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More Top Ten Finishes At The Opening Round
The Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbKRT) wrapped up the opening weekend of the 2025 FIM Superbike World Championship with a solid performance at Phillip Island, securing top-ten finishes in all three races for both Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani.
Lowes delivered the team's best result of the weekend in the ten-lap Superpole Race, crossing the line in seventh place—just 0.376 seconds off the top six and within 2.5 seconds of a podium finish. Meanwhile, Bassani remained in close contention, showcasing competitive pace and consistency.
Throughout the weekend, Lowes recorded finishes of eighth, seventh, and eighth on the WorldSBK-spec Bimota KB998 Rimini, while Bassani was just behind with finishes of ninth, ninth, and 10th. Both Sunday races were held in dry, mild conditions, a contrast to Saturday’s scorching heat.
Race Two mirrored the intensity of the previous battles, with Bassani running alongside Lowes and securing another top-ten finish. The 20-lap race featured a mandatory mid-race pit stop for a tire change, adding an extra layer of strategy to the competition.
After three races, Lowes sits ninth in the championship standings with 19 points, while Bassani holds tenth place with 14 points.
The BbKRT squad now shifts its focus to Round 2 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, taking place from March 28-30. With valuable data from the season opener, the team aims to build on its strong start and push further up the field.
Alex Lowes:
“It was a solid Sunday, and I think we improved the bike as the weekend progressed. We finished where we expected—seventh and eighth—but I lacked the confidence to make passes. I was stuck behind Andrea Locatelli for most of Race Two; he didn’t make mistakes, so I couldn’t find a way through. Still, looking at the bigger picture, we gathered valuable data. This was our first time running the bike in hot conditions and testing with an SC1 rear tire. With only two Bimota KB998 Rimini race bikes in the world—mine and Axel’s—we did a solid job and will take a lot of information back to Europe.”
Axel Bassani:
“Race Two was tough because we struggled on the straights against some of the other riders. My start wasn’t ideal, but I gained positions and eventually caught up with Alex and Andrea Locatelli. The pace was better than yesterday, and we made improvements. We were always close to making overtakes but never from a ‘safe’ position. Still, securing consistent top-ten finishes in our first race weekend is a great foundation. We’re happy with the progress but know there’s still a lot of work to do.”
