The topic of Toprak Razgatlioglu’s potential transfer to MotoGP has been one which has emerged and re-emerged a number of instances since he gained his first WorldSBK title in 2021, particularly since he started dominating the manufacturing collection with BMW this yr.
Razgatlioglu gained 18 races in his first season with the Bavarian model, which had gained just one race because it re-entered WorldSBK as a manufacturing facility effort in 2019 earlier than the Turkish rider joined on the finish of 2023.
Razgatlioglu’s arrival introduced with it anticipation and expectation, but additionally the 28-year-old’s long-time crew chief, Phil Marron, who started working with Razgatlioglu on the Puccetti Kawasaki crew in 2019.
Earlier than Razgatlioglu, Marron labored with Eugene Laverty in a partnership that started, professionally, in direction of the top of the 2000s when Laverty raced within the Supersport World Championship.
Marron and Laverty stayed collectively till the top of 2018, by which period they’d gone from WorldSSP to WorldSBK, to MotoGP and again to the Superbike paddock once more with the Shaun Muir Racing (SMR) crew and their Aprilia RSV4.
Solely when it turned clear that Laverty was leaving SMR, a transfer which coincided with the start of SMR’s present relationship with BMW, was Marron approached to work with Razgatlioglu from 2019.
“The primary point out of [working with Razgatlioglu] was in Qatar, the final race of 2018,” Marron mentioned in an unique interview with Crash.web.
“I obtained approached by Kawasaki, by Paolo Marchetti from KRT [Kawasaki Racing Team], and he occurred to say ‘It seems like Eugene’s not persevering with subsequent yr and also you’ve been with him for a number of years, would you be focused on working with this younger Turkish star?’
“Earlier than we left Qatar, I noticed Kenan [Sofuoglu] as effectively, and Kenan talked about that they wanted an English-speaking crew chief.
“He’d [Razgatlioglu] had one yr in World Superbike with an Italian crew chief, and Kenan, I believe, was doing a lot of the translating. Toprak knew little or no English, he had no Italian, and the crew chief had little or no English as effectively.
“So, I obtained the prospect on the finish of 2018, and we began originally of 2019 with KRT and Manuel Puccetti.”
As with Laverty earlier than, Marron has remained with Razgatlioglu because the Turkish rider has moved between groups and producers, first from Kawasaki to Yamaha and most just lately from Yamaha to BMW.
“I’m guessing the rationale Toprak requested me to go to Yamaha is as a result of we’d simply finished one yr collectively, so we have been nonetheless studying one another and I already had a good suggestion of what he wished from the bike, so it made sense to ask me to go to Yamaha.
“Then, I’m within the lucky place the place he requested me to proceed on to BMW from Yamaha.
“With Eugene, we’d finished Supersport collectively, Superbike and MotoGP collectively, so it’s numerous mileage, and I’m fortunate that I get to do the identical with one other proficient man, however I don’t know if it’s a mirrored image on me or them. I’m unsure!”
Marron defined that his personal expertise of working in WorldSBK makes it simpler for the riders who work with him to request that he goes with them each time they swap groups. This has been the case with Razgatlioglu, and previously with Laverty.
“Eugene had requested Suzuki,” Marron mentioned. “He was eager that I went there, and the identical factor occurred [with Razgatlioglu] from Kawasaki to Yamaha.
“Toprak had informed me it was the plan to go to Yamaha and he was eager for me to go along with him. I spoke to Kenan Sofuoglu additionally, and he mentioned they want me to go.
“Fortuitously, I had been in touch with Yamaha a number of instances through the years; Paul Denning was nonetheless concerned in Suzuki again then and [now with] Yamaha, so we had an understanding of one another already, and I spoke to Andrea Dosoli (sporting supervisor of Yamaha’s street racing division on the time of Razgatlioglu’s signing) a number of instances.
“So, them [the riders] requesting me to come back, in case you have Superbike expertise it’s simpler for them [the teams] to say sure or no; so the door was already half-open, so it wasn’t too tough.
“Then, from Yamaha to BMW, I used to be aware of the blokes at SMR (Shaun Muir Racing) from earlier than, from the Aprilia days; I’d seen a number of the BMW guys within the paddock earlier than, so we have been on talking phrases, so it was a simple introduction.”
Marron’s relationship with Razgatlioglu, in addition to his earlier expertise with Laverty that took him to MotoGP, means that he’s additionally a personality within the recurring saga of Razgatlioglu’s makes an attempt to maneuver to the Grand Prix paddock.
Would Marron transfer with Razgatlioglu to MotoGP if the likelihood was there?
“If there was a possibility to go, sure, I’d,” Marron mentioned.
“I imagine he deserves to go there, he’s proficient sufficient to make it work. However for me, personally, I loved it in that paddock.
“Clearly, there’s a number of politics concerned in altering a rider in that paddock, not to mention altering employees.
“If the chance arose, I’d undoubtedly contemplate it. Actually it’s a privilege to work beside a man of that stage, he’s completely distinctive.”
Not solely the “politics” of MotoGP, but additionally his age (he might be 29 by the point the 2026 season begins) and even perceptions about Razgatlioglu’s using type have been raised as issues a few potential transfer between paddocks for the now-two-times WorldSBK Champion.
“His stage is so excessive,” Marron mentioned in response to the concept that Razgatlioglu’s type is incompatible with MotoGP.
“The best way that we labored in Yamaha with Toprak, and the way in which that we work in BMW, is we set the bike as much as swimsuit him. We don’t have a small window that the bike works inside and it’s important to beat the rider to adapt to this type of using.
“He’s already obtained expertise with carbon brakes [from previous MotoGP tests with Yamaha], he’s already obtained expertise with Michelin tyres, albeit perhaps two variations older than what they’ve now, however he’ll determine it out.
“For those who give him the instruments that complement his type of using, let him trip how he desires to trip — okay, for certain he must alter a number of the finer particulars, however his stage is so excessive he may adapt and determine it out. I can’t see it being a large drawback.”
As an alternative of Razgatlioglu’s type, Marron recommended that one of many main “hindrances” for a MotoGP transfer can be persistence, and giving Razgatlioglu the required time to make the diversifications required.
“The most important subject might be having the persistence — you would need to give it a season, after which on yr two see what you are able to do,” Marron mentioned.
“However I’m certain that might most likely be the largest subject for him — not even a problem, nevertheless it’s most likely one of many hindrances.
“For certain, the expertise is nice sufficient to go there and shine, not go there and make up the numbers. And that’s no disrespect to the blokes which are there, as a result of they’re all f*cking unimaginable.”
