English
Italiano
Superbike starts packing its bags with direction Cremona: while on the one hand there is the battle on the track to hold the headlines with the duel between Toprak and Bulega, on the other hand there are the rider market scenarios in view of 2026 capturing the spotlight.
Centre stage obviously goes to Toprak Razgatlioglu, whose future is yet to be written. The only certainty is that the Turk's contract is due to expire at the end of the year, so it will be necessary to figure out how and which way to move.
During the Assen weekend, his manager Kenan Sofuoglu gave us a long interview, in which he declared that there was a possibility of a MotoGP project as well as strong interest from Honda and Yamaha in the other paddock (HERE his declarations).
Obviously BMW will do everything possible to retain Toprak, putting a monstrous offer on his plate, which could even reach 4 million euros (these are the figures leaked in the paddock between Portimao and Assen). In short, a MotoGP figure that no one in the SBK paddock has ever seen before.
For his part, Sven Blush hopes to nail down the Turk, because in case of a farewell it would be no small headache to go in search of a replacement. Of course, BMW has the economic factor on its side for leverage, and we would not be surprised if Nicolò Bulega's name became the first alternative on the list.
This sort of strategy would also be a foregone conclusion: weaken the direct competition, namely Ducati, by poaching a talented rider who is only 25 years old and the chief rival in the Championship.
At this point it would become interesting to understand what Nicolò's priorities are, whether money or a project with an eye on beyond 2026. While Ducati does not have the economic resources to equal BMW's offer, it does, however, have two not insignificant projects that it can put on the table.
The first is the new Panigale V4, making its debut next year and which Bulega already cast his eyes on at Misano three weeks ago during the shakedown with Stirpe. The second is that of a pathway leading to 2027 in MotoGP, the year of the regulation changes with bikes without lowering devices, 850cc displacement and Pirelli tyres. All ingredients that tickle the current Aruba rider in no small part for what could be a return to the paddock from whence he came.
In short: the Cremona round promises to be incandescent on two fronts, on and off the track. Toprak and Bulega, as well as BMW and Ducati, will again be the protagonists.
