WorldSBK 2025
Portimao Test – Day Two
Wednesday’s second day of testing at Portimao marked the end of pre-season testing in Europe as the paddock now prepares to travel to Phillip Island.
Adverse weather conditions and rain interruptions limited on-track activity, with many teams opting to save their allocated test days for later in the season.
Toprak Razgatlıoglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had a quiet day, completing just four laps as he continued his work from Tuesday. The Turkish rider finished with the second-fastest time of the day but remained top outright after setting the pace on Tuesday, and was only five-thousandths behind Lowes on Wednesday. Toprak was still running his special gloves to help him use his broken finger as best as he could but is mostly using his middle finger as opposed to his index finger for braking. He also revealed he had a small technical problem on his first run.
Team-mate Michael van der Mark did venture out on track, although didn’t set a lap time on his M 1000 RR. Test rider Markus Reiterberger also completed laps for the German manufacturer; the German riding until the end of the day.
Sven Blusch – Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport
“To sum it up briefly, we are ready for Phillip Island. It was certainly not the easiest winter, especially with the rainy days and the limited dry track time. Nevertheless, on the first day at Portimão, we were able to show well where we stand. We are also very happy that Toprak’s injury is healing. He’s not at 100% yet, but he has already proved on track what potential he and the BMW will have this year again. On Mickey’s side, we were also very positive. His performance has remained strong over the winter, and we saw in Jerez that he will carry this momentum into Phillip Island. Now, we can hardly wait to head to Australia and start the first race.”
Christian Gonschor – Technical Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport
“It is always a pleasure to see the factory team and the test team together at the track, experiencing how the respective technicians and riders synchronise, exchange information, and collaboratively develop the 2025 bike. The test team has tested in all weather conditions, laid solid foundations, and secured and confirmed the final parts for the 2025 race deployment. Markus and Sylvain have diligently completed laps and all test assignments, even though Sylvain was slightly unwell at Portimão. Wishing him a speedy recovery at this point. The race team also maximised a dry day at Jerez with Michael and a few dry but very windy hours at Portimão on Day 1 with both deployment riders. Toprak confirmed the competitiveness of the bike for 2025 on race tyres in dry conditions and admirably completed his test programme despite his hand injury, totalling 60 valuable laps. During the two test events in Jerez and Portimão, we were thus able to confirm the performance of the M1000RR in dry conditions, sort out components, and adapt the bike to the new regulations for 2025. The bike, riders and technical crew are ready and highly motivated to start their journey with the new M1000RR to Australia, where two valuable test days await before the first race of the season to incorporate the final insights from the pre-season tests and complete the fine-tuning.”
Shaun Muir – Team Principal ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“At Jerez we obviously only tested with Michael and we’ve been happy with the situation with him in terms of the work he’s done with the test items. We’re really happy with the package so far. At Portimão we were mostly struggling to work around the weather situation, so what turned out to be very valuable track time was on day one in the afternoon. We certainly ticked a lot of boxes in terms of understanding the package now. For sure not knowing that day two would be so bad weather wise, at least now we have some clear direction going to Phillip Island, where we have a more comfortable feeling now starting the season there.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
“For me the test in Portimão, especially the first day, was really positive. We tried some new parts and set-ups and it worked really well. I’m happy and it looks like that we’re ready for the Phillip Island race. The test was also very important for me after my injury; my finger was broken and I couldn’t ride a bike for almost two months, so I’m glad that I could ride the Superbike again. I have still a little pain in my finger but on the bike I’m feeling very good. The hard braking especially is good and normal, it’s only while I’m leaning in the right corner, I’m not feeling a hundred percent comfortable and I’m not pushing as hard as before. I hope that it will be better by Phillip Island because generally everything is going really well. I’m looking forward to the Phillip Island test now, I hope we can find a good set-up and to start the season strong.”
Michael van der Mark
“It was really nice to be back at the track after the winter break. We were just really unlucky with the weather during the two tests at Jerez and Portimão. Anyway, I think we started off on a very good level. For sure you always want to try new things on a bike, especially with a new bike as we have, but the level was already so good, so I’m feeling very confident and am looking forward to Phillip Island. We have another two days of testing there, so there will be still a lot of things that we want to try but we know that the basis is really good and we’re happy to race now. The new bike feels really similar to last years bike, but with certain improvements, which is really good, I like it a lot.”
Markus Reiterberger
“Unfortunately, we didn’t have the best weather during the pre-season tests, but that was the case for all teams and riders. The weather was quite mixed at both tests, and also relatively cool. Nevertheless, we tried our best to complete our test programme and rode many laps. We tried out various things and the engineers were satisfied with that. As a test rider, it’s also important for me to contribute insights that the engineers and the team can work with effectively and that actually benefit the project, so my goal isn’t necessarily to ride a fast lap. All in all, the tests were cool, we spent a lot of time together and collected a lot of data. I think we’ve done a good job preparing, so that the factory team now has a good base for Phillip Island, and I am very happy and grateful to be a part of it.”
Sylvain Guintoli
“I’m actually not feeling very well, so I only tested the first day at Portimão. I still managed to do more than 70 laps though but couldn’t test on day two. Anyways, in general the winter testing was good, we definitely had challenging weather conditions at Jerez and Portimão, but we did what we wanted to do. We were able to cover lots of mileage in both wet and dry conditions, which was really important so it was definitely also good practice for our Endurance season, especially for Le Mans. All in all we got everything done and I’m really happy with it. It feels good, that everything is now ready to go for the first round at Phillip Island. It was great work by the test team and also by the factory team. Working together was a pleasure.”
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) set the third-fastest time of the day despite suffering crashes at turns seven and nine. Nicolò Bulega finished in third place on the opening day with a time of 1’40.748, just a tenth off Razgatlioglu’s best time, but was unable to make the most of his time attack due to some traffic that slowed him down in the first sector.
Nicolò Bulega
“I am pretty happy with what we did at Portimao, even though the weather didn’t allow us to do all the planned work. The feeling with the bike is positive, even if it is still not 100%. However, I am satisfied with the race pace I managed to keep, even though there are still a few details to iron out. I could have done better on the time attack if I hadn’t found traffic on the track”.
Alvaro Bautista
“I tried to start an exit on the wet. The track was slippery and entering into Turn 9, I lost the rear without any warning. I had a big highside because that corner is quite fast. I have a big impact against the ground, with my left arm and hand. I think nothing is broken but, for sure, the hand is peeling a bit. In any case, I was lucky. We have two weeks to recover but basically, I could do a couple of laps after the crash to check my position on the bike. I felt pain but the normal pain after a big crash like that. I hope to be without any problem for Phillip Island.
“It’s been very short and poor because we didn’t spend time on track with good conditions. At Jerez, we had one day with strong wind that was difficult for the first day after three months. The confidence with the bike wasn’t the best. The second day was raining, so we got no laps on track. Here at Portimao, it was basically the same. The first day was wet in the morning and in the afternoon, the track had some wet patches and stronger wind than Jerez; so not the best conditions to see something. Today, with the rain again. We’ve not had a good pre-season, the same as everybody. I hope to use the two-day test before the race in Australia better and start to get some confidence. We made some tests with the bike, but we didn’t spend a lot of time in any one of the setups, so I don’t have good confidence with the bike, so I hope to build that in Australia and try to prepare well for the weekend.”
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the fastest Yamaha rider on Wednesday at Portimao, finishing fourth overall. The Italian posted a best time of 1’43.131s, continuing Yamaha’s evaluation of key components following a productive test at Jerez. Still, Remy Gardner remained the fastest Yamaha rider overall at Portimao on his Tuesday time. Yamaha runners took advantage of some downtime during the wet Wednesday to practice their pit stop procedures for the mandatory rear tyre change at Phillip Island next month.
Remy Gardner
“Overall, it was a good test. I enjoyed the feeling on the bike, and we managed a solid number of laps on slick tyres with good pace, including a strong single-lap time. It was also beneficial to get some wet-weather running, as we’ll likely face similar conditions during the season, so it’s good to be prepared and I feel better than last year on those conditions. Now, we head to Australia with confidence — I can’t wait to be there, get the season started, and see all the fans!”
Dominique Aegerter
“It felt great to be back testing ahead of the 2025 season, even if the weather wasn’t ideal. Despite that, we gathered a good amount of data and put in some useful laps ahead of the first round of the championship. I also got the chance to ride in the rain, which could be valuable for the season ahead. Unfortunately, we missed some track time, but now we’re fully focused on Australia. We’ll have one more test session there before the first race, and we’re confident we can keep improving to be ready for the season opener.”
Jonathan Rea
“It’s been a solid test, we confirmed some new items both here and in Jerez that we were a bit unsure of for going to the first round so that’s always a positive. We didn’t quite get down to any really meaningful race simulations or time attacks as the Portimão track was not in the best condition yesterday with a lot of rivers running through it at Turn 4 and Turn 14, but we could be fast enough to understand the bike and understand the feeling. We confirmed some development items and I could be quite fast on the race tyres. There are still some areas that we need to improve, I need a bit more stability and feeling on the front, and that’s something we’ll focus on during the Monday and Tuesday test at Phillip Island. This winter has been tough for the weather, but it’s the same for everybody, we can be satisfied with the work we’ve done and now we move on to the first round. The target is to go to Australia and enjoy the bike, make no mistakes and score well in all three races.”
Andrea Locatelli
“Strange weather here! Today we tried a couple of things before the rain, and worked on pit stop strategies for Phillip Island but yesterday was a good day on track – we just focused on riding the bike and understand if the things that we tried in Jerez can be fully confirmed. More or less, we are happy! The conditions were difficult for these winter tests, so we did not ride too much, but the feeling is quite good overall. I’m looking forward to being ready for Phillip Island now! I want to be positive because last year we had an impressive race weekend there with two podiums and I know I can be strong on this track. Now Yamaha has some time to go over the data from these two tests, and we will work in Australia to complete a couple of good runs there during the two days of testing when we arrive to prepare as much as we can for the races. Every year can be different, but I am fully motivated and try to do my best like always!”
Paul Denning – Pata Yamaha Team Principal
“The last part of our 2025 preparations has been compromised somewhat by inclement weather and storm conditions across the south of Europe, but to be fair, it has affected our competitors in exactly the same way. Despite the weather, we managed to achieve some very good work in terms of comparing new developments that arrived from Yamaha and to confirm some of the improvements made – particularly on Jonathan’s side – during the November Jerez test. Loka had a tough start to 2025 with his feeling on the bike in very windy conditions last week in Jerez, but had a very solid and consistent day yesterday in Portimão. There is further reason for optimism as Jonathan has taken a step forward in feeling and performance going into this season, confirmed by very strong performances and a really great work ethic across these two tests. It’s not long to go now before the first round in Phillip Island, and we’re excited to see what Pata Maxus Yamaha can achieve in 2025.”
It is fair to say that the Bimota project is off to a good start in 2025, with both Axel Bassani and Alex Lowes towards the pointy end both at the Jerez Test and also here in Portimao. Alex Lowes was the first rider out on track on Wednesday, setting the fastest time of the day in what were the best conditions before grip went away as the weather worsened.
Alex Lowes
“We faced difficult weather again at this test but we have got our first taste of the KB998 Rimini at this Portimao circuit. Honestly, the feeling was good. I had half a day on the first day, working on choosing a direction from two or three possible paths – some from Showa and some from bimota. We were hoping that today we would have an hour of dry weather so we could really check our speed, and the work we have done after half a day in Jerez and half a day here. The track was not in perfect condition on the final day, and there were some damp patches in the first sector. Then the weather came in and it started raining. It feels like we have wasted half a day of testing for a couple of laps – but even in my first laps today, with some spots of rain in the air, we set a lap time similar to my best lap on day one. Clearly, we have not shown our full potential yet. We have been working well as a team but we have so much to do and the weather is not allowing us to do it. The work we have done has been good, and all the changes we have made we understand well. We are now excited to get to Phillip Island now and see where we stack up for the first round of the new season. We always want more time, especially with a new project, but I am feeling good on the bike. This is the most important thing heading into the new season.”
Pere Riba – Crew Chief for Alex Lowes
“We used as much track time as possible as in Jerez the weather was not so good and also here in Portimao. Yesterday we were able to make half a day on track and with Alex we have been going through a list of items to test. We had some base items to test, especially from the chassis side, which gave a good result and good information. We are really in the beginning with the development of this bike and we are still trying some main things. But it was positive. We had only four hours but we got very helpful information. The lap time was good and Alex was quite solid on race tyres. We did not use a soft tyre as it made no sense at that moment. Alex was riding well, consistently and with no issues. The plan on the final day was to make more laps in the dry conditions. At 10am we did a couple of laps then it started to rain. Then we waited, it dried out again, Alex went out to make more laps – and it rained again. Alex is talking quite well with the bike and now we are looking forward to going to Australia.”
Axel Bassani
“We did some laps in dry conditions on Tuesday, even if the track was not completely dry. We did some laps and checked some things on the bike. We worked on the rear, especially on the rear shock with Showa. We tried something new on the rear with bimota and it has been quite good. We improved in some areas. The final day at this Portimao test was not so good because it was raining, so we preserved one day of testing and did not go out. We had also ran a little bit in the wet conditions on day one. Now we are excited to go to Australia for the official test and the first round of 2025.”
Marcel Duinker – Crew Chief for Axel Bassani
“We had a very good first day. Initially it was a bit wet but straight after lunchtime we were able to continue the final part of our test programme. We used these four hours very efficiently and once again we ticked the boxes on our list of test items. Axel was very fast, very consistent and a very happy man. You can keep on testing for as long as you want but there is always a time to face the truth and we can say with confidence that the time is right to move to Phillip Island and start our first race weekend. The atmosphere is great in the team, everybody is enjoying it a lot and Axel is in very good mental and physical shape. We are all looking forward to stepping on the plane to Phillip Island.”
Garrett Gerloff and the newly-official Kawasaki WorldSBK Team tested their Ninja ZX-10RR for the first time at Portimao, between 28-29 January, after three previous winter tests at Jerez.
Garrett Gerloff
“It was a positive test at Portimao. Although the conditions were not perfect we still had a good test and we were able to confirm some things, which is nice. I think, in general, we have a good base to take to Australia and I hope we can have a positive test there before race weekend. I am really happy with the bike, the team and I cannot wait to keep going in Australia.”
Manuel Puccetti – Team Principal
“Even though we were only able to ride for two days between Jerez and Portimao, we are very happy with how our tests went. Gerloff was able to ride many laps and was always very fast, confirming the validity of the work done by our technicians who found excellent set-ups for our Ninja ZX-10RR. We are ready for the Phillip Island tests and the first round in Australia – but not before having presented our team in Reggio Emilia and then in Japan.”
The Barni Spark Racing Team waited for the track to dry before hitting the circuit in the afternoon, with Petrucci completing 45 laps and Montella 58. On the second day of testing, Montella focused on practice starts and flag-to-flag simulations, the mandatory pit stop confirmed by FIM and Dorna for the two long races of the season’s opening round in Australia.
Danilo Petrucci
“The test wasn’t very productive; we had limited track time and strong winds, which I struggle with due to my height. We worked on the setup, and I felt an improvement. I know the bike and the team well and I’m confident in their capabilities. Last year, we made it to the podium at Phillip Island, so I’d love to fight for the top positions again this season.”
Yari Montella
“The Portimão test was unusual, with only half a day on dry conditions, but still positive overall. I felt better than in Jerez and started getting more familiar with the bike, pushing with greater confidence. We worked on electronics and setup, making progress in the right direction. Two full days on track would have been useful to solidify the changes, but today we focused on practice starts and flag-to-flag simulations—crucial for Phillip Island.”
Iker Lecuona reunited with HRC team-mate Xavi Vierge at Porimao after missing the Jerez test. Lecuona was unable to take part in the Jerez tests due to injury, but was back on board this week, keen to get back on his CBR1000RR-R for the first time this year. Honda test rider Tetsuta Nagashima was again in attendance, supporting the factory squad during these important pre-season tests.
As was the case in Spain, the team was able to complete some decent runs on just one of the two scheduled days as, following a productive Tuesday, the track action on Wednesday was unfortunately disrupted by intermittent rain showers. On day one, Vierge essentially picked up where he left off with his team at Jerez last week, continuing with suspension tests, electronics, and general setup.
On the other side of the garage, Lecuona took things slowly on Tuesday, easing himself back into the rhythm of riding considering he is not yet back to full fitness. Iker was able to provide the Honda technicians with initial feedback, though the test was essentially an opportunity for him to ride his CBR1000RR-R for the first time in two months and assess his physical condition. Still experiencing some pain, Lecuona completed 25 laps on Tuesday and made just a couple of practice starts on Wednesday morning.
Attempting to make the most of Wednesday’s wet conditions, Vierge took to the track late in the morning but an innocuous crash through turn 1 unfortunately left him with a damaged bike, putting an end to his efforts after two exits. The rider was unhurt in the incident.
Xavi Vierge
“Like Jerez, we haven’t been too lucky with the weather here. Yesterday was better, but the conditions weren’t ideal with some patches of the track that stayed wet all day, especially in corners 4 and 13, even though the sun came out from midday onwards. That said, we were able to make progress throughout the day. And by the end, we’d found good feeling with the race tyres. We started with a setup not too different from what we used at Jerez to see how it would work at this track, and I struggled a bit at first. We then made some changes to the suspension, and the feeling immediately improved. I’m really happy because we saw that with small adjustments, we were able to adapt the bike setup to a track that has very different characteristics to Jerez. Unfortunately, today we were faced with some rain that stopped and started throughout the day. We decided to make the most of the conditions and carry out some flag-to-flag tests, but then, unfortunately, I crashed at turn 1. I locked the front, and that ended our day. Luckily, it wasn’t a big crash; I’m totally fine and in perfect shape for the final test and the first race in Australia. I can’t wait for the season to start.”
Iker Lecuona
“As for my foot, I felt a little pain over the first laps but that was also due to the cold. My shoulder and ribs are still a problem though; the shoulder muscle feels very tight, and it was hard to hold on through the left-hand corners. So, I tried my best but couldn’t complete many laps. I’m not overly worried, as this is all related to the muscle rather than the bone, so I have a good chance to be ready for Australia, but I’m frustrated that I haven’t been able to work properly here. I was able to test the suspension, the first time I’ve used Öhlins on a superbike, and I can say I like it. It’s true that I wasn’t pushing enough to really test the rear, but I tried to push a bit more to understand the front and the braking and I like it. Another target is for me to improve my starts, as I tend to lose positions off the line. So, we made maybe twelve exits to try different setups with the electronics and the clutch and try to understand more. I didn’t want to stress the muscle too much though and risk not being ready for Australia, which is of course the target. I’ve already improved a lot over the last week, so I’m confident I can be in good shape for round one. I just need to continue working on my recovery and be patient.”
The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team was able to complete a good deal of work on Tuesday before the rain set in on Wednesday. The British rider and his technicians had essentially picked up from where they had left off at Jerez, continuing to test, analyse and build feeling with a series of new components, as well as understand the behaviour of the CBR1000RR-R at a track very different to Jerez.
Tarran Mackenzie
“We didn’t ride today in the end, but we got a lot done on Tuesday at least. We had a few issues to work out, but we worked hard and were able to find a good direction towards the end of the day that allowed me to feel a lot more comfortable. The idea was to roll out with that bike again this morning and continue to take steps, but the rain thwarted that plan. We had four days’ testing planned between here and Jerez, but the weather has meant we’ve only really had two useful days, which is a little frustrating. Hopefully we can use the Phillip Island tests to find better feeling and get more comfortable ahead of the first race weekend.”
Andrea Iannone was on the ground at Portimao with his GoEleven Team but, in the end, chose not to use this as one of their limited number of test days allowed under WorldSBK regulations.
WorldSBK and WorldSSP riders will first take part in the Official Test on the 17th and 18th of February before the season-opening Australian round from Friday, the 21st, to Sunday, the 23rd February. Organisers have confirmed that the season opener will feature mandatory pit stops due to tyre wear issues on the notoriously abrasive Phillip Island track surface.
Portimao WorldSBK Test Times
Day Two – Wednesday – January 29 (Mixed conditions)
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Class | Time/Gap |
| 1 | A Lowes | Bim | WSBK | 1m42.096 |
| 2 | T Razgatlioglu | BMW | WSBK | +0.005 |
| 3 | A Bautista | Duc | WSBK | +0.965 |
| 4 | A Locatelli | Yam | WSBK | +1.035 |
| 5 | R Gardner | Yam | WSBK | +1.277 |
| 6 | P Oettl | / | WSSP | +3.738 |
| 7 | J Forés | Bim | WSBK | +3.994 |
| 8 | R Vickers | / | WSBK | +4.273 |
| 9 | T Nagashima | Hon | WSBK | +4.342 |
| 10 | IRC | / | UNK | +4.396 |
| 11 | T Rabat | Yam | WSBK | +4.751 |
| 12 | KM99 | Yam | EWC | +5.077 |
| 13 | I Lecona | Hon | WSBK | +5.272 |
| 14 | X Vierge | Hon | WSBK | +17.866 |
| 16 | R Gardner | Yam | WSBK | +19.378 |
| 17 | M Reiterberger | BMW | UNK | +19.416 |
| 18 | D Aegerter | Yam | WSBK | +22.053 |
| 19 | Y Montella | Duc | WSBK | +22.168 |
| 20 | B Sofuolglu | Yam | WSBK | +24.242 |
Portimao WorldSBK Test Times
Day One – Tuesday (DRY)
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap | Speed |
| 1 | T Razgatlioglu | BMW | 1m40.70 | 164.24 |
| 2 | A Bassani | Bim | +0.029 | 164.2 |
| 3 | N Bulega | Duc | +0.098 | 164.08 |
| 4 | R Gardner | Yam | +0.099 | 164.08 |
| 5 | J Rea | Yam | +0.45 | 163.51 |
| 6 | G Gerloff | Kaw | +0.514 | 163.41 |
| 7 | X Vierge | Hon | +0.645 | 163.2 |
| 8 | D Petrucci | Duc | +0.719 | 163.08 |
| 9 | S Lowes | Duc | +0.93 | 162.74 |
| 10 | N Bulega | Duc | +0.974 | 162.67 |
| 11 | M Van Der Mark | BMW | +1.082 | 162.5 |
| 12 | A Bautista | Duc | +1.491 | 161.85 |
| 13 | A Locatelli | Yam | +1.595 | 161.68 |
| 14 | S Redding | Duc | +1.61 | 161.66 |
| 15 | R Vickers | +1.934 | 161.15 | |
| 16 | D Aegerter | Yam | +1.984 | 161.07 |
| 17 | Y Montella | Duc | +2.314 | 160.55 |
| 18 | K Sofuoglu | Yam | +2.428 | 160.38 |
| 19 | T Rabat | Yam | +2.572 | 160.15 |
| 20 | M Reiterberger | BMW | +2.636 | 160.05 |
| 21 | S Guintoli | BMW | +3.063 | 159.39 |
| 22 | T Mackenzie | Hon | +3.311 | 159.01 |
| 23 | L Mahias | Yam | +3.573 | 158.61 |
| 24 | P Oettl | +4.097 | 157.82 | |
| 25 | M Schroetter | +4.119 | 157.79 | |
| 26 | I Lecuona | Hon | +4.191 | 157.68 |
| 27 | T Nagashima | Hon | +4.546 | 157.15 |
| 28 | Y Montella | Duc | +4.583 | 157.09 |
| 29 | M Rinaldi | Yam | +4.707 | 156.91 |
| 30 | J Alcoba | Kaw | +4.879 | 156.65 |
| 31 | O Vostatek | +5.213 | 156.16 |
Compiled with the assistance of Dorna
2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Calendar
| Date | Circuit | WorldSBK | WorldSSP | SSP300 | WCR |
| 21-23 Feb | Phillip Island | X | X | ||
| 28-30 Mar | Portimao | X | X | X | |
| 11-12 Apr | Assen | X | X | X | X |
| 2-4 May | Cremona | X | X | X | |
| 16-18 May | Most | X | X | X | |
| 13-15 Jun | Misano | X | X | X | |
| 11-13 Jul | Donington | X | X | X | |
| 25-27 Jul | Balaton Park | X | X | X | |
| 5-7 Sep | Magny-Cours | X | X | X | X |
| 26-28 Sep | Aragon | X | X | X | |
| 10-12 Oct | Estoril | X | X | X | |
| 17-19 Oct | Jerez | X | X | X | X |
