in the Championship. Maier was P2 and less than a tenth away from Buis, while Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) completed the rostrum, just 0.191s away from victory.

Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove #7) crossed the line in fourth place but was demoted one place for exceeding track limits on the final lap, putting him in fifth. That promoted David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI #38) to fourth, while Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki #50) was sixth.

WorldSSP 300 Race 1 Results

  1. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing)
  2. Humberto Maier (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing) +0.093s
  3. Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) +0.191s
  4. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) +0.355s
  5. Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) +0.400s

WorldSSP 300 Race 2

Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) and David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) made history in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship as they crossed the line separated by just 0.001s after a 12-lap Race 2 duel at the TT Circuit Assen. 10 riders were fighting for victory across the line as Buis completed a home double and took the championship lead following the Pirelli Dutch Round.

The fight for victory went down to the final chicane with 10 riders separated by a second across the line, before penalties for track limits violations were applied. Buis led heading into the final chicane and held it through the three-turn complex, before just fending off Salvador by 0.001s at the line, breaking the record for closest ever finish.

Daniel Mogeda (Pons Motosport Italika Racing #88) was classified in third after Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) and Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) were given two-place penalties for course cutting on the final lap. Fernandez and Thompson were therefore classified in fourth and fifth respectively.

WorldSSP 300 Race 2 Results

  1. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing)
  2. David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) +0.001s
  3. Daniel Mogeda (Pons Motosport Italika Racing) +0.656s
  4. Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) +0.665s
  5. Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) +0.827s

Championship Points

  1. Jeffrey Buis – 75
  2. Julio Garcia – 61
  3. Benat Fernandez – 60
  4. David Salvador – 44
  5. Carter Thompson – 43

How Did the Aussies Do?

Remy Gardner produced an outstanding effort in Assen in what was an extremely positive weekend by the Australian ace. While P8 in Race 1 and P7 in the Superpole Race were great, his third Race 2 was exceptional to cap off a terrific weekend at the office. Despite illustrating many glimpses of his excellent speed, a crash in Race 1 and a technical issue in Race 2 meant Assen was a rough one for Oli Bayliss aboard his PTR Factory Triumph machine.

Having missed Portimao, Luke Power was back for Assen. And while his shoulder injury was still giving him grief, getting P2 in the warm up and 17th in Race 2 were highlights.

For the full WorldSBK Round 3 results in all classes for all days, click here...

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