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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is starting to enjoy some downtime after a frantic opening eight rounds of the 2025 season. 24 races in, there are two clear title contenders with just 26 points behind them, while the fight for third is also set to go to the wire. With the break upon us, it’s time to look at what we’ve learnt from the first eight rounds of the season…

EVERY POINT MATTERS: no one can afford a mistake in the title race

Starting with a fairly obvious one, but three Tissot Superpole Races have proven this. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) had a technical issue at Assen while leading, he was taken out at Misano, and a tyre gamble went wrong at Balaton Park. That’s a maximum 36 points given up there – although even if you say he would’ve finished first, second and second, that’s still 30 points given up; and he trails Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) by 26 points. Of course, Assen Race 2 also featured a retirement from Bulega while leading, so that’s another potential 25 points he lost. Razgatlioglu hasn’t had a perfect season either, with issues of his own in Australia and Assen, but since Round 4 he’s either won or been second while ‘Bulegas’ has had two other non-scores…

THE FIGHT FOR THIRD: Petrucci vs Bautista vs Locatelli

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) currently holds the advantage over Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) in the battle for bronze, despite the #19 arguably being faster; it’s Petrucci’s consistency which has helped him lead the fight. A regular on the rostrum but also with very few retirements to his name, it’s a contrast to Bautista who has made a big step forward compared to last year but has also crashed out a few times, costing him valuable points. Then, there’s Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha). The only rider of the three to win a race this season, and the only rider outside of Bulega and Razgatlioglu to win this season, ‘Loka’ is being as consistent as ever but has the occasional round where getting into the top five is a struggle for him and Yamaha, costing him points in his fight – even if he has leapfrogged Bautista into P4.

SAM LOWES JOINS THE PODIUM GROUP: a big step forward for the #14

It’s no surprise a rider makes a step in their second season, and that’s exactly what Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) has done – to put himself in regular podium contention. He now has four this season but should have at least two more, after he crashed at both Donington and Balaton Park from the podium places. He’s currently sixth in the standings and trails Bautista by 61 points. It’s a lot of points to make up but maybe the #14 can put himself into the conversation for a P5 Championship finish… or perhaps better. Elsewhere, Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) showed his potential at Donington and Balaton Park as he consistently fought for the top ten, with Donington a track he knew like the back of his hand heading into the weekend and Balaton Park a new venue for everyone. Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) similarly is making steps every time he jumps on the ZX-10RR, as is Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) on the Yamaha R1; even if it’s been tricky to string a weekend together. He was on course for a double top-ten on Sunday at Misano before he crashed, and a triple top-six at Donington before a tech issue in Race 2 hampered his performance. That said, Hungary was difficult for the #65, with two crashes in Race 1 and a best of P9 in the Superpole Race.

THE TOP-TEN BATTLE IS MAD: lots of riders in the mix

The group behind the top five or six in WorldSBK this year is incredible, with as many as ten riders fighting to be in the top ten. Gerloff and Rea are two of these but there’s also GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK duo Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter, Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven), Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) and teammate Iker Lecuona, bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team duo Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani plus Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team). All have finished in the top ten at times this season and all would’ve been hoping for more, but so many riders fighting for so few positions makes it difficult. Of course, at Balaton Park, there was a new name to add to the mix: Tarran Mackenzie (MGM BONOVO Action). The #95 returned to WorldSBK after one round away and, with a smile on his face, finished 14^th, 8^th and 11^th, as he jumped on the Panigale V4 R.

HONDA’S DONINGTON BLIP: back on form in Hungary

Donington was nothing short of a disaster for Honda, with Lecuona and Vierge scoring one top-ten between them all weekend. Thankfully for the two Spaniards, it appeared to be a one-off after a strong first half of the season, with the CBR1000RR-R in top-six contention at Balaton Park. Vierge finished P8, P5 and P7 in Hungary as the sole rider for the factory team, with Lecuona caught up in the Lap 1, Turn 2 pile-up and declared unfit with left distal forearm fractures.

MIXED FORTUNES UP AND DOWN THE GRID: Iannone not where he wants to be

Iannone had a stellar rookie WorldSBK campaign, culminating in a race win at Aragon, but he’s yet to hit that success in 2025. Two podiums in the season-opening round in Australia have been the highlight but his best since then has been a P4 in Race 1 at Cremona – and that was a defensive masterclass from ‘The Maniac’ rather than being the fourth fastest rider. He’ll be hoping for a strong end to the 2025 campaign as he aims to secure a seat on the 2026 grid. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) also hasn’t been able to hit the highs of last year, with the #60 sitting in 15^th place in the Championship while his teammate leads.

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