Nicolo Bulega's 2025 season has started off just as planned as he takes top spot in Free Practice One.
The opening session of the 2025 World Superbike season showed what everyone had feared. The sharp end of the timesheets was taken up by a certain Italian manufacturer, with everyone else playing catch up.
Nicolo Bulega took the top spot in Free Practice One and was 0.3 seconds quicker than his closest rivals. The Italian won at Phillip Island in 2024 and looks set to start his second season off with a bang in 2025.
The Team Pata GoEleven rider of Andrea Iannone ended the morning in second place. The Italian had an impressive rookie season in 2024 and wants to challenge for the title in 2025.
The second Aruba.it Racing - Ducati rider, Alvaro Bautista, ended Free Practice One in third. The two-time World Superbike Champion has a point to prove this season after a difficult 2024.
Danilo Petrucci completed the Ducati top-four lockout on his Barni Spark Racing Team machine. The Italian was 0.6 seconds behind Bulega but has shown podium pace in the opening session.
The first non-Ducati rider was Dominique Aegerter from the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. The Swiss rider needs a strong year on his Yamaha R1 and has shown good form at Phillip Island in the past.
Reigning World Superbike Champion, Toprak Razgatlioglu, ended Free Practice One in sixth. After his massive highside on Monday the Turkish rider is walking wounded and continues to struggle.
The top bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team rider in the first session of the year was Alex Lowes. The British rider ended the morning in seventh place and was 0.9 seconds behind Bulega's best time.
Andrea Locatelli is the lone Pata Maxus Yamaha rider this weekend and was in eighth place in Free Practice One.
Just 0.08 seconds behind his bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team teammate was Axel Bassani in ninth. The Italian was in ninth place at the end of the morning session and was setting similar times to his teammate.
Rounding out the top ten was Sam Lowes with the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team. The British rider is beginning his second season in World Superbikes and was 1.007 seconds behind Bulega.
The other three British riders on the grid were outside of the top ten with Scott Redding in 15th, Ryan Vickers in 17th and Tarran Mackenzie in 22nd.
Australia WorldSBK, Full Free Practice One Results |
| 2025 Australian WorldSBK | Phillip Island | Free Practice One Results | Rd.1 of 12 | |||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Motorcycle | Times |
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | ITA | Aruba.It Racing - Ducati | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1:28.922 |
| 2 | Andrea Iannone | ITA | Team Pata GoEleven | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1:29.289 |
| 3 | Alvaro Bautista | ESP | Aruba.It Racing - Ducati | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1:29.515 |
| 4 | Danilo Petrucci | ITA | Barni Spark Racing Team | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1:29.584 |
| 5 | Dominique Aegerter | SUI | GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team | Yamaha R1 | 1:29.739 |
| 6 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | TUR | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | BMW M 1000 RR | 1:29.779 |
| 7 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | KB998 Rimini | 1:29.837 |
| 8 | Andrea Locatelli | ITA | Pata Maxus Yamaha | Yamaha R1 | 1:29.849 |
| 9 | Axel Bassani | ITA | Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team | KB998 Rimini | 1:29.916 |
| 10 | Sam Lowes | GBR | ELF Marc VDS Racing Team | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1:29.929 |
| 11 | Michael van der Mark | NED | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | BMW M 1000 RR | 1:30.132 |
| 12 | Yari Montella | ITA | Barni Spark Racing Team | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1:30.289 |
| 13 | Xavi Vierge | ESP | Honda HRC | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 1:30.381 |
| 14 | Garrett Gerloff | USA | Kawasaki WorldSBK Team | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | 1:30.395 |
| 15 | Scott Redding | GBR | MGM Bonovo Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1:30.429 |
| 16 | Remy Gardner | AUS | GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team | Yamaha R1 | 1:30.553 |
| 17 | Ryan Vickers | GBR | Motocorsa Racing | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1:30.560 |
| 18 | Tito Rabat | ESP | Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team | Yamaha R1 | 1:30.978 |
| 19 | Tetsuta Nagashima | JPN | Honda HRC | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 1:31.017 |
| 20 | Bahattin Sofuoglu | TUR | Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team | Yamaha R1 | 1:31.088 |
| 21 | Iker Lecuona | ESP | Honda HRC | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 1:31.151 |
| 22 | Tarran Mackenzie | GBR | Petronas MIE Honda Racing Team | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 1:31.459 |
| 23 | Zaqhwan Zaidi | MAL | Petronas MIE Honda Racing Team | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 1:37.039 |
