BMW: Toprak Razgatlioglu does not cause grief / Superbike World Championship

With two wins and a third place, BMW’s Toprak Razgatlioglu was the most successful rider at the European opener of the World Superbike Championship in Barcelona at the end of March. It was BMW’s first victory in a major race since autumn 2013, when Chaz Davies won at the Nürburgring.

“Three podium places for BMW, and on this track, is great,” said the 2021 world champion, who will travel to the third event of the season in Assen next weekend in fourth place overall and just four points behind second place and 16 behind. leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba .it Ducati). “We’re not 100 percent yet, but we’re making progress every race weekend.”

Razgatlioglu is showing what is possible with the BMW M1000RR in the World Superbike Championship and has quickly established himself as a leader. The German manufacturer’s engineers take every word from the 41-time race winner and read his wishes from his eyes.

“BMW can learn from him in further motorcycle development,” says Jürgen Röder, owner of the Bonovo factory team for which Scott Redding and Garrett Gerloff compete. “You have to be careful now because there is no impact like in the past with Marc Marquez and Honda, that everything is designed according to Toprak and only he can ride the bike. If he leaves, things go back down and others suffer around 10th place or further back. Not everything he says will be implemented directly because Garrett, Scott and Michael van der Mark have a different way of riding a motorcycle.The trick for BMW will be to create a motorcycle in a way that everyone can ride it from their own perspective.

“Toprak will study and test in 2024,” added Hesse. “He was able to do things with Yamaha that he still can’t do with BMW because he hasn’t put the bike in yet. But in 2025 he will compete in the World Cup, I’m sure of that. This is good for the BMW brand and this is the standard by which others must be measured. Drivers others don’t fall into depression because of it. Scott is more difficult, but with Garrett we have to be careful not to overstimulate it by using it. It’s nice that all the boys live well and have a lot of fun together he is often in our box, he is very friendly and a good person, but he knows he is the best. He is an exceptional driver , as Rossi had with Marc Marquez.

World Cup status before Assen:
1. Nicolo Bulega (I), Ducati, 87 points
2. Alex Lowes (GB), Kawasaki, 75
3. Alvaro Bautista (E), Ducati, 75
4. Toprak Razgatlioglu (TR), BMW, 71
8. Michael van der Mark (NL), BMW, 40
10. Garrett Gerloff (USA), BMW, 25
16. Scott Redding (GB), BMW, 10