Pata Maxus Yamaha and Locatelli Continue Strong Form on Final Day in Hungary

Andrea Locatelli’s strong run of form continued with two more encouraging performances, pushing his race package for Pata Maxus Yamaha to the limits at Balaton Park Circuit, as Round 8 of the 2025 FIM Superbike World Championship concluded in Hungary today.

Mirroring recent results from Misano and Donington, the 28-year-old has not finished outside of the top five in nine successive races. During the Superpole Race this morning, a damp but drying circuit offered a chance at the podium but for a small mistake where “Loka” lost time trying to overtake Danilo Petrucci. In Race 2, a brilliant launch from the start to run P2 on the opening lap was a highlight as Locatelli tried his best to fend off attacks from the podium finishers. Keeping his focus and improving his pace lap by lap, Locatelli closed a three-second deficit to Petrucci, narrowly missing another P4 as he followed his Italian compatriot across the line, only 0.4 of a second behind.

Jonathan Rea hoped to be able to make another step in performance to fight alongside his teammate in the front group and though the #65 rider was ready to use the conditions to his advantage this morning, P9 in the Superpole Race was the highest finish of the weekend. From a third row start for Race 2 and initial positive progression to run sixth on the opening lap, to his frustration Rea dropped back through the order as the race developed and he crossed the line in 12th place.

Andrea Locatelli will now fly to Japan, where he will participate in the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team alongside Jack Miller and Katsuyuki Nakasuga next weekend. For the rest of the team the summer break offers a chance to fully reset for the frenetic pace of WorldSBK in the remaining four rounds of the season, starting with Magny-Cours from 5-7 September – a venue where Yamaha has tasted Prosecco Doc many times in the last decade with team celebrations of double podiums and race wins.

Andrea Locatelli – SPRC: P4 / Race 2: P5

“I think it was a positive weekend – this morning during the Superpole Race, without the mistake and running off the track when I was trying to overtake Petrucci, maybe I would have been able to fight until the end with Bautista for the podium. Since Misano we have been working well, solid weekends and solid results, so this is at the moment the most important thing. We need to look forward and improve a little bit more – we all want more and we can do it! We are not so far from always being able to fight for the podium. I am quite happy, but maybe a bit disappointed because it was a new track and a new challenge, so to get one podium here would have been nice. I did my best, I did 100% on the bike and working well with my guys from Friday, so we will see what happens in Magny-Cours. I go to Japan tomorrow for the Suzuka 8 Hours race, so for sure I will take a rest after that!”

Jonathan Rea – SPRC: P9 / Race 2: P12

“This morning was wet, I didn’t have a really good feeling with the bike – just a lack of rear traction – and it was a little bit the same in the Superpole Race. We started with a drying line and when there were risks to be taken, I was ready to take those risks – but Vierge came underneath me at T4 and picked me up into the wet stuff. I lost so much track position and when I was coming back, Bulega was in front and he was slowing everyone down in the group with intermediate tyres. I just couldn’t get past him and it was frustrating. In the end I got up to P9 which got us a third-row grid start. Unfortunately, in the long Race 2, I struggled from the get-go with grip. I got a decent start and inside the top 6 in the first corner but without grip I was a sitting duck – vulnerable in the passing areas because I wasn’t getting off the corners well. I don’t feel like I was riding very well and to make it worse I didn’t have a great feeling with my bike today because we didn’t quite nail the set-up and I didn’t feel comfortable. It was one of the most frustrating weekends to be honest!”

Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Maxus Yamaha:

“We escaped the bad weather today – fierce storms were predicted but in the end, we had two nearly completely dry races. To be fair, the only comment as Team Principal I can make is really ‘copy and paste’ from yesterday. Loka rode his heart out and technically and consistency-wise was excellent, coming within 0.4 of a second of beating Danilo Petrucci in the final race which would have secured another fourth-place finish. Loka’s day will come – as we said yesterday we didn’t have quite the performance to do more today, but on other circuits and in other situations, if he keeps riding with this level of confidence and intensity – he has every chance to challenge for the top step of the podium again before the end of the year. JR had a solid Superpole Race, getting himself on to the first three rows of the grid for Race 2 – but the consistency of performance and feeling from his R1 in the second feature-length race was not what he was looking for. Next event is Magny-Cours, one of Jonathan’s favourite and most successful tracks over the years and it usually suits the R1 really well. We’ll go to France after the summer break with high hopes for both riders and in the meantime, we are sending all our best wishes to Loka for a successful Suzuka 8 Hours next weekend.”