Redemption Songs at Aragon WorldSBK
I
f Cremona offered the birth and
baptism of a new WorldSBK
circuit—and then the first three
career WorldSBK wins for one
hungry Ducati Independent rider,
Danilo "Petrux" Petrucci—Mo-
torland Aragon was a rebirth of
one rider's true winning career,
another rider's 2024 title desired
and a double World Champion's
proof that hanging around again
in this WorldSBK paddock for
2025 was probably the right
decision after all.
Motorland was one of those
profound, racing-life and love-
reaffirming weekends that any
championship needs to prove
its feel-good credentials to itself
and others.
First of all, Toprak Razgatlio-
glu was declared fit and thus
returned from a crash from which
many others would not have
walked away from, much less line
up on the grid just a month later.
The championship fight was
thus very much back on between
him and the second-placed rider
on Friday, Nicolo Bulega.
Bautista arrived with a purple
mohawk haircut, helmet, boots,
etc., just to please his daughters
at his home round. So, the situa
-
tion—normal or not?
It was to be a simply great
weekend for action, interest, and
incident.
Superpole was the fast fiefdom
of Bulega, with a new track best
of 1'47.840, putting him out in
front for the start of the first race.
Behind him on the grid was
privateer Andrea Iannone (Go
Eleven Ducati) and then Bautista.
Razgatlioglu was fifth on the
grid, sandwiched between Cre-
mona triple-race winner Petrucci
up ahead and Alex Lowes' KRT
machine behind.
A big engine blow caused Sam
Lowes (Marc VDS Ducati) to
highside in the first few corners
of the attempted race-one start,
WIND
IN THE
P38
Andrea Iannone got
the weekend started
with the win in
WorldSBK race one.
PHOTOS: GOLD & GOOSE
