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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the historic Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for Round 6 of the 2025 season – the halfway point being reached on the Adriatic Coast at one of WorldSBK’s most iconic venues. Filled with passionate Ducatisti cheering on Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) in the title fight, plus a horde of Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) supporters hoping he can repeat his 2024 heroics at Misano, the 2025 edition of the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round is sure to deliver another epic battle between the pair as they continue fighting for this year’s titles.

BULEGA VS RAZGATLIOGLU RAMPS UP: the halfway stage is here…

After five rounds last season, Razgatlioglu had just won his seventh consecutive race – including two hat-tricks on the spin, which included a triple at Misano – and led Bulega by 41 points. Things have changed in 2025 though, with Bulega now leading Razgatlioglu after five rounds by 31 points. Last time out at Most featured one of their best battles, with Bulega beating ‘El Turco’ on the run to the line at a circuit which has traditionally been Razgatlioglu’s most successful. Now, the #11 will hope to keep that momentum going as he searches for victories on home soil, but he knows he’ll have his work cut out to beat Razgatlioglu. The #1’s hat-trick last year was the point where some in BMW felt they could win the title, and that proved to be the case. Both were quick in the test, under the existing lap record, and a clear step ahead of their rivals; the #11 and #1 were separated by 0.040s, while the pair had around seven tenths to Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) in third.

THE CHASING GROUP: several riders in the fight

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) continues to make progress on the Panigale V4 R and he had new ergonomics to try at the recent Misano test as he looks to close the gap on Bulega and Razgatlioglu. 11^th on the timesheets wasn’t representative of the #19’s pace – he was the highest-placed rider not to improve in the afternoon session on Day 2 – and he’ll be hoping he can be in the mix. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), despite a technical issue on Day 1 at the test, was also quick, and he’ll be hoping he can be in the podium fight. It was a less successful test for Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), who was trying to make gains on softer Pirelli tyres. Two crashes on Day 2 left ‘Petrux’ frustrated but he’ll be hoping for a first WorldSBK rostrum at Misano. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) was also left frustrated at the test and he’ll be hoping he can make gains at the round. Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) was quick in three sectors at Misano during the test but was losing a lot of time through Curvone compared to his rivals, so the #17 will be hoping, with more experience of the circuit in WorldSBK, he can bring that gap down. Honda will hope to be fast with Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC), as he was at the test, as the Japanese manufacturer continued working on electronics. Teammate Xavi Vierge will need to pass a medical check on Thursday following his injury at Most and subsequent surgery – he was not at the test, but the team stated the round was the #97’s goal. Bassani will be hoping he can continue his testing form at a track he always goes well at, while teammate Alex Lowes found the feeling hard to come by at the Misano test, so can he make gains on the KB998 Rimini during his manufacturer’s home round?

MAKING GAINS? Rea and Locatelli in search of top results, Rinaldi makes WorldSBK return

At Yamaha, Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was able to have his ‘first’ test of the year – with winter tests disrupted by rain and then the injury in Australia – and he believed he was now riding the Yamaha R1 as it’s meant to be. He’ll be disappointed by the gap to the front but perhaps the #65 is going to start unlocking the full potential of the bike. Teammate Andrea Locatelli, fresh from inking a two-year deal with Yamaha, will hope for a first Misano rostrum but it was Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) who ended the test as the fastest Yamaha rider and the #87 will aim to continue his fine form. Elsewhere, Michael Rinaldi (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) makes a return to WorldSBK with Yamaha machinery, the first time he’ll have raced in World Superbike on something other than a Ducati, at a track he’s won twice at. The Italian will run #12 for his latest stint in WorldSBK, with his usual #21 already taken. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) will be going in search of points once again. Away from Yamaha, rookie Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) impressed at Most and was fast in the Misano test, so will he be able to be in the top ten once again? For Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing), he wasn’t at the test, perhaps putting him at a slight disadvantage, but it’s a circuit he knows – he was fourth three times for Ducati in 2021. Zaqhwan Zaidi (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) also didn’t test, with the team drafting Ivo Lopes for the two-day outing, but the Malaysian is set to be back on the CBR1000 RR-R machine alongside Tarran Mackenzie at Misano.

PRE-ROUND MEDICAL CHECKS: Iannone and Vierge set for review

Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) is another, alongside Vierge, who will need to pass a medical check on Thursday ahead of the round after he sustained broken toes in a crash at Most. ‘The Maniac’ was at the test recently, wearing a bigger right boot than usual and also trying a rear thumb brake.  

Watch the Most highlights show HERE, read the Official Programme for Misano HERE and watch every moment from Italy using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 30% off!