This weekend’s opening race of the 2025 FIM Yamaha R3 BLU CRU World Cup saw rising star, Alessandro Di Persio (ARCO MotoR University Team), storm to a seventh race victory of the season from pole position.

The Italian rider played a patient game throughout today’s 10-lap charge to the flag, taking the lead on the final laps of the race to cross the line ahead by 0.139 seconds.

R3 talents, Aymon Bocanegra (Yamaha AD78 FIM Latinoamerica) and Xarly Mendez De Oleo (74 Academy) joined him on the podium in second and third respectively, demonstrating impressive race craft from third and fourth on the grid.

The penultimate race of 2025 saw Teppei Kugawa (BLU CRU Yamaha Racing Japan), Arai Agaska (BLU CRU Yamaha Racing Indonesia), and Mario Salles (Yamaha AD78 FIM Latinoamerica), promote themselves into second, third and fourth respectively in the standings, all achieving results within the top seven of Race 1.

Sitting in fifth overall but still in the fight for second in the championship, Chris Clark (BGR Smrz Racing) crossed the line in eighteenth, completing two long lap penalties for irresponsible riding in yesterday’s Superpole session.

Tomorrow’s final race of the year will host a four-way battle for second in the standings between Kugawa, Agaska, Salles, and Clark – with the quartet separated by just nine points.

Di Persio, Bocanegra and Mendez De Oleo occupy spots on the front row for the final race of the season, with runner-up contenders, Kugawa, Agaska, Salles, and Clark going from fourth, sixth, seventh and eighteenth respectively.

Alessandro Di Persio, ARCO MotoR University Team, said: “It’s a great feeling to have taken the win today, it was an incredible race with lots of riders involved in the leading group. I think I ran a strong race and it felt good to start the final lap at the front of the pack. I want to thank my team, ARCO MotoR University, for giving me such a great bike and as well as to Yamaha and the R3 BLU CRU for their support. We’ll focus on achieving more of the same tomorrow.”