DID YOU MISS IT? WorldSBK’s 1000th race brings title race twist as the Championship tackles new Balaton Park Circuit
A milestone was celebrated in Hungary, but the racing delivered plenty of shocks and surprises on WorldSBK’s first visit to the country since 1990
Round 8 of the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign concluded at the Balaton Park Circuit, with plenty of big talking points from the Balaton Park Circuit. The newest venue on the WorldSBK calendar held the Championship’s 1000th race, while this year’s Hungarian Round – the first since 1990 – had big title race twists and plenty of action throughout. You can catch up on some of the best moments in this article.
THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF BALATON PARK: understanding the new venue
Friday is important for the WorldSBK field at every track, but arguably the opening day of action at Balaton Park was the most important Friday of the year. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) were the fastest two, with the former offering a rapid onboard camera lap during practice, giving a first-person perspective of the circuit.
SUPERPOLE AND RACE DAY: drama throughout Saturday
The grid was set on Saturday morning and it was Razgatlioglu who claimed the inaugural Balaton Park pole position, with ‘El Turco’ ahead of Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) while Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) lined up from fourth. Race 1 got underway in the afternoon but there was a big crash at Turn 2, with seven riders going down. Razgatlioglu would go on to win the race ahead of Bulega, gaining five points on his title rival.
WORLD SUPERBIKE CELEBRATES RACE 1000: a mixed conditions thriller
Sunday rolled around and with it some overnight rain, leaving the track damp but drying ahead of the Tissot Superpole Race – WorldSBK’s 1000th. A special video, narrated by Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha), opened the broadcast to go on a journey through the Championship’s history, before the 10-lap race started. An intermediate tyre gamble for Bulega failed to pay off and he finished in 13th place as Razgatlioglu claimed victory; a big 12-point swing in the standings. Bulega’s finish in the Superpole Race meant he started Race 2 from tenth but he was able to fight his way through to claim P2, behind the #1, while Bulega’s teammate, Alvaro Bautista, crashed out in spectacular fashion while in the podium fight.
Catch up on all the Hungarian action, and the 2025 title fight, using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now half price!
