Andrea Locatelli wins in The Netherlands as Nicolo Bulega suffers more technical problems

The track had dried up since the end of the Tissot Superpole race, but the temperature was quite cool compared to Race One. Toprak Razgatlioglu started from pole position after winning his first wet race in the Superpole race, the BMW suffered with bad rear tyre wear after ten laps and Toprak was running a new setting to try and combat the problems as well as using the SC0 instead of the SCX which had a stronger chance of success with the lower track temperatures and extra tyre life it should have against the SCX which was run by most of the grid. Sam Lowes started in second with Alvaro Bautista in third. Scott Redding made use of his wet weather skills putting himself sixth on the grid. Tarran Mackeznie was having a strong weekend and started Race Two from ninth place on his Petronas Sprinta MIE Honda. Nicolo Bulega was forced to retire from the Superpole race due to a technical issue so he had to start from tenth on the grid.

The lights went out and it was Bautista who took the lead out of turn one with Toprak in second, Andrea Locatelli in third, Remy Gardner was fourth and Andrea Iannone in fifth who overtook Michael Van Der Mark at the fast chicane for fifth. Bulega was in tenth. By the end of the first lap Bautista had pulled a gap over Toprak who was overtaken by Gardner for second place into turn one. Locatelli then passed the Turkish rider up the inside of turn five, but Toprak used the BMW horsepower to repass his former Yamaha teammate.

Toprak ran wide at turn 15 and Locatelli moved back into third place. Gardner was closing in on Bautista set on achieving his first WSBK victory where he took his first podium last year. Bulega had moved into eighth place, eyeing up a move on Van Der Mark which he executed perfectly into the GT chicane on lap three and the Italian set the fastest lap of the race.

It was a seven rider train for the lead and it was an Aruba.it Ducati sandwich. Bulega was all over the back of Axel Bassani aiming to move into sixth position, he could saw Toprak three places ahead of him who was being put under pressure from Sam Lowes.

By the end of lap five Bulega had dispatched of Bassani and was now on the back of Sam Lowes and he went up the inside of the Marc VDS Ducati at turn six. Locatelli and Gardner traded places for second from turn eight to eleven with Gardner coming out on top. Bulega out-braked Toprak into the GT chicane and passed his title rival to move into fourth.

Locatelli tried to pass Gardner into turn one on lap seven and made the move stick, Bautista was holding onto the lead but wasn’t able to break away from the riders behind struggling with the full fuel load. Sam Lowes passed Toprak into the GT chicane as well, the Turkish rider was down in sixth.

Bulega used the horsepower of the Ducati V4R to overtake Gardner on the approach to turn six and was now into the podium places.

Locatelli overtook Bautista into the GT chicane, it was a late move at disturbed Bautista’s exit and it allowed Bulega to pass his teammate to move into second. Bulega went up the inside of Locatelli into turn nine but Locatelli turned underneath the Ducati at turn ten to retake the lead.

Bulega took the lead for a second time, this time he made the move at turn six like he had done most of his overtaking. Bassani had gone through on Toprak, the BMW rider was now in seventh.

Bautista lost the front of his Ducati at turn one on lap 11 but he was able to save it but Gardner was able to move into third place. A lap later Bautista retook Gardner at turn six but was now 1.6 seconds behind Bulega with nine laps remaining, Locatelli was trying to go with Bulega.

Bulega was putting his head down and set the fastest lap of the race on lap 14 and had a one second lead over Locatelli and two second lead over his teammate Bautista.

Iker Lecuona and Alex Lowes were battling tooth and nail for eighth place who were closing in on Toprak.

On the penultimate lap of the race Bulega pulled over with a technical issue, he had done an incredible job to go from tenth to a secure win and he was out of the race. Locatelli inherited the win, Bautista took second and Gardner was third.

Alex Lowes overtook Toprak into turn three and Lecuona and Iannone were all over the back of the Turkish rider.

Andrea Locatelli took his first World Superbike victory after 154 races the biggest amount of the races between a debut and race victory, a record that belonged to Chris Walker. Bautista took second place and Gardner was on the podium in third place like he did last season. Sam Lowes was fourth, Bassani was fifth, Alex Lowes was sixth and Lecuona managed to pass Toprak at the end of the lap to take seventh and Toprak was eighth.

There were three different winners in a weekend for the first time since Assen 2024. Bulega still leads the championship but his advantage was down to 21 points ahead of Toprak and 29 points ahead of Locatelli, his teammate Bautista was 50 points behind.

Featured Image: Pata Maxus Yamaha