14:46
Championship Standings
Nicolo Bulega, 2025 Spanish WorldSBK. Credit: Gold and Goose.
© Gold & Goose
2025 Spanish WorldSBK: Race 1 LIVE UPDATES
Live coverage of Race 1 at the Spanish WorldSBK from the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto.
Race 1 at the Spanish WorldSBK will take place over 20 laps and is due to start at 14:15 local time.
Nicolo Bulega was fastest on Friday and lowered his benchmark into the 1:37s in FP3, the only rider to dip below the 1:38 barrier. In Superpole, he broke his own all-time lap record for Superbikes at Jerez by almost one second with a 1:36.629 to take pole position by over half-a-second.
The Italian trails Toprak Razgatlioglu by 39 points in the title race coming into this weekend, meaning he must outscore Razgatlioglu by at least two points in Race 1 today to keep the points battle going into the Superpole Race.
Razgatlioglu himself was second on the combined times yesterday but only fourth-fastest in FP2 itself. He's struggled in general this weekend compared to his usual level but will start second and was almost 0.5s faster than third place.
Sam Lowes was due to start third but he was declared unfit after Superpole, so now Alex Lowes will start third.
Jonathan Rea faces his penultimate day as a full-time WorldSBK racer today. He started it in FP3 this morning by setting the fourth-fastest time before qualifying as the second-best Yamaha rider in seventh, one place behind GRT's Remy Gardner.
18 Oct 2025
13:57
13:49
Nicolo Bulega wins Race 1
It's victory for Nicolo Bulega in Race 1 at Jerez. Another dominant performance from him, and he takes the title battle to Sunday.
Razgatlioglu a comfortable second - he will be disappointed to be 4s behind Bulega but he needs no more than what he's achieved today. A podium tomorrow morning will seal the title.
Bautista completes the podium, then Iannone, Vierge, Lowes, Locatelli, Gardner, Mackenzie, and van der Mark round out the top-10.
13:46
Vierge wide at turn five and Iannone re-takes P4.
13:46
Lap 18/20
Onto the penultimate lap now and it's getting more spread out in the battle for the top-five spots. Only Vierge and Iannone close on-track now and the Spaniard finally makes his move at the final corner, and he holds on at turn one.
13:42
Lap 16/20
Four to go now and Bautista just starting to escape with that third place.
Vierge could still get Iannone for fourth. This could be Vierge's strongest Honda performance, to be honest.
13:41
That P3 battle happening 7s behind Razgatlioglu so not much chance of Bautista getting much further.
13:40
Bautista P3
Bautista an absolute demon on the brakes at turn six to pass Iannone with six to go. P3 now for the Ducati man.
13:38
Bautista now back up to fourth at turn six, passing Vierge there.
13:38
Bautista tries to pass Iannone at the last turn but Iannone cuts underneath.
Bautista makes another move at turn one, but then runs wide at turn two and drops from third to fifth behind Iannone and Vierge. Lowes still very much in the group as well.
7 to go.
13:36
Lap 12/20
Iannone still holding on to that third place but we'll see how long that lasts with Bautista now on his tail.
13:35
Bautista P4
Bautista squares off Vierge at the final corner and passes both the Spaniard and Lowes at turn one. Really impressive pass from Bautista, read the situation perfectly as Vierge looked to the inside of Lowes entering the last corner.
13:33
Rea update
Paul Denning telling TNT Sports that Rea is going to be checked at the medical centre with some concern over his right arm, but hopes he will be fit for tomorrow.
13:30
Lap 9/20
3.5s now between the front two.
Iannone having a proper contract season ride to continue to hold on to third place.
Lowes and Vierge still both right there and Bautista now on the back of that battle as well.
13:28
Tarran Mackenzie having a great ride at the moment, just ahead of van der Mark in ninth right now.
13:27
Bautista block passes Locatelli for sixth. That's big for the battle for third in the standings and he has 1.2s up to the battle for third. There's a podium in this for Bautista, no doubt.
13:26
Lap 6/20
3s now between the leaders.
Iannone hanging on to third from Lowes and Vierge.
Locatelli has cleared Gardner for P6. Gardner also loses out to Bautista who has been getting faster the last three laps or so.
13:22
Delbianco has crashed out at turn five.
13:21
Lap 3/20
Bulega now 2.2s clear of Razgatlioglu, who has around 1s over Iannone.
Alex Lowes pressuring Iannone for third, but also has pressure himself from Vierge behind.
13:21
Rea crash
Jonathan Rea has crashed at turn four. He's got to the barrier there. He's walking away but that's a shame for Rea. Two more races for him tomorrow.
13:19
Razgatlioglu up to second at turn six on lap two. Already 2s behind Bulega, so you fancy that might be game over already.
13:18
Lap 1/20
Bulega leads by a second over Iannone at the end of lap one.
Then it's razgatlioglu, Lowes, Vierge and Locatelli.
13:17
Bulega leads at turn five, then Razgatlioglu wide at turn six.
Iannone now up to second, Razgatlioglu back to third.
Bulega escaping already.
13:16
Race 1 start
It's lights out in Jerez and Race 1 is underway.
Strong launches from both of the front two but it's Razgatlioglu with the holeshot from Bulega and Alex Lowes.
13:13
Warm-up lap
Warm-up lap is underway in Jerez. We're moments away from 20 laps of Race 1.
