Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) heads into the 2025 campaign as the reigning MOTUL FIM Superbike World Champion and he’s taken the #1 plate for this year as he looks to take his third crown, but also defend it; something he was unable to do afar his 2021 success. Speaking at BMW’s season launch, ‘El Turco’ spoke about aiming to retain his title, a finger injury that’s ruled him out of testing at Jerez next week and more.

BACK TO THE #1: a target on his back…

Razgatligolu ran the #1 plate back in 2022 after securing the 2021 title with Yamaha but relinquished his crown that year as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) took his first Championship, before defending it with the #1 plate in 2023. It’s something Razgatlioglu will aim to do in 2025 as he looks for a third Championship in WorldSBK, and he’s once again opted to put the #1 on his machine for his title defence. The 28-year-old broke several BMW and WorldSBK records in 2024, including the one for most consecutive wins; he won 13 on the bounce, breaking the previous record of 11.

Speaking about the pressure of the #1 and his goals for next year, Razgatlioglu set his sights on more success: “I think everyone likes it like this! When I use the #1, I’m feeling more pressure but normally I don’t like it. I’m using it for BMW because this was a lot of teamwork; finally, we got the title, and we are Champions. The #1 looks nice with the BMW. I hope we keep it at the end of the year, this is the important thing. Last year, I didn’t think about any targets, but I did an incredible job. This year, I’m just thinking about Phillip Island and some races I didn’t win. I need to win now. Especially at Phillip Island, I’ll try to win there. Everyone’s very strong and working hard. I hope we get the title again.”

OUT OF THE JEREZ TEST: finger injury puts him on the back foot?

One story to emerge was an injury to Razgatlioglu’s right index finger, which has ruled him out of the Jerez test which takes place next week, on the 22^nd and 23^rd January. With the Turkish superstar not getting much running on his M 1000 RR at the end of 2024, the Jerez test would have been important to get back into rhythm, understand any upgrades that were installed and ensure he was feeling comfortable on the 2025 machine. However, the #1 is going to miss the two-day test in Spain and revealed he was hoping to be back at Portimao the week after.

Revealing the cause of the injury, and discussing his recovery, Razgatlioglu said: “Now, it’s getting better. Maybe I’ll be at Portimao. If not, for sure, Phillip Island. I crashed with the enduro bike. In the off-season, I’m always riding an enduro bike because I love it but I crashed; it was very small, I don’t understand why my finger is broken. I need time, maybe two weeks or three. I’ll try to come back at the Portimao test.”

2025 RIVALS: namechecking several riders…

Razgatlioglu was taken all the way to the final round in 2024 by rookie sensation Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati), while Bulega’s teammate, Alvaro Bautista, has been a constant threat at the front since his return to the Italian manufacturer. While Razgatlioglu reiterated that it’s too early to say who will be fighting at the front, he gave his thoughts on what could be an epic year of racing between him and several riders.

Discussing the fight at the front of the field, ‘El Turco’ said: “Bulega’s first year was amazing; he was very strong in every race weekend. He’ll come back stronger this year. I’m waiting for Alvaro because it looks like he’s started working hard. If he comes back, I think we’re fighting a lot at the front. This is good for people. I think everyone enjoys it a lot. It’s good fighting with more people at the front. It’s not easy to say anything before the season starts because everyone’s very strong.”

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