Locatelli P4, Rea Shows Pace in Estoril Race 1

Pata Maxus Yamaha’s Andrea Locatelli secured a solid P4 finish while teammate Jonathan Rea displayed strong early pace in Race 1 at Estoril, keeping both riders in podium contention ahead of Sunday’s WorldSBK races.

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Pata Maxus Yamaha riders Andrea Locatelli and Jonathan Rea returned to form in Race 1 at Circuito Estoril, Portugal, delivering competitive performances that put the team back in the fight for the podium at the penultimate round of the 2025 FIM Superbike World Championship.

Tight Qualifying, Fierce Race Pace

A close-fought Superpole qualifying session saw Rea line up sixth and Locatelli eighth on the grid, positions that set the stage for an intense scrap in the leading group. Following a red flag restart caused by an incident at Turn 1, both Yamaha riders got off to strong launches, with Locatelli initially edging ahead before Rea reclaimed the advantage into the opening corners.

Rea’s early-race speed was immediately evident. The six-time WorldSBK Champion held fourth for more than half of the race, keeping Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) under sustained pressure until Lap 13, when rear grip issues began to affect his braking performance into Turn 1. Despite a valiant push, the Northern Irishman crossed the line in sixth, a result that belied his front-running pace in the opening stages.

Locatelli Fights Forward for Fourth

Meanwhile, Locatelli built momentum as the race progressed. The Italian rider managed his tyres well, gradually reeling in the leaders before making a decisive move on Alex Lowes (Kawasaki) on Lap 15 to secure fourth position. Though unable to close the gap to Bautista in time to mount a podium attack, the result marked a solid comeback for Locatelli after a challenging qualifying session.

Rea Shows Early Potential, Eyes Improvements

Rea echoed his teammate’s optimism after showing flashes of front-running pace:

“In the beginning of the race, I felt really good! I was right on Alvaro and the R1 felt great. Unfortunately, I had a big moment in Turn 1 mid-race when I couldn’t get the bike stopped, and that let Alex and Loka through. But overall, the bike was really good, and we learned a lot from those 20 laps. The mechanical traction and late-corner turning are areas we’ll focus on improving for tomorrow.”

Looking Ahead: Two More Chances on Sunday

With both riders firmly inside the top six and the Yamaha R1 showing competitive race pace, Pata Maxus Yamaha will enter Sunday’s Superpole Race (11:00 local time) and Race 2 (14:00 local time) with renewed confidence.

Locatelli’s late-race strength and Rea’s opening pace suggest the duo could well be in contention for a return to the podium, a strong finish to the team’s Portuguese weekend before the WorldSBK season finale.