World Superbike returned to Italy for the final time this year and it was met by a surprise on the first day of practice; poor weather and lots of rain. The wet Friday made the rest of race weekend a very complicated affair, but the lap times were still very strong once dry qualifying got underway. On Saturday, in Superpole, the champion-elect Troy Bayliss scored his seventh Superpole win of the year, and he hoped to add his third World Championship title on raceday. Also on the front row were Corser, Haga and Biaggi, the latter being the idol of the local Roman spectators.
Race 1
A race filled with passion, incident and close racing, as usual, with several riders who looked capable of a win as they started out on their 24-lap journey.
At the start Bayliss and Haga battled it out, with Biaggi joining them in a three-rider fight. Bayliss took the initiative after making a conservative tyre choice, but Corser and Checa were to pass him, leaving Haga and Biaggi fighting over the top two positions.
Also close to the top of the championship, Max Neukirchner on a Suzuki managed to get past Bayliss and Checa, but not Corser, yet another rider still in the title fight. Biaggi tried to take the win but a small mistake on the last lap ensured that Haga would take the victory, Biaggi came second and Corser third. With Bayliss sixth, the championship could still be decided in race two.
Race standings:
| Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time |
| 1. | Noriyuki Haga | Yamaha | JPN | 39'25.030 |
| 2. | Max Biaggi | Ducati | ITA | 0'00.129 |
| 3. | Troy Corser | Yamaha | AUS | 0'00.535 |
| 4. | Max Neukirchner | Suzuki | GER | 0'05.188 |
| 5. | Carlos Checa | Honda | ESP | 0'06.693 |
Race 2
The second race saw a high speed crash on turn one begin when Corser and Biaggi touched, Biaggi lost control of his machine and eventually fell from it, right in the middle of the pack. Kenan Sofuoglu was the unlucky rider to hit Biaggi’s machine square on and both riders went catapulting down the track. Their speed took them to the very base of the hill, but both walked away with very light injuries, considering the speed and violence of their crash. On a dry and cool track, the pace was hot and the new lap record went to Corser, with a 1’37.072, set on the fourth lap.
The second race was a true nail-biter, as Bayliss and Haga once more played their high speed, game, with Bayliss twice passing Haga inside on the entrance to the final corner. On the last lap, disaster struck for Bayliss, particularly as his team-mate Fabrizio had seemingly guaranteed Bayliss his title by putting Corser into fourth with only a few corners to go. Even if Haga won, Bayliss would still be champion. But Bayliss pushed the drama to full throttle when he fell, pushing too hard at the apex of the Curva Torantino. He remounted, finished 16th, and scored no points. Haga thus took a remarkable double win, Fabrizio was second and Corser third, keeping the championship open for at least another meeting.
Race standings:
| Pos. | Rider | Manu. | Nat. | Total Time |
| 1. | Noriyuki Haga | Yamaha | JPN | 39'10.265 |
| 2. | Michel Fabrizio | Ducati | ITA | 0'01.507 |
| 3. | Troy Corser | Yamaha | AUS | 0'02.268 |
| 4. | Max Neukirchner | Suzuki | GER | 0'11.813 |
| 5. | Carlos Checa | Honda | ESP | 0'17.922 |
Championship standings:
| 1. | Bayliss | 369 |
| 2. | Corser | 290 |
| 3. | Haga | 280 |
| 4. | Max Neukirchner | 280 |
| 5. | Checa | 262 |
| 6. | Biaggi | 212 |
| 7. | Fonsi Nieto | 206 |
| 8. | Fabrizio | 210 |
| 9. | Kiyonari | 193 |
| 10. | Xaus | 160 |
