English
Italiano
Toprak Razgatlioglu arrives in Assen on the wings of enthusiasm. On the BMW, the Turk has already written history, winning not one, but two races. An achievement long dreamed of and which finally came true, confirming how great and talented the reigning world championship runner-up is.
We talked about this and much more with him on the eve of the TT round, where Razgatlioglu is again aiming to play a leading role riding the M 1000 RR.
"Personally, I'm very curious to see what will happen this weekend, " he told us , "the last few weeks have been really good, because I enjoyed the victories in Barcelona, realizing what I did. In fact, I had a chance to watch the races again and especially the last corner overtaking Alvaro in the Superpole Race. I have to say it was exciting, considering that seen from the outside it is different than when you are on the bike. As well as the victory on the track, there is also a personal victory."
What's that?
"Everyone was saying that my career would end a year ago if I went to BMW, since the bike was not competitive. Now, however, many people have changed their minds. I think now that people have understood why I chose BMW and at the same time what my ambitions are. My goal is to win the World Championship this year, I don't know if I will succeed, but I will try despite the fact that at some tracks I have never ridden an M 1000 RR. Assen is one example."
How much do you have it in your hand now with the bike?
"One step at a time we are going in my direction, allowing me to take advantage of the strong points. Catalunya was perhaps not my track, because it requires a different style. Assen, on the other hand, comes closer, and the same applies to Misano and other tracks. The team has worked hard to be competitive and we are reaping the rewards."
What was your first reaction after the test with the BMW?
"In the straights I immediately felt the true potential of the bike, very close to the Ducati, but the turning point was Portimao, where we were able to be really competitive with the SCX tyre and it was crazy. If the bike didn't have potential, we would never have been able to be so fast in the tests in Portugal."
Some time ago Gonschor said that in Germany they revised the bike piece by piece.
"My style is completely different than the other riders, and BMW is trying to offer a bike that fits every rider and not one in particular."
A year ago everyone thought you would stay at Yamaha and Quartararo would sign for another manufacturer. In the end it was the exact opposite.
"I think Fabio stayed a bit because of the project and because he gets good money from Yamaha. However, I don't know what the Japanese offered him from the technical side, since they are suffering a lot. I think in the end he made the right choice. I don't know if Aprilia would have been able to match the offer even if the bike is better performing, since Vinales won on Sunday with the RS-GP."
Whether you like it or not, the talk of Toprak in MotoGP always pops up every year.
"If I win the Superbike title, in 2026 I might race in MotoGP, and I don't rule that out."
Seeing you in MotoGP would be a hard blow to take for SBK, because the production-derived championship would lose a great champion.
"I don't think anyone would be happy about me saying goodbye, because in SBK everyone has a very similar style, while mine is different. If I were to go to MotoGP it is because I am looking for a stimulating challenge. Obviously it will not be easy to jump to the other paddock, but we will see."
Do you think about doing MotoGP with BMW or are you open to other manufacturers as well.
"I would love for BMW to go to MotoGP and I think it could be perfect. However, we will see what the future holds, but it's not out of the question that I could also stay here in Superbike."
What about Iannone? What can you tell us about Andrea. You seem like two friends who have known each other for a long time.
"Iannone is a great rider. I didn't know him, but from the first moment we saw each other we established a very good relationship, talking calmly between us. He's talented and I think his potential shows."
