The 2025 Mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) returns to action this weekend, with Queensland Raceway hosting round three in the Sunshine State. In Countdown, CycleOnline looks at the early trends that have emerged across the opening rounds of the season.

7. McDonald vs Mahaffy:

A single point separates the Stop and Seal Yamaha teammates Jack Mahaffy and Archie McDonald at the top of the Supersport standings, which appears to be a battle that will rage on for the duration of the season. For Mahaffy, he suggested that Phillip Island would be his toughest round, so leaving there with a 2-2-1 scorecard must have been a huge positive. A 1-3 result at round two in Sydney then earned the Victorian the overall round win, however, McDonald returned serve by claiming the second race win of the weekend in what was a nail-biter as the two were separated by 0.039s at the line. The action has been intense between these two, and the duel will be one to watch as the season progresses.

Image: Foremost Media.

6. The other Ducatis:

While one Ducati has dominated proceedings across the opening two rounds, there are a further two in particular that are yet to fully fire, with DesmoSport’s Broc Pearson and Superbike Advocates’ Glenn Allerton occupying positions eight and 11 in the standings, respectively, after two rounds. Both are currently adapting to their respective electronics packages, with DesmoSport and Pearson getting acquainted with the MoTec system, while Allerton and the Superbike Advocates team switched to the Magneti Marelli configuration between rounds one and two as each rider looks to extract further performance from their Ducati Panigale V4 Rs and finish higher up the results sheet. The promise is there, so it’s likely just a matter of time until they’re back knocking on the door of podiums.

5. To the Max at YRT:

Making the switch to the Yamaha Racing Team (YRT) for the 2025 season, many eyes were on the number 27 to see how he would respond with the increased backing for this year. An off-season injury has probably kept fans and media alike from seeing Max Stauffer at full power, and a word to describe his opening two rounds could be steady. Fourth overall at Phillip Island after 6-7-7 results, followed by two 10th-place finishes for a P10 round result in Sydney, has him in fifth place in the season standings after two rounds. All things considered, this is a pretty solid start to his tenure with the official Yamaha team, and as he acquires more time on the bike, Stauffer could evolve into a serious race-winning contender as the rounds progress.

Image: Foremost Media.

4. Halliday’s gamble:

A 13th-place finish overall in Phillip Island had Stop and Seal recruit Cru Halliday’s gamble to move away from the Yamaha Racing Team at the end of the 2024 season look slightly like a bust, at least first time out. It’s early, though, and it takes time to get acquainted with new surroundings, which is exactly what happened just one round later at Sydney Motorsport Park, still onboard R1 machinery. Third overall courtesy of 5-3 finishes was just what the doctor ordered for the class veteran, and is probably a shot in the arm of confidence after such a move. However, the question becomes whether this is a performance he can back up across the remaining six rounds, beginning this weekend at ‘The Paperclip’. Emphasized by the switch to Michelin rubber and the fact that he’s on MoTec electronics alongside highly-rated teammates Arthur Sissis and Tom Toparis, Halliday’s year is one that can be followed with great curiosity.

3. Rise of the rookies:

Always explosive and always fun to watch, the rookies are a glimpse into the future of the sport. After two rounds, it’s last year’s Supersport champion Jonathan Nahlous and Addicted To Track’s Jack Favelle – both Yamaha-equipped – who have established themselves as young riders to watch in the premier category, joining the likes of Cam Dunker in what his his second term on the Superbike. Nahlous impressed at Phillip Island’s opener as he raced to sixth overall, before a P4 result in Sydney showed that he is for real, and though only 18 years old, is ready to fight up amongst the top racers. Same for Favelle, with fifth overall in Sydney, putting the number 33 on the map, and with access to experienced teammate Ant West at his disposal, Favelle has the opportunity to absorb key information to fast-track his future success.

Image: Foremost Media.

2. The primary opponent:

Last year’s runner-up in the ASBK class, Mike Jones, is shaping up as the primary opponent in the class as he himself chases a fourth crown to add to his resume. Two second-place finishes across the two completed rounds make this fact pretty self-explanatory, however, the question is, how can the Yamaha Racing Team leader overhaul Josh Waters and his McMartin Racing Ducati, who are putting on a clinic out front? Despite having been the next best rider across the Phillip Island and Sydney race weekends, Jones currently faces a 27-point deficit just two races into the series. As everyone knows, there is a lot of racing left and anything can happen, although you’ve got to think that both Jones and the team are doing everything they can to extract the most they possibly can out of their already well-developed package. What’s more, Queensland has proven a happy hunting ground for the 46 on many, many occasions – including a perfect weekend at QR one year ago – and now must be his window to strike.

1. Waters targets five:

Any questions about Waters’ preparation due to an early-season injury can now be put to bed, as it does appear that the defending champion hasn’t missed a beat since his 2024 triumph for title number four. Both he and the McMartin Racing crew are firing on all cylinders, and their Ducati Panigale V4 R is right in the comfortable window for the number one to do his thing out front. The motivation and momentum will be important to maintain and hold onto throughout the season, however, as it stands, entering Queensland Raceway this weekend, Waters is on par to potentially claim what would be a massive milestone in five ASBK crowns by season’s end.