main content of page
Racing News |
Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team Celebrates First WorldSBK Podium at Misano
The Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbKRT) made a significant breakthrough during the sixth round of the 2025 FIM Superbike World Championship, securing its first-ever front row start and podium finish. Alex Lowes delivered the historic result in the Tissot Superpole Race on Sunday, June 15, at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli.”
The ten-lap sprint race was a milestone for the new WorldSBK-spec KB998 Rimini, as Lowes claimed second place, showcasing both the potential of the machine and the team’s development progress.
While Lowes celebrated a podium, the Superpole Race brought contrasting fortunes for teammate Axel Bassani. Starting from the front row, Bassani was involved in a Turn 1 incident with Nicolo Bulega, resulting in both riders crashing out of the race.
After avoiding the first-turn chaos, Lowes moved into second place and stayed close to eventual winner Toprak Razgatlioglu for several laps, ultimately securing a hard-fought podium finish just a few kilometers from Bimota’s headquarters in Rimini.
In the 21-lap Race Two, held in punishing 32°C heat and humidity, Lowes again launched from the front row, based on his Superpole Race result. He ran as high as fourth before settling into fifth and sixth. Unfortunately, a crash at Turn 8 on lap 13 dropped him down the order. Despite the setback, Lowes remounted and finished 14th, earning two valuable championship points.
Bassani was handed a double Long Lap Penalty for his Superpole Race crash. After serving the penalty, he dropped to 20th but mounted a strong recovery to finish 12th.
After 18 races across six rounds, Lowes sits seventh in the championship standings with 85 points. Bassani holds 11th place overall with 67 points.
Following a home round for both Bimota and Bassani, the team now looks ahead to another special event — Alex Lowes’ home race at Donington Park in the UK, taking place July 11–13. The Donington round will mark the start of the second half of the 2025 WorldSBK season.
Alex Lowes:
“I was really happy about the first race today. Track position is so important. I got in a good spot behind Toprak and had two or three really strong early laps. The last three laps were long! I’m proud of the team — everyone is working hard on and off the track, and this podium shows our progress. Having tested here before the weekend really helped with setup. I don’t feel as negative about Race Two as the result might suggest. I felt strong toward the end and thought I could pass Danilo. The crash happened because I was pushing to go faster when I was already on the limit. Even with the damage, I got back on and was doing 1’34s at the end. That’s encouraging, especially in these extreme conditions. This was the first properly hot race we’ve had, and overall, I’m happy with the weekend. We’ve learned a lot and can take that into the next round.”
Axel Bassani:
“I felt like I braked hard, at my normal point, going into Turn 1 of the Superpole Race. I tried to find space on the inside, but I couldn’t slow down the same way Bulega did. I did everything I could to avoid him, but I lost the front and we both went down. Nothing more to say — just sorry. I served my penalty in Race Two. Even without the crash, I think a podium would’ve been tough today — Bautista was also very fast. Maybe I could have stayed inside the top five. Until Sunday’s race, the weekend had been going well, and our pace was good.”
