2024 was a special year for Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and BMW as the Turkish rider secured his second MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship crown, and BMW’s first. 18 wins in total, including 13 in a row, meant he secured the title in style in his first season on the M 1000 RR and now the two-time World Champion reflected on his latest success, silencing the doubters and the 2024 season as a whole.

A TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION: “When I stopped at the first corner, almost all riders stopped for me…”

Razgatlioglu secured his second World Championship crown in Race 1 at Jerez as he finished second behind Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati), pulling out an unassailable lead over the rookie sensation. After winning the 2021 title with Yamaha, he became BMW’s first WorldSBK Champion after his bombshell move to the German manufacturer for this season, with his 2024 campaign including a record-breaking 13 wins in a row.

Explaining his thoughts immediately after winning the title, the two-time Champion said: “My feeling after securing the world title… I’m really happy. We deserve it. We’re the World Champions now with BMW. For me, it’s been an amazing season. It’s my second world title but my first one was for my dad; this one is for myself. The first one is always difficult and very special but I’m happy. When I stopped at the first corner, almost all the riders stopped for me. Alvaro stopped again after his crash. I’m very happy because this was like a family moment and I’m happy riding with everyone in the WorldSBK paddock.”

PROVING PEOPLE WRONG: “Nobody believed in the BMW… my brother also didn’t believe; now, he’s very happy!”

Razgatlioglu left a race-winning package with the Yamaha R1 to join a team and bike which hadn’t won since 2021 before his Race 1 win in Barcelona. Their last victory came at Portimao in a mixed-conditions Tissot Superpole Race, thanks to Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). It led to plenty of scepticism about whether it would be a good move for ‘El Turco’, with Razgatlioglu discussing this subject in the special interview.

“Nobody believed in the BMW, and nobody believed in me when I signed,” he began. “Everyone said, ‘This is not the right decision, why sign for BMW? You are crazy’. My brother also didn’t believe! He was worried and said, ‘Why are you signing with BMW? No one wins with this bike’. I said, ‘Calm, we have plans. If we’re Champion with BMW, this is a very important title for me’. Now, he’s very happy. When I moved to BMW, the feeling was very warm and very hungry for the title. Everyone worked very hard and, Mickey helped me. This is good teamwork, not just on my side but from everyone. We’re like a family. I’m very happy for BMW and for the team. Normally I don’t like the #1 a lot, I prefer the #54, but BMW deserve it; for BMW, I will use the #1.”

INCREDIBLE START TO HIS BMW CAREER: “When I started with a hat-trick, I did another one because every race weekend, I was more relaxed”

Razgatlioglu’s first race on the M 1000 RR came in Australia and he was immediately on the rostrum in the Superpole Race, before claiming two victories in Round 2 in Barcelona – with two different types of victory. A tyre management masterclass in Race 1 and a Valentino Rossi-style last-corner, last-lap pass in the Superpole Race gave him his first two BMW wins. After one win at Assen, the 28-year-old went on a run of four consecutive hat-tricks to give him a record 13 wins in a row and he took control of the Championship fight.

On the first half of 2024, the Turkish superstar said: “The first race weekend in Australia, especially the Superpole Race, I passed Alvaro on the straight for the first time. This was very fun, and I was smiling a bit in the helmet. I got the podium. When we got to Catalunya, I won the first race. This was incredible. In the Superpole Race, it was incredible; I didn’t give up, I was just pushing and thinking immediately after Turn 10 that, many years ago, Rossi did it at the last corner. If I’m close enough, I’ll try. When I won the Catalunya race, I thought, ‘This year, it looks like it’s possible to be World Champion’. Catalunya, for me, is a very hard circuit but we won there. My mentality changed when I did the hat-trick at Misano. Ducati are very strong there. I did the first hat-trick, and the mental side was perfect. I’m happy. When I got the first hat-trick, I did another one because every race weekend, I was more relaxed.”

MAGNY-COURS CRASH: “When I went to the doctor for the check at Aragon, the doctor said it was fine and I almost cried!”

Razgatlioglu’s title charge threatened to unravel in FP2 at Magny-Cours when he lost control of his BMW machine early on in the session, before he hit the wall at Turns 14 and 15. He was diagnosed with pneumothorax, which ruled him out of racing in France as well as the full weekend at Cremona, although he returned for MotorLand Aragon with his Championship lead cut but Bulega had been unable to take full advantage of Razgatlioglu’s absence, with the Turkish rider maintaining his lead.

Reflecting on the crash, and the impact it had on him both physically and mentally, Razgatlioglu said: “When I got to the last sector, I lost the front. I hit the wall and, after, when I stopped, I understood that I wasn’t taking a breath. I turned immediately, I tried to breathe again. I took very short breaths and it started to come back. When I went back to the hospital, I wasn’t good because my lung had a lot of air inside. After the crash, every day I was thinking about my target. I just tried to come back very quickly and fight for the title again. I tried to come back at Cremona, and we checked the scan again, but I still had air in my lung, but just a little bit. The doctors said this was very dangerous. If I didn’t come back at Aragon, I think I would lose the Championship. When I went to the doctors for the check at Aragon, the doctor said it was fine and I almost cried. After Aragon, when I finally went back to Turkey, I ate very special food with my mum, and I did a lot of training at Kenan’s track. My mental side got stronger. When I got to Estoril, I felt like Toprak.”

PRAISE FOR BULEGA: “I think he’s the next World Champion”

The title fight went down to the wire between Razgatlioglu and Bulega, with the #11 putting in some sensational performances in his rookie campaign as he exceeded everyone’s expectations. Bulega finished second in the end but that didn’t stop Razgatlioglu declaring the Italian as WorldSBK’s next World Champion.

He said: “In general, this year, we didn’t fight a lot with Bulega, but he did an incredible job. Everyone was very surprised that he did such a good job in his first year. He looks like a big talent. I think he’s the next World Champion. Next year, he’ll be stronger. I hope we are too!”

Relive some of the best moments from Razgatlioglu’s title-winning campaign using the WorldSBK VideoPass!