Posted on October 8, 2025 by Michael Le Pard
As the end of an era, and the conclusion of the 2025 FIM Superbike World Championship draws closer, Pata Maxus Yamaha are ready to double down on the final two rounds of the season as the double-header of Estoril and Jerez kicks off this weekend in Portugal from 10-12 October.
Six-time WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea understandably has mixed emotions as his full-time racing career draws to a close, but it’s clear that none of the fire that made the Northern Irishman successful during 18 years in the premier class has gone away. Last time out in Aragon, Rea’s Race 2 performance was another spectacular fight inside the top five – a promising sign ahead of two of the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK’s stronger circuits.
Teammate Andrea Locatelli held on in Aragon to keep his hopes of a top three finish in the championship alive. A three-way battle for the bronze FIM medal could go down to the final race of the season, Locatelli lies 30 points from third with a maximum of 124 points left to play for.
At 4.182km long, Estoril is one of the shorter circuits on the calendar, but offers plenty of action especially through the final sector of complex Turns 9 and 10, and ultra-long “parabolica” left-hander Turn 13 onto the start-finish straight. A nimble set-up and a bike that changes direction well suits the layout, balanced with the ability to brake hard into Turn 1 to secure good track position after the long straight.
Friday starts with Free Practice 1 and 2 at 10:35 and 15:00 WEST with warm and sunny weather predicted on the Portuguese Riviera.
Andrea Locatelli:
“We know our potential and we know how to get back to do our best for the last races of the season. Estoril is a good circuit for us, we saw the potential there also last year – you never know for sure, because every track, every situation is different, but I want to be positive arriving in Portugal and to push hard from Friday. The key is always to find a good balance and of course, try to do our best. The championship is still open to fight for third, which would be an amazing result for us. In general, I am quite excited for Estoril! It is a nice circuit and it’s where I rode the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK for the first time, a nice memory of joining the team. We will see what is possible this week and then we have Jerez as the back-to-back, it is great to have the opportunity to race a lot in two weeks and target some strong results. I feel good and I’m ready to push until the end!”
Jonathan Rea:
“I’ll be really honest, I have mixed emotions heading to Estoril and Jerez! On one hand, this is the end of an amazing chapter in my career as a rider, but on the other hand – it’s two more opportunities to do a good job with Pata Maxus Yamaha. I’ve definitely enjoyed the previous two “Sundays” where we’ve been able to bring the package to a point where I’ve been able to race confidently and fight inside the top five. This has to be our goal again in the last two race weekends – it is no mean feat, but Estoril last year proved to be a successful round for us and Jerez as a circuit should play to the strengths of our Yamaha R1 WorldSBK. I’m looking forward to starting this week, it’s important to do a good job and stay healthy as with back-to-backs we can’t afford to make mistakes, and my goal is to finish the season in a positive way. I’ll also have a lot of travelling support in Jerez and it would be really nice to book-end this chapter with a solid weekend!”
Michael Le Pard (“Mr. Totalmotorcycle”) is the Founder of Total Motorcycle, the world’s largest motorcycle information site, trusted by over 430 million riders since 1999. With over 34 years of experience in motorcycles, gear and rider culture, he has built a global community dedicated to empowering and inspiring motorcyclists.
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