ToprakRazgatlioglu

After making the switch to BMW for 2024, Toprak Razgatlioglu went on a record-breaking run: 13 consecutive wins to make WorldSBK history and take firm control of the Championship standings. However, a crash in Free Practice 2 in France briefly halted his title charge, forcing him to sit out the French and Italian Rounds. He returned at Aragon to take three podiums, outscoring Nicolo Bulega to retain the Championship lead, and while he was close to winning it at Estoril, P2 at Jerez in Race 1 was the crowning moment as he became the 11^th rider to be a multiple WorldSBK Champion.

At just 27 years of age, Toprak Razgatlioglu had been hailed as a future World Champion since the moment he stepped into the paddock: now, the Turkish rider will look to claim a second crown after his emotional 2021 success. The Turkish rider first got on a bike at the age of five, and secured four Turkish Motocross championship titles, before competing in his first 600cc race when he was 13. Breaking onto the European scene from 2011, Razgatlioglu first entered the Yamaha R6 Dunlop Cup. In 2013, the youngster secured a place in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, which he raced in alongside the Turkish Supermoto championship. Fighting in the ever-competitive cup for two seasons, he took his first victory in Germany at the Sachsenring.

2015 welcomed Toprak onto the world stage, as he entered the European Superstock 600 Championship and won the title in the same season. Naturally progressing into the European Superstock 1000 Championship in 2016, he was battling for the title in his second season, just missing out by eight points.

Making the move up to WorldSBK in 2018 with Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, Razgatlioglu took two podiums and was the rookie of the year, but the big breakthrough was yet to come. After a slow start to 2019, Razgatlioglu featured on the podium at least once in every round from Round 5 to 12, including two sensational wins at Magny-Cours from sixteenth on the grid. Taking top independent honours with ease, he moved over to Pata Yamaha for 2020 and won on his debut. 2021 however would be Toprak’s year: with a stunning 13 wins, he stormed to the title and dethroned Jonathan Rea in a dramatic showdown in Indonesia. His crown was relinquished in 2022, and he was unable to win it back in 2023, while there’s a new challenge in 2024.

After four years with Yamaha, becoming the rider with most wins for the Japanese manufacturer, and claiming the 2021 title, Razgatlioglu opted to switch to BMW. Re-uniting with former Yamaha teammate Michael van der Mark, can they bring BMW to the top step in 2024?