Czech WorldSBK Race 1: Razgatlioglu pips Bulega to win at Most

Full 2025 Czech WorldSBK Race 1 Results – Toprak Razgatlioglu showcased his formidable racecraft at the Autodrom Most to secure his fifth win of the season, reinforcing his status as one of the championship’s most dominant forces.

The race unfolded under high anticipation, with the championship battle intensifying between Razgatlioglu and his closest rival Nicolo Bulega who entered the round as the points leader.

The grid was packed with talent, and the opening laps set the tone for a dramatic contest that would see both individual brilliance and collective resilience from the WorldSBK paddock.

At the drop of the flag it was Nicolo Bulega on the Aruba.it Racing Ducati who made the most decisive start, surging into the lead at Turn 1 ahead of Razgatlioglu’s ROKiT BMW Motorrad machine.

However, the opening lap was marred by chaos further down the field as a multi-rider collision at Turn 1 involved Andrea Locatelli, Michael van der Mark, Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding.

The incident forced Locatelli and van der Mark into retirement while Bautista was shuffled back to 16th place, leaving him with a mountain to climb if he was to salvage any meaningful points from the race.

As the field settled, Bulega maintained his lead for the first four laps with Razgatlioglu shadowing him closely and waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

Danilo Petrucci starting from third on the grid for the Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati, slotted into third place and began to establish a gap over the chasing pack which included the Lowes brothers Alex and Sam as well as a resurgent Jonathan Rea who had capitalized on the first-lap melee to climb into the top six.

The leading duo of Bulega and Razgatlioglu quickly distanced themselves from Petrucci and the rest, setting a relentless pace at the front.

Razgatlioglu’s patience paid off on lap five when he made a decisive move at Turn 1 outbraking Bulega and taking control of the race. Once in the lead, the Turkish rider began to incrementally increase his advantage, demonstrating the superior race pace that has become a hallmark of his 2025 campaign.

Razgatlioglu set a new lap record of 1’31.109 on lap ten, underlining his dominance and technical mastery of the Most circuit. Bulega despite his best efforts was unable to match the relentless rhythm of the Turkish rider and had to settle for second.

Meanwhile, Danilo Petrucci managed to hold his third place throughout the race. The Italian’s performance marked a welcome return to the podium for the Barni Spark Racing Team and he finished over four seconds clear of the next best rider Alex Lowes.

Lowes riding for the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team, delivered the team’s best result of the season with a strong fourth-place finish ahead of Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista.

Bautista’s race was a story of recovery and resilience. After being caught up in the first-lap incident and dropping to 16th, the two-time WorldSBK champion mounted a determined comeback.

Methodically picking off riders lap after lap, his recovery drive was one of the highlights of the race as he salvaged valuable points for the championship and limited the damage from what could have been a disastrous outing.

Sam Lowes was unable to keep pace with his brother Alex in the closing stages and finished sixth, just behind Bautista.

The Honda HRC factory team enjoyed a positive outing with Iker Lecuona finishing seventh and Xavi Vierge ninth. Lecuona made a crucial move on Jonathan Rea early in the race to secure his position and both riders managed their races well to bring home valuable points for Honda.

Sandwiched between the two Hondas was Yari Montella who equaled his best result in the championship with an eighth-place finish. Jonathan Rea rounded out the top ten.

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2025 WorldSBK Championship Standings

2025 Czech WorldSBK Race 1 Results – Autodrom Most