World Superbike factors chief Toprak Razgatlioglu will attempt to leverage his phenomenal present kind within the manufacturing bike sequence right into a transfer to MotoGP as early as 2025, in response to his supervisor Kenan Sofuoglu.
A constant peripheral presence in MotoGP rider market discuss since he burst onto the scene as a Superbike frontrunner, Razgatlioglu regarded to have thrown within the towel on his grand prix racing ambitions when he break up with Yamaha final 12 months, shortly after testing its MotoGP bike.
However BMW’s open flirtation with a possible MotoGP entry for its new guidelines in 2027, mixed with the 27-year-old Turk’s prompt impression as a BMW worker, charted a believable if solely medium-term path for Razgatlioglu to make the swap in spite of everything.
Now, nonetheless, Sofuoglu – himself a five-time World Supersport champion – has informed German-language outlet Speedweek.com that his protege is in search of a MotoGP future as early as attainable.
Sofuoglu has remarkably claimed that he has “already knowledgeable” BMW of Razgatlioglu’s want to depart World Superbikes on the finish of this 12 months.
Razgatlioglu’s arrival at BMW has been transformative for its WSBK programme. It had gained all of 1 race between the beginning of 2014 and the top of final 12 months, however Razgatlioglu already has six wins in 12 BMW begins, together with a dominant clear sweep of the three races final trip at Misano.
He’s main the title race one-third of the way in which into the calendar, though he stays inside one full-distance race’s price of factors for Ducati duo Nicolo Bulega and Alvaro Bautista, whose WSBK dominance from the years prior has been curbed by new weight guidelines.
“Toprak’s performances are excellent. This second in his life, he desires to make use of it to make the change. That is what I informed BMW,” mentioned Sofuoglu.
However he additionally acknowledged that Razgatlioglu is below contract with BMW and that it might take the settlement of all events for the swap to occur.
Why would BMW agree?
BMW has already made its intentions clear to proceed with Razgatlioglu and his present team-mate Michael van der Mark in 2025.
It faces its finest likelihood at a WSBK crown this 12 months, however there isn’t a assure Razgatlioglu will romp to the championship – and for past this 12 months, letting him stroll would successfully imply setting the programme on hearth.
That may be a reflection of how nicely Razgatlioglu has finished. His 179 factors are 57 greater than van der Mark and satellite tv for pc group Bonovo’s riders Garrett Gerloff and Scott Redding have provide you with mixed. It has been a real demolition job.
Nevertheless it’s additionally making Razgatlioglu irreplaceable, particularly as BMW must decide to a plan of motion nicely earlier than it is aware of whether or not he’ll win it the title this 12 months or not.
There are some good riders available on the market, together with those that will eye a change of paddocks after shedding out in MotoGP’s sport of musical chairs, however there are none you’d again to have anyplace close to a Razgatlioglu-level impression.
Sofugolu’s pitch there seems to be that it is also a long-term play for BMW as a result of “everyone knows BMW desires to enter MotoGP” – and thus, presumably, permitting Razgatlioglu to discover that class would put together him to doubtlessly spearhead BMW’s efforts in 2027.
However even when BMW does affirm a MotoGP foray, it might imply sacrificing extra photographs at WSBK glory for growing a premier-class candidate who might be 30 by the point the hypothetical BMW MotoGP bike makes its race debut.
Would a MotoGP group take him?
To make a ’25 transfer occur, Razgatlioglu will presumably must conform to a satellite tv for pc experience as a result of there may be just about nothing obtainable on the manufacturing facility experience market.
The Race understands that Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales-vacated seat is about to be crammed formally any day now, barring any last-minute wrench within the plans. Honda has reportedly held on to Joan Mir. That solely leaves Yamaha – the identical Yamaha with which Razgatlioglu had that MotoGP take a look at that appeared to go away a bitter style for everybody concerned.
The Razgatlioglu camp’s rivalry about that Aragon runout is that the bike was not tailored sufficient to Razgatlioglu, and thus that the laptimes it produced usually are not consultant of his potential within the premier class.
However Yamaha itself took sufficient inventory in these laptimes to successfully take Razgatlioglu out of the operating to exchange Franco Morbidelli final 12 months (finally making a profitable play for Alex Rins as an alternative), with Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis occurring document to say getting probably the most out of Razgatlioglu in MotoGP could be a medium-term undertaking.
Sofuoglu claims there may be a number of curiosity within the MotoGP paddock in Razgatlioglu now, and that is eminently plausible as a result of he has been lights-out in WSBK, clearly a minimize above, clearly one thing particular.
However any group that makes him a proposal now must reckon with a chance of a prolonged adaptation course of – there are numerous who aren’t satisfied MotoGP’s Michelin rubber will work as nicely for him as WSBK’s Pirellis do – and in addition the likelihood that adaptation won’t ever repay.
Maybe that may very well be made to work by a satellite tv for pc group with manufacturing facility blessing and a confirmed choice on the opposite aspect of the storage. It’s why the thought of Razgatlioglu to Tech3 KTM has made some sense previously – and nonetheless would, besides Tech3 is already extraordinarily set with main new recruits Vinales and Enea Bastianini.
Why would Toprak do that?
That one’s the best – as a result of it is clearly his dream.
A roll of the cube for Razgatlioglu wouldn’t be with out its dangers – within the short-term at the very least it might imply fewer trophies and decrease earnings, at the very least when it comes to rider wage.
However his inventory has by no means been greater. And whereas ready for BMW to determine a technique or one other on a MotoGP entry for 2027 may be the smart-money play, that might prohibit him to an age-30 debut.
Whereas now, if he comes over and fails, there’ll all the time be somebody on the WSBK grid for him to choose up the place he left off. How may there not be, after the occasions of this 12 months to date?
So, it is price a attempt. However making it price BMW’s whereas, and promoting a MotoGP accomplice on it, are two obstacles that really feel, if not unassailable, then definitely near it.