Championship Standings
- After securing his first triple victory at Phillip Island, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) arrives at the first European round as the Championship leader, ahead of teammate Alvaro Bautista.
- For the first time since 2004, five Ducati riders occupy the top five positions in the standings after the opening round. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven), Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), and Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) hold 3rd, 4th, and 5th place, respectively. In 2004, the last time this occurred, the top five included James Toseland, Regis Laconi, Frankie Chili, Garry McCoy, and Noriyuki Haga.
- Reigning World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) endured a challenging start to his title defense, scoring only 20 points at Phillip Island. He sits 8th in the standings, 42 points behind Bulega. Looking ahead to Portimao, Razgatlioglu told WorldSBK.com: “I am just focusing on the next race because we’re going back to Europe, and I will be having to fight with all the Ducatis. I am going to keep working and try to come back stronger.”
Historical Performance
- Razgatlioglu has won the last three WorldSBK races at Portimao, bringing his total wins at the circuit to six.
- With Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) missing the Portuguese Round, only three riders on the 2025 grid have previously won a WorldSBK race at Portimao: Razgatlioglu, Bautista, and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). Bautista won four consecutive races at the circuit during his 2022 and 2023 title-winning seasons.
- Of the six manufacturers competing in 2025, only bimota has yet to secure a podium finish at Portimao.
Recent Form and Key Contenders
- Toprak Razgatlioglu dominated the two-day Portimao test, setting the fastest time on both days. On Day 2, he posted a 1’39.592s lap, beating Jonathan Rea’s 2022 Superpole record. Teammate Michael van der Mark also showed progress, finishing P4 on Day 2.
- Nicolo Bulega finished P2 on both days, continuing his strong form after a hat-trick in Australia. He suffered a crash on Day 2 but returned to set a 1’40.017s lap.
- Among the fastest Ducatis at Portimao’s testing in March, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) started the season strongly in Australia, securing two top six finishes. He aims to maintain this momentum as the Championship moves to Europe.
Injuries Updates
- Jonathan Rea continues his recovery from surgery following his injury in Australia. His absence from the Portuguese Round ends his streak as the only rider to have competed in all 38 WorldSBK races held at Portimao since the track joined the Championship in 2008.
- Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) was sidelined from the Australian round due to a broken foot, which also forced him to miss the Portimao test ahead of Round 2. However, he is set to return to action at Pirelli Portuguese Round.
 Shaun Muir – Team Principal, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team:“Portimao is a circuit that suits our riders and complements the M 1000 RR. It has been kind to Toprak and Michael over the years, with both securing podiums and wins here. The track’s flow and layout generally work well with our bike, making it a strong reference point for testing. Overall, it’s a fantastic circuit, and we love coming to the Algarve, where the weather is usually blue skies all day.” |
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