Ducati and BMW Hit With Fuel Flow Restrictions Ahead of Czech WorldSBK

Bulega and Razgatlioglu face technical clampdown as Remy Gardner looks to capitalise at strong track

As the 2025 World Superbike Championship enters a decisive phase, the FIM has announced new fuel flow restrictions for Ducati and BMW – the series’ leading manufacturers. This move comes as part of the ongoing regulatory effort to maintain competitive parity across the grid.

According to Article 2.4.3.2 of the FIM Superbike World Championship Regulations, BMW exceeded the -0.250 performance threshold, thus activating Step 1 of the Overperformance Penalisation. Though BMW remained above the more serious -0.500 limit, the Step 1 status triggers a reduction in fuel flow of 0.5 kg/h.

Ducati, meanwhile, has accumulated more than twelve Concession Points over the next best-performing manufacturer, breaching the limit set in Article 2.4.3(h). As a result, Ducati also faces a Step 1 Fuel Flow reduction, pursuant to Article 2.4.2.2. Since both BMW and Ducati were already subjected to an earlier fuel flow penalty, this recent update means the manufacturers will now face a compounded reduction of 1.0 kg/h in their maximum fuel allowance.

Bulega and Razgatlioglu have utterly dominated the 2025 season this far, taking every single win between them apart from Assen Race 2 – where technical issues for Bulega and tyre wear problems for Toprak meant Locatelli was able to take his maiden WorldSBK victory. Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega currently leads the standings with 198 points and has consistently demonstrated exceptional speed aboard the Panigale V4R. His teammate, the experienced Alvaro Bautista, remains a strong title contender as well, currently holding third place with 125 points and providing further depth to Ducati’s performance portfolio. Other Ducati riders including Petrucci, Lowes and Iannone have also visited the podium this year, with Ducati occupying 5 of the top 7 championship positions.

In contrast, BMW’s success has overwhelmingly come from a single source: Toprak Razgatlioglu. The Turkish rider has been responsible for the vast majority of the German manufacturer’s points haul, delivering multiple victories and podiums almost singlehandedly, while teammate Michael van der Mark and other BMW-supported entries have struggled to match his pace or consistency. With 164 championship points and some dominant performances, he sits second in the standings and has regularly matched or surpassed the top speeds of the fastest Ducatis.

The performance data from the most recent round underscores the rationale for the imposed restrictions. Both Bulega and Razgatlioglu hit a top speed of 310.3 km/h, outpacing the likes of Yamaha’s Remy Gardner and fellow Yamaha riders, including Andrea Locatelli, down the front straight. Gardner recorded a top speed of 305.1 km/h in the last outing, while Locatelli was among the slowest at 302.5 km/h.

Yamaha’s relative lack of straight-line speed has been a notable disadvantage throughout the season. With Ducati and BMW now facing stricter fuel limits, the door may open for Gardner and other riders to close the performance gap and capitalise on upcoming opportunities. Gardner in particular will be aiming to build on his previous success at a track where he scored 3 top 5 positions last year and was Yamaha top scorer for the round.

Parity-based penalties are always difficult to balance and controversial when implemented, but the new measures should in theory provide a boost to the likes of Honda, Kawasaki and Bimota as well as Yamaha. On the other hand, the sheer class and speed of Bulega and Razgatlioglu might keep them at the sharp end anyway, while penalising other Ducati and BMW riders who are less competitive. Either way it lends another fascinating dimension to this weekend’s racing.

WorldSBK Standings