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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the Autodrom Most for Round 5 of the 2025 season with plenty at stake for the top two in the standings. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) has the momentum heading east following his hat-trick at Cremona, but Most is traditional Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) territory. The Motul Czech Round is up next and there’s only one question on everyone’s minds: who will make the Most of it? 

BULEGA VS RAZGATLIOGLU, CHAPTER FIVE: another battle in store?

Bulega claimed three victories in Italy last time out but was made to work hard for them with Razgatlioglu putting up a fight, but perhaps this weekend the roles will reverse. ‘El Turco’ has eight wins at the circuit since it joined the calendar in 2021, including a triple last time out, while he’s got 11 podiums out of 12 races at the Czech venue – his only non-rostrum coming after a technical issue after a fierce fight with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) in Race 2 in 2023. Bulega has only one WorldSBK round at Most, claimed two podiums on Sunday last year behind Razgatlioglu. As for Bautista, he’s got form at Most with five rostrums on the Panigale V4 R including victory in Race 1 in 2022 and Race 2 in 2023. After three podiums at Cremona, and on a run of five in a row, will he be able to claim a rostrum again?

IN FORM AFTER CREMONA: several riders aiming to be in the mix…

A handful of riders head to Most in great form and will be hoping to continue that at Most. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) with four top-five finishes in the last six races, with Race 1 at Cremona impacted by a technical issue. He was in the fight in Italy with the Honda duo of Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge, who were consistently fighting for a top six, so will that continue at Most? Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was on the podium here twice in 2023, and once again in 2024, as he looks for his first podium since Race 1 at Assen. While Cremona was more of a challenge for Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha), he’s still fighting for third in the Championship and sits only seven points back from Bautista in P3, and Most is somewhere he’s traditionally gone well at: he has two podiums and 11 top-seven finishes in 12 races. Staying with riders in Yamaha blue, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) appears to have taken a step with Yamaha’s superconcession chassis and was in the mix at both Assen and Cremona, and Most is a circuit he’s fared well at – his last five races there have all been top-six finishes. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) got good results at Cremona but seemed to lack pace, so will that change at Most?

GOOD RESULTS BEFORE AT MOST: a chance to replicate in 2025?

Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) has shown good pace at Most before, even with 2024’s struggles, with a best of P4 twice in 2023. He’ll be hoping to be back on form this year at the Czech venue, as will teammate Alex Lowes, who, despite a podium in last year’s Tissot Superpole Race, has only finished in the top six twice. Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) is a previous winner here after his Race 2 win in 2021 which came on Ducati machinery, so expect the #45 to be closer to the front once again – he also went well here with BMW in 2022 and 2023. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) ended last year’s Czech Round with his best finish at Most, taking P5 in Race 2, and he’ll be aiming to repeat that this year. Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha), the only other rider to win at Most – his most recent victory – is continuing to build up his fitness following his return to action at Cremona.

HOPING TO BE STRONG: rookies aim to impress, other riders aim for points

Rookie Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) has had mixed fortunes at Most, with a P3 and P4 last year in WorldSSP his only finishes from six races. The good news for the #5 is that he ended his WorldSBK Saturday ‘curse’ last time out, so he’ll be hoping to be a bit closer to the top ten. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) only has one top-ten finish at Most and will be looking to change that, while Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) will look to fight for the top ten; something he’s done so often at Most. Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) made his WorldSBK debut at Most on Kawasaki machinery in 2022 so comes in with a bit of knowledge about the track with a Superbike. Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team duo Tito Rabat and Bahattin Sofuoglu will aim to add to their points tally for this year, while Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) has good memories of this venue: he was a surprise WorldSSP winner in Race 2 in 2023 in mixed conditions; Sofuoglu was on the rostrum in that race. Zaqhwan Zaidi (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) will continue his adaptation. 

Watch the Cremona highlights show HERE, read the Official Programme for Most HERE and watch every moment from the Czech Republic using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 50% off!