Toprak and van der Mark unveiled the new BMW, and Sven Blusch, the head of Motorsports for the Munich-based manufacturer, couldn't miss the presentation. Of course, lots of topics were discussioned, including the rejected frame, Toprak's renewal, and the possible jump into the MotoGP.
The topics were very sensitive, and the German manager tried to maintain confidentiality on some issues.
"2024 was an extraordinary year," he began. "We won because of a combination of factors in which Toprak was the central point of our project. He's an extraordinary rider, a champion, with whom we've established a family relationship. Everyone pushed from the beginning to get to this milestone and, of course, we're proud of that. I'm talking about the engineers, the mechanics, as well as Shaun Muir, and the test team. This whole mix turned out to be successful, and now we have a new challenge ahead of us, which is to win the world championship."
How difficult will it be to repeat such a feat?
"We have to stay focused on the goal. Obviously, there are a lot of questions about the future, but we have to look carefully at the tests and Phillip Island. So we'll have to work, step by step, aware of what we did last season."
There's obviously talk about Toprak's future, since he seems destined for the jump into the MotoGP.
"We don't usually talk about the riders contracts. The only thing I can say is that Toprak represents a part of the big BMW family, and we hope he'll be with us in the future, since he's the priority. It's still early, however, to talk about the future."
Do you already have a possible replacement in mind?
"For the moment no. We're not thinking about a replacement.
But going into the MotoGP with Toprak wouldn't be bad?
"We're working on a new strategy, and there are some decisions on the table to be made. It's still early to talk about 2026. What I can say is that we're considering the MotoGP, but also other specialties, such as off-road."
There have also been rumors about replacing KTM, given the problems its having?
"I prefer not to comment on the situation of other manufacturers."
Will we see the return of a satellite team in the SBK in 2026?
"We're thinking about the possibility. We would've liked to have it in 2025, as well, but it wasn't possible. We'll have the test team this year, and then we'll see."