AUSTRALIAN WORLDSBK: SUNDAY ROUND-UP

Bulega goes three for three down under, joy for Ducati and Toprak ends with a screen smash.

It was a Ducati hat-trick for Nicolo Bulega and the Aruba.it Ducati team as no one could keep up with his pace at the Australian WorldSBK opening round.

He claimed his career-first hat trick with a Race 2 P1. Team-mate Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had a very strong showing in Race 2, fighting his way back from a P11 start position. Bautista was frustrated with their Super Pole race result after running off track.

A happy Ducati pit-wall as Bulega passes the chequered flag

It was double bubble podium joy for Andrea Iannone. The Team Pata Go Eleven rider joined the Ducati Factory riders in the rostrum. Starting second on the grid, he fought off other independent riders hot on his tail to land his second podium of the weekend.

Andrea Iannone happy after a double podium at Phillip Island

Also in the thick of the fight was Scott Redding, who has come back with fighting confidence. It was battle of the independent riders for P4, Redding VS Petrux. Petrucci was the top independent rider of 2024, who was hot on the tail of Redding but was pipped at the post.

“I really got some confidence back, where I believed in myself” – Scott Redding after the Australian WorldSBK opening round.

Matching his best career result, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) ended with a P6 result after notching his career-best P5 in the Tissot Superpole Race. He was close to doubling up on his career result, as he was only 0.088s behind P5.

Sam Lowes with his ELF Marc VDS Racing Team

Additionally it was an unfortunate end for the home hero of Remy Gardner. Who, to add to his frustrating weekend crashed with only four laps to go exiting the Gardner Straight, named after his father Wayne Gardner.

A frustrating weekend for Remy Gardner and the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team

However, world champion Toprak Razgatlioglu had a far from sparkling weekend. He worked hard to try to get the most out of his new BMW M1000RR. Toprak was frustrated with the performance and when he ran wide trying to enter a corner in Lap 12, he was forced to make his second and final trip to the pits. This would be his final time on the bike down under as the team decided to retire from there.

Emotions running high for the World Champion

Finally, as the Australian WorldSBK round draws to a close it’s all eyes on round 2 at The Algarve, Portimão.