It was a sensational Superpole session for the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, with Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) securing a phenomenal pole position at the Pirelli Portuguese Round. The Spaniard continued an impressive weekend at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, setting a 1’54.609 and claiming her second pole.

FRONT ROW: Late lap places Sanchez P3

Just like in Free Practice, Herrera secured P1 early on and would continue to improve throughout the Superpole session. This left an intense session to decide the front row, with Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) securing a second place on the grid on Saturday, as the #22 found time in the closing stages of the session. Meanwhile, Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) found a significant amount of time from Friday morning, taking third on the grid after an impressive late lap.

PUSHED BACK: Neila on the second row

Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) heads the second row of the grid as the Spanish star continued an impressive performance in fourth position. Neila lost her spot on the front row in the final minute and will start alongside Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno), who is fifth and is back on the pace on her return. Completing the second row of the grid will be Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team), who set a strong 1’57.196.

TOP 10: Ruiz starts on the fourth row

Lena Kemmer (Bertl K. Racing Team) continues to show top 10 pace at Portimao, finishing Superpole in seventh position alongside Astrid Madrigal (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) in P8. Meanwhile, Tayla Relph (TAYCO Motorsport) completed a talented third row of the grid as Pakita Ruiz (PS Racing Team 46+1) claimed the final spot inside the all-important top 10.

Further back Ran Yochay (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) will have work to do from P20 on the grid, with the #10 aiming to remain inside the top five in the Championship standings.

The top six from WorldWCR Superpole, full results here:

1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) 1’54.609

2. Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha Team) +0.834s

3. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) +1.031s

4. Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +1.524s

5. Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno) +2.248s

6. Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) +2.587s

Make sure you tune into WorldWCR Race 1 on Saturday at 13:45 Local Time (UTC +1), using WorldWCR YouTube and the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship had a familiar name at the top as Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) flew into P1 during Free Practice 1 at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. The 2021 Champion was the only rider to break the 1’40s barrier as he beat Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) into second place, with the #31 ensuring a BMW 1-2 to start the Pirelli Portuguese Round.

Gerloff started the session with a long run, completing 15 timed laps before returning to the box, and put in a fast and consistent stint. He was fast through the run as he set a 1’41.168s. However, his time in P1 came to an end when Championship leader Razgatlioglu surged almost four tenths clear with a 1’40.777s, the first rider into the 1’40s, to claim top spot and continue his streak of topping Free Practice 1 sessions – he’s topped every single one except for the Australian Round. Third belonged to reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as he set a 1’41.299s, although he was just over half-a-second down on the #54.

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was quick out of the blocks as he took the early honours, although he was demoted to P4 at the end of the 45-minute session after he posted a 1’41.307s. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) left it late to move up the order, slotting into fifth place with a 1’41.430s, just around 0.020s clear of Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) in sixth. The #65 posted a 1’41.449s to end the session as the lead Yamaha rider.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was seventh and around three tenths off his teammate directly ahead. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed eighth place, 0.996s off Razgatlioglu’s time, with Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in ninth. The Dutchman crashed at Turn 14 around halfway through the session, but he was able to claim ninth, ahead of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) who completed the top ten.

Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) was another crasher in FP1, when he came down at Turn 8 on a wider line. He lost time while his bike was returned to the box but he finished in 16^th place with a 1’42.302s. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completed only one timed lap, more than four seconds off the pace, after he suffered a technical issue on his Panigale V4 R. Although the bike was returned to the box, the #11 was unable to take to the track again.

The top six from WorldSBK Free Practice 1, full results here:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’40.777s

2. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.391s

3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.522s

4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.530s

5. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +0.653s

6. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.672s

Don’t miss WorldSBK FP2 from 18:00 Local Time (UTC+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 50% off!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport World Championship was back on track for another exciting weekend at the Pirelli Portuguese Round with lap times dropping throughout the opening 40 minutes. Taking the top spot was Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura), who looked strong throughout the opening session of the weekend. Navarro set a stunning late lap, improving on his time – setting a sensation 1’44.106.

Getting pipped for P1 in the closing stages of the session was Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), securing second with nothing separating the times at the top. Montella finished a mere 0.003s behind Navarro and finished ahead of Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing), who was unable to improve in the final five minutes of Free Practice. The Italian took third place honours, with just 0.016s separating the front three riders as their attention turns to Superpole.

Manzi was ahead of compatriot Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing), who finished as the top MV Agusta rider in fourth place. Rounding out the top five was Championship leader, Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), who finished 0.336s adrift from Navarro’s benchmark time. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) was sixth, with the Frenchman continuing his strong form at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.

Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) took seventh ahead of John McPhee (WRP by SKM-Triumph) in eighth. While the final spots inside the top 10 went the way of Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Niccolo Antonelli (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team), with the #5 crashing in at Turn 5. However, Antonelli was not the only faller during Free Practice, with Gabriele Giannini (Team ProDina Kawasaki) crashing in the early stages of the session at Turn 4.

The top six from WorldSSP Free Practice, full results here:

1. Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) 1’44.106s

2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.003s

3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Prometeon Ten Kate Racing) +0.016s

4. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +0.283s

5. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.336s

6. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.434s

Watch an unmissable WorldSSP Superpole from 16:55 Local Time (UTC +1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship ignited at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve and there was no stopping Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) in Free Practice. The Dutchman posted a 1’55.106s, faster than the race lap record, to claim top spot by more than four tenths ahead of his rivals during the Pirelli Portuguese Round, with Matteo Vannucci (Pata Yamaha AG Motorsport Italia) claiming second place right at the end of the session.

Veneman left it until the final five minutes to move into P1 when he set a 1’55.106s, almost half-a-second clear of in second after the #91 used his final lap to post a 1’55.564s. Vannucci had been briefly demoted from the top three but responded to claim P2, ahead of Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing). The #56 had been the long-time session leader in the 25-minute FP outing but finished it in third place, six tenths away from Veneman’s time.

Marc Garcia (KOVE Racing Team) ensured three manufacturers were in the top four as he set a 1’55.948s to claim fourth place, ahead of Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki), still standing in for the injured Petr Svoboda, claiming fifth place with a 1’56.054s. Teammate Inigo Iglesias rounded out the top six, lapping almost a second away from the pace of Veneman out in front.

Pepe Osuna (DEZA-BOX 77 Racing Team) was seventh ahead of Julio Garcia (KOVE Racing Team), with the pair separated by half-a-tenth, while Brazilian rider Humberto Maier (MS Racing) was ninth after he set a 1’56.330s; he was 1.224s away from Veneman’s time. Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki), who’s won the last three races at Portimao, rounded out the top ten. He was just 0.002s behind Maier when Free Practice concluded.

There’s work to do for reigning Champion Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-PALIGO Racing) ahead of this afternoon’s Tissot Superpole session the #1 could only manage a 1’57.075s in Free Practice, leaving him languishing down in 20^th place.

The top six from WorldSSP300 Free Practice, full results here:

1. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) 1’55.106s

2. Matteo Vannucci (Pata Yamaha AG Motorsport Italia) +0.458s

3. Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing) +0.639

4. Marc Garcia (KOVE Racing Team) +0.842s

5. Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.948s

6. Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.989s

Don’t miss WorldSSP300’s Tissot Superpole session at 16:10 Local Time (UTC+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 50% off!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship returned to track at the Pirelli Portuguese Round to kick off another unpredictable weekend. It was perfect conditions at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve with a red-hot pace in Free Practice from Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team), who topped the timesheets. Herrera had an impressive 1.254s advantage over the field after improving on her final flying lap to become the only rider inside the 1’54 bracket.

Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) finished in second place, setting a strong 1’56.208 on Friday morning. The #22 will be aiming to add to her win tally this weekend, after finishing ahead of Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha). Neila began to find time in the final 15 minutes of the session to jump to third after spending some laps behind Carrasco.

Meanwhile, fourth place went the way of Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team), with the Spaniard continuing to impress so far this season. Sanchez was ahead of PS Racing Team 46+1’s Pakita Ruiz, who rounded out an all-Spanish top five. Behind the #46 was the returning Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno), who put together an impressive performance to finish sixth.

Chun Mei Liu (WT Racing Team Taiwan) suffered a technical issue early in the session, before rejoining for the remainder of Free Practice – finishing in 16^th. Meanwhile, there was a new face in the paddock with Jamie Hanks-Elliot filling in for the injured Alyssia Whitmore at the Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team.

The top six from WorldWCR Free Practice, full results here:

1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) 1’54.954s

2. Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha Team) +1.254s

3. Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +1.323s

4. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) +1.610s

5. Pakita Ruiz (PS Racing Team 46+1) +2.746s

6. Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno) +2.895s

Make sure you don’t miss the WorldWCR Superpole session at 15:25 Local Time (UTC+1) on the WorldWCR YouTube and the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has landed at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve and the fighting talk has already begun. From discussions about the future, on-track battles and revenge for 2023 plus the sunset schedule, we’ve gathered all the hottest and spiciest quotes from Thursday at the Pirelli Portuguese Round.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “We started to speak after Most and we’re in negotiations… we haven’t signed”

Providing another update on his 2025 plans, Bautista said: “If you read all the media, social commentators for everybody, it’s crazy because one day, I’ve already signed, the next day, my bike is for another rider and the next day we agree together and the next day we are not in the same agreement. It’s crazy! We started to speak after Most, and we are in negotiations. It’s clear that I want the best for me, and Ducati want the best for them. We’re not fighting, but we’re speaking. Everything you see on the social networks is fake. We haven’t signed but we’re on the way. I have good memories from last year because I remember it was a difficult weekend. I felt a lot of movement but, especially on Sunday, it was two great battles against Toprak, and I beat him, both times, in the last corner; one on the inside, the other on the outside. The situation this year is different, especially because we don’t have the same performance as last year. After Most, the feeling with the bike improved a lot and I have the confidence this weekend can help me keep this improvement. It could be good fun to break Toprak’s winning streak! At the moment, I don’t feel like I’m in that situation to break it, but anything can happen. If we can arrive at our best performance, we’ll see if we can fight against him or not.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “I feel like it’s my turn this year… because I have wings, maybe I’ll fly this time!”

With history in sight, and revenge for 2023 in mind plus an epic jump in store, Razgatlioglu stated: “I feel like it’s my turn this year! I’m just waiting for the race. I’m seeing the WorldSBK Instagram account was starting to share last year’s last corner battle. When I watched this, I’m more motivated than before! I’m happy to come back to Portimao because I like this circuit, it looks like my favourite circuit. I’m just trying to break the record because Alvaro and Jonny have the same, 11, but if I win Saturday’s race, I’m also at 11 but I need one more! This is racing, this is motorsport, anything is possible. I’m just focused like Most, race by race. Two days ago, I watched my big jump again. With BMW, I’ll try for more. Because I have wings, maybe I’ll fly this time!”

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team): “I’d like to continue with Barni… we have the potential to win races”

Petrucci revealed he spoke to Bautista after their Most crash, plus stated where he’d like to be in 2025: “I had the chance to talk with Alvaro after the crash and we recognised immediately it wasn’t the fault of anyone, we were just three riders at the same point with different lines. Then I sent him a message to make sure he was okay. I have a good relationship with him and a lot of respect for him. Portimao is a track I like a lot but last year I wasn’t able to be really fast. In the test this winter, it was okay. The new time schedule for this round will be something different and I think it will be surprising because, in the end, it’ll be really hot and with these temperatures, managing the tyre will be the key. I’m eager to see our speed because in every round, we’ve fought for the top five, so I want to continue like this. I think everything will remain like this. From my side, I need to wait for Alvaro’s decision. I have more or less the same bike so I would like to continue with Barni, and I think this will be the solution for the future. We have the potential to win races if we put everything together and I hope I can announce my future soon, in the next few days.”

Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha): “Regularly we need to be in the top five now. That’s the goal”

Rea’s seemingly made progress on the Yamaha R1 in recent rounds and wants to continue this, saying: “Portimao’s a happy hunting ground for me, it’s a track I’ve had a lot of success at in the past. It means nothing sometimes when you change teams. The Yamaha’s a different beast around here. It has a lot of positives but also some areas where we need to work on. The test was good because we identified those areas and hopefully, we can work on them. The bike’s changed since we tested here. We’ve homed in on more of a setup. It’s a different vibe with the evening race. It’s a track that always brings a lot of travelling support from Northern Ireland as well. The key for my weekends this season has been trying to qualify well and we’ll put a lot of emphasis on that throughout tomorrow and Saturday morning. Hopefully we can qualify on those first few rows and make the races a little bit more straight forward. It’s a physical track but the rider can find that last little bit and I know a bit around here so hopefully I can put it to good use. I’ve always been saying the aim is to, step by step, improve the feeling. That’s still the case. I want to battle inside the top five. That’s the next step, to try to be there. I felt I had the pace to do that at Most actually, and at Donington I had a strong weekend. Regularly we need to be in the top five now. That’s the goal.”

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW): “It’s nice to have something in my back pocket… excited to have an opportunity to stay in WorldSBK”

Reflecting on his new deal for 2025, and his hopes and goals at Portimao, Gerloff said: “I’m really excited to have an opportunity to stay in WorldSBK for next year and especially with them, it feels like it could be a really good thing for both of us. Last year here was really good for me, I remember having some good races and had two fourth places in the long races, which is the best I did last year. I want to have the same thing this year at the very least. We’ve been struggling this year to get the same results with a similar package and we’re not 100% what’s going on. I’m excited not to have to wake up at 6am on Saturday and Sunday! That’s good news for me; I can wake up, get some breakfast, chill, and then show up to the track later for the races. I could get used to that schedule! How we finished last year and how the first test went at Jerez, I was expecting this year to be already a lot better of year and we’ve just been struggling. It hasn’t been an easy year at all. It’s nice to have something in my back pocket, so I don’t have to be worried or anything like that. I haven’t been worried at all about it this year, I hadn’t been thinking about it.”

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing): “My goal is to remain in the paddock”

Rinaldi’s future is up in the air, and he discussed progress in recent rounds plus his WorldSBK future, stating: “The last round at Most was a little bit better than previous ones. We haven’t reached our potential yet and it’s good to arrive at Portimao, a track I like a lot, because last year I was pretty strong. I’m looking forward to finding good feeling with the bike at this track, to enjoy this rollercoaster and it’ll be different because we’ll race at a different time. It’s been more than a few months that I’ve not been jumping on the podium, so I missed that taste. I know last year we had many podiums and one victory. My goal is to get back in the top positions. I need to be realistic and our goal this weekend will be to improve our performance from the last round. We’re missing the results. I didn’t expect to be not competitive for so many races. When you switch from a factory team to an Independent team, everything changes but we didn’t expect this. We’re working hard to come back to the positions I know I can do, and the team can do, because they did a great job last year. For sure, you’re missing some information because I know a little bit more, but I would love to race in WorldSBK and I think there is a good chance. At the moment, no. I’m working on that, but the most important thing is to work on the present which is achieving the best results you can with the situation and team you’re in, to have a good future. My goal is to remain in the paddock.”

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha): “I’m really happy to be the first Yamaha because it shows the progress we’ve made during the past, now and I hope in the future”

Locatelli heads into the Portuguese Round as the lead Yamaha rider, something he’ll hope to continue at Portimao: “It’s really important to be on track immediately after the podium at Most because I think the quality of my riding right now isn’t too bad, so it’s important to continue to show our potential and, in any case, this is a good track for us because we’ve had podiums in the past and we were always fast. It’s another good opportunity. During this season, sometimes we were a bit unlucky, we lost some positions and a lot of points for the overall standings. It’s not so important because the focus for me is trying to be competitive everywhere, try to be fast in every condition and situation. We don’t have a lot of podiums, but we are always close to fighting for the top five and we also know the competition is stronger. I’m really happy to be the first Yamaha because it shows the progress we’ve made during the past, now and I hope in the future.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Ivo Lopes will return to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid for his home Pirelli Portuguese Round this weekend as he replaces the still-recovering Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) following his crash at Donington Park in July. The #95 suffered a concussion in his Race 1 crash, forcing him to miss the Czech Round and Mackenzie will also miss the round at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve as he continues his recovery, with Lopes stepping in.

Lopes made his WorldSBK debut last year when he stepped in to replace Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) for the Catalunya Round, his only appearance in World Superbike to date. He scored one point in Race 1 as he took 15^th place and matched that result in the Tissot Superpole Race, before claiming 17^th in Race 2. The Portuguese star also competed in STK1000 back in 2013, claiming 22^nd place on Suzuki machinery, while he also has one WorldSSP race under his belt from 2018, although he didn’t finish the race. Both of the STK1000 and WorldSSP appearances came at Portimao.

Discussing his return to WorldSBK, the 28-year-old said: “When we least expect it, an opportunity arises! I was very surprised and pleased when the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team invited me to race with them at the next WorldSBK round, which takes place at the Portimao circuit. The CBR1000RR-R is a completely new bike for me, but I will try my best to adapt to the bike as quickly as possible and help the team in the best possible way during what will be a very special adventure for me, at my “home” track in front of the Portuguese public. It’s common knowledge that my dream is to be a full-time WorldSBK rider and that’s why my team are allowing me to take this opportunity, something I am extremely grateful for. I had chance to compete in WorldSBK last season, at Barcelona, where I managed to finish in the points. This time I’m not heading out on track with any real expectations though, I just want to seize the opportunity and do the best I can to assist the team. As I said, I have zero experience with this bike, but I’m going to try my hardest to lap with world championship worthy times and exploit the fact that I know the AIA track very well!”

Lopes will be alongside regular rider Adam Norrodin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda), who will hope to make his return from injury subject to pre-round medical checks. The Malaysian rider crashed out of Race 2 at Donington and was forced to miss Most due to concussion, but he’ll be back in action at the ‘rollercoaster’ Portuguese venue as he continues his rookie campaign.

Follow all the action from Portimao in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 50% off!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Garrett Gerloff will ride for his third manufacturer in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship next season after inking a deal with the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing for the 2025 campaign. The American star has ridden for Yamaha and BMW in his five seasons so far but will soon add the Kawasaki ZX-10RR to his collection when he links up with Manuel Puccetti’s squad for next season following his current team in their current guise, Bonovo Action BMW, announcing they’d withdraw from WorldSBK at the end of 2024. The team also confirmed their plans for 2025, including being an ‘Official’ Kawasaki team using this year’s ZX-10RR for Gerloff, with the team committing to a one-bike setup.

GERLOFF MAKES HIS MARK: podiums in his first season

The #31 made the switch from MotoAmerica to World Superbike in 2020 and, after adapting to his new surroundings, soon found himself as a podium contender with the GRT Yamaha outfit. He ended his debut season with three rostrums – in Race 2 in Barcelona and in two races at Estoril – and backed that up with two more in 2021. He was third in the Tissot Superpole Race at Aragon to open the season in style, before claiming second in Race 2 at Donington Park. His final year with Yamaha was more challenging with Race 1 in Barcelona his sole visit to the rostrum.

A NEW CHALLENGE: switching to the BMW M 1000 RR

Gerloff opted to leave the Yamaha family for the 2023 campaign and linked up with the Bonovo Action BMW team, first alongside Loris Baz and then as teammate to Scott Redding this season. Although he hasn’t been able to take the M 1000 RR to the rostrum, he ended the 2023 season as the top BMW rider, often challenging for a podium and claiming a surprise pole position at Magny-Cours. The highs of 2024 haven’t been so prominent for the Texas-born star, with a best result of P8 at Most in Race. After Misano, it was announced that the team, in its current guise, would leave WorldSBK at the end of the season, leaving Gerloff searching for a new seat.

SIXTH SEASON, THIRD MANUFACTURER: Kawasaki awaits for Gerloff

It didn’t take Gerloff too long to find himself a seat on the world stage for 2025, signing a contract with the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing outfit. Kawasaki will become the third manufacturer Gerloff has ridden for in his WorldSBK career, following on from Yamaha and BMW. The team have committed to using the Kawasaki ZX-10RR next year despite the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team’s new project, keeping the ‘Ninja’ brand in WorldSBK. It will be a one-bike structure for the #31 using the current season ZX-10RR, with hardware and data transferred to Puccetti Kawasaki as they become the “official” Kawasaki team; Bimota by KRT will be the Factory team.

FROM THE TEAM: “We will field current season KRT Ninja ZX-10RR machinery… this is a dream come true!”

Team owner Manuel Puccetti was delighted with his new signing, saying: “On behalf of myself and my team – as well as my sponsors and my family – I would like to express what an honour and privilege this is. Since my first days in racing I personally appreciate the elements that make a rider or team successful. I started racing on a 125cc production machine in an Italian cup race in the late 1990s and by 2002 I had taken the challenging step to become a team owner. Just one truck, some motorcycles and a loyal group of sponsors to start with. Yet, from these beginnings, we worked and worked to become what we are now; a team with World, European and National Championships to our credit and a success record that includes over 120 podiums. In 2025, we will field current season KRT Ninja ZX-10RR machinery and I can only say this is a dream come true. Rest assured we will do our best to fulfil the ambitions of Ninja fans across the world in the coming season. We are truly honoured.”    

KAWASAKI SAYS: “It’s important to maintain a presence in WorldSBK with our Ninja brand”

Shigemi Tanaka, General Manager, Marketing & Sales Division, Kawasaki Motors, Ltd, added: “Manuel has a unique combination of experience, achievement and enthusiasm and his record of success is testament to his tenacity and professionalism. Already the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team are working closely with KRT in the current WorldSBK Championship, so the channels of communication on WorldSBK issues are firmly established and productive. For Kawasaki, it’s important to maintain a presence in WorldSBK with our Ninja brand. With our support for Kawasaki Puccetti and via the transfer on loan of our factory Ninja ZX-10RR race assets – we can publicly show our appreciation of Kawasaki Puccetti Racing and be confident that the Ninja brand will continue to play a significant role in the WorldSBK paddock.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

It’s been a phenomenal first two rounds for the inaugural FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship with four races being decided by less than a second at the chequered flag. Misano and Donington Park have been the stages so far but marking the halfway point of the season is the Autodrom Internacional do Algarve. Can someone else add their name to the winners’ list this weekend?

FOUR-WAY FIGHT: Herrera vs Carrasco vs Sanchez vs Neila – who will it be this time?

On top in the title race, Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team) has won three of four races but that doesn’t paint the full picture; having to fight her way through in last lap battles, she carries a slender seven-point advantage into the third round over Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha Team). The #22 took a first win at Donington Park last time out and having won in WorldSSP300 here, we could be set for the big rivals to go head-to-head in Portugal. Third overall and like Carrasco, on the podium in every race, Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team). The #64 battled hard at Misano and Donington and with previous experience at Portimao, she’ll be right there again. There’s been a group of four that have the edge on the opposition and completing it is Beatriz Neila (Ampito/Pata Prometeon Yamaha). A first podium last time out, can the four-time European champion grab victory this weekend?

CLOSING THEM DOWN: Yochay leads the charge to the fantastic four

Bridging the gap, Ran Yochay (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) after achieving a first top five of 2024 at Donington Park in Race 2, taking her into the top five in the standings. She’s 20 points behind Neila and two ahead of Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team), who had her first DNF during the last race after a collision with teammate Ornella Ongaro – both were OK and in the battle at the front. Taking advantage of both missing points, Pakita Ruiz (PS Racing Team 46+1), seventh and aiming to continue her top ten run. Lucy Michel (TSL-Racing) took her career best finish with seventh at Donington and will have her sights firmly set on the top six. Tayla Relph (TAYCO Motorsport) was in the top six at Donington. She’s tested at Portimao; expect her to be fast at the rollercoaster. Completing the top ten, Isis Carreño (AD78 FIM Latinoamerica by Team GP3), won’t be present as she continues her recovery from a testing injury.

CHASING TOP 10 RESULTS: Ongaro, Ourednickova and Liu set for battle

With Ongaro in 11th, Adela Ourednickova (Dafit Motoracing by Smrz) is 12th and always improving, having taken a first top ten in the UK. Chun Mei Liu (WT Racing Team Taiwan) is next up and needs to be declared fit after her Race 2 Donington fall; Lena Kemmer (Bertl K. Racing Team) chases a first top ten whilst Japan’s Luna Hirano (Team Luna) made a big step in the UK for a first top ten in P9. Knocking on the door of the top ten, South Africa’s Nicole van Aswegen (Andalaft Racing), Mexico’s Astrid Madrigal (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) and France’s Emily Bondi (YART Zelos Black Knights Team) seek personal bests. Mallory Dobbs (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) aims for Portimao points after an unlucky Donington. Points are getting closer for Andrea Sibaja (Daza – Box 77 Racing Team) and whilst she’s double dutying this round with the WorldSSP300 side of her team, a top 15 is the target.

HOUSEKEEPING: Varon set to debut, Howden and Nadieieva return whilst Whitmore is replaced

With much anticipation, Colombian rider Sara Varon (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) makes a long-awaited World Championship debut after a pre-season injury. She’s been replaced by Dominican rider Krystal Silfa in the first two rounds, with her able to score the first ever World Championship points in any Championship for the Dominican Republic. Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno) will be back in action after her Misano crash, pending a final Thursday medical approval trackside. Missing Donington Park through no fault of her own, Ukraine’s Iryna Nadieieva (MPS.RT) is back on track whilst out of Portimao after her Donington Park crash, Alyssia Whitmore (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) is replaced by Jamie Hanks-Elliott. For a latest update regarding Mia Rushten (Rushten Racing), click here.

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Source: WorldSBK.com