Gigi Dall’Igna and Alvaro Bautsita responded to Toprak Razgatlioglu’s claim of Ducati domination in the WorldSBK championship.

The reigning WorldSBK champion Razgatlioglu threatened to quit the series after enduring a difficult season opener in Phillip Island.

The Turkish rider sits eighth in the standings with 20 points after finishing second in Race 1, the only points he accumulated throughout the weekend.

He labelled the series a “Ducati Cup” after Nicolo Bulega completed his first WorldSBK treble for Italian manufacturer, with the top five riders in the standings all representing Panigale machinery.

“I have immense respect for Razgatlioglu because he had a wonderful season last year,” Ducati boss Dall’Igna told GPOne.

“He won 13 races in a row. The truth is that, last year, it was really a BMW Cup!

“In the sense that he dominated from start to finish. Then, as always, things in racing change.

“I don’t think it’s a Ducati Cup. Rather, we certainly have an incredible line-up of riders.”

Alvaro Bautista: Ducati has the ‘best riders’

Two-time WorldSBK champion Bautista elaborated on Dall’Igna’s perspective by discussing Ducatis full rider lineup.

While he admitted that it’s a “combination” of the V4 and riders, he listed each rider’s accolades, which he believes are key factors in understanding the championship standings.

“Although there were six Ducatis, you also have to take into account which riders were riding the Ducati,” said Bautista to BikeSportNews.

“So, we have Nicolo Bulega, Supersport World Champion and 2024 World Championship runner-up.

“Andrea Iannone, who has achieved many Moto2 victories and has also won in MotoGP, as well as Danilo Petrucci.

“And Ducati also has me as 125cc World Champion and two-time Superbike Champion. Everyone talks about the bike, but it’s not just that, it’s also the riders.

“It’s a combination. The Ducati is a good motorcycle because Ducati is constantly working on improvements. And if you also have a good racing driver, then it’s clear what the result will be.

“It can’t be our problem if other manufacturers don’t invest in the best riders.”

READ MORE – Toprak Razgatlioglu threatens to quit WorldSBK after Ducati dominance in Australia

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World champion Toprak Razgatlioglu has threatened to quit the WorldSBK championship after Ducati dominated the opening round at Phillip Island.

Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega completed a hat trick of wins while the manufacturer scored eight out of a possible nine podiums over the weekend. 

The Turkish rider was the sole non-Ducati to make the rostrum but suggested he will reconsider his future in the championship if this pattern continues.

“Last year, yes, [Nicolo] Bulega [was strong], this year I’m not surprised that he is still fast and Alvaro [Bautista] also not bad,” Razgatlioglu told WorldSBK.com after Race 2.

“But, this year, all Ducatis are on the front, this is not normal, [it’s] why I say Superbike is almost like a ‘Ducati Cup’.

“I hope not to continue going like this because everyone is not enjoying like this.

“If Superbike continues like this in the future, I’m not thinking to race anymore here.”

Razgatlioglu: ‘I’m never happy in the first WorldSBK race of the season’

The Turkish rider had a difficult weekend in Phillip Island after taking his podium in Race 1, he could only manage 11th in the Superpole Race and retired in the final race of the weekend. 

Razgatlioglu explained that a number of technical problems amounted to the issues in Sunday’s races. 

“For me, especially the Superpole Race was not really good at the start. I feel some brake problem and we are lucky I didn’t hit someone and nobody crashed,” Razgatlioglu said.

“For Race 2, we say it’s better to ride yesterday’s bike because I feel we are really improving and grip is much better than before and we started to use yesterday’s bike.

“But, in the race, we see there’s some technical problem, and after I didn’t continue the race.”

He added: “I’m never starting very happy the first races in the season. Also last year, and two years ago – always I’m starting very strange, [and] this is the same.

“But I’m just focused on the next race because finally we are going to Europe and I’m just starting to fight with all the Ducatis.

“We have a long break, almost one month. I will keep working and try to come back stronger.”

The world champion admitted BMW need to find something ahead of testing before the second round at Portimao. 

“We have a test there, we need the test,” the Turkish rider said.

“Two days for me are very important because we are trying to improve the bike and we are still not 100 percent.

“But everyone is pushing hard, I know, and we will see because these two days for me are very important.”

READ MORE – Toprak Razgatlioglu shares MotoGP and WorldSBK ‘dreams’ beyond 2025

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Defending WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu admitted he is “not 100% ready” ahead of the season opener in Phillip Island.

After recording BMW’s first championship on two-wheels in 2024, the Turkish rider is looking to become the fourth rider to win three or more WorldSBK titles.

Razgatlioglu’s pre-season campaign hasn’t gone as he’d hoped, missing the European test in Jerez due to an injured index finger sustained from a Motocross accident.

Despite recovering from this specific injury, he crashed on both days of testing in Phillip Island, leaving the Turkish rider feeling unequipped on setup for the upcoming season opener.

He avoided major injuries from both crashes, but he admitted he can ride “without problems”.

“After the crash, especially on the second day, we started off well because our main target is to find the right setup for the race,” he said to WorldSBK.

“We finally found something, but we’re not 100% ready yet. After the crash, we lost two hours of riding, and the afternoon brought some rain, so we only got the last eight minutes to ride the bike.

“We found a few things, but we’re still not 100%, so we’ll see how it goes on Friday. The weekend is really important, and we’re doing our best, as always.

“I feel the same as before, but I’m continuing to ride the bike. We’re racers, and it’s crucial to keep riding.

“This is an important weekend because it’s the first race of the 2025 season. Even though I’m still not 100%, after a couple of laps, the pain isn’t too bad, and I can still ride without problems.

“We also did some good lap times on race tires, so I’m a bit excited for the first race!”

Toprak Razgatlioglu unable to provide reasons behind ‘very strange’ Monday crash

Razgatlioglu’s biggest crash arrived on Day 1, where he was catapulted off his Bavarian machine at Turn 6.

He shared that he was unable to provide any reasons for the crash, and neither he nor his team understood the root cause.

“For me, it was a very strange crash. We checked the data. I’ve got 39% gas and I highsided because the traction wasn’t working there.

“I spoke with my electronics guy. He checked why it wasn’t working and he didn’t know. I’m lucky nothing is broken but I feel pain everywhere, especially in my hand. 

“Now it isn’t bad, but I need a little bit more. I saw the picture when I was flying! I immediately tried to cover my hand.

“The finger isn’t bad; I feel a little bit of pain. I’m still riding the bike; this is the important thing.

“I think, for the race weekend, I’ll feel much better because we have three or four days. It looks like everything is going positively, only this morning was a little bit strange.”

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Two-time WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu shares his MotoGP and Superbike ambitions beyond the 2025 season.

The Turkish rider stole the show throughout 2024, achieving a record-breaking 13 race wins in a row on his way to securing his second title in the series.

He won with the Bavarian manufacturer BMW in his first season, a manufacturer that had never claimed the championship in the series.

As a result of these achievements, Razgatlioglu’s connection to a MotoGP ride has grown, with the rider himself acknowledging his interest in the series.

“Now I’m happy in the [World] Superbike paddock, and everyone says the Turkish star ‘El Turco’, that’s nice, but I have a dream also for the MotoGP,” Razgatlioglu told VenalGP.

“After the next year [in 2025], I have a plan [for] GP, but I need a good contract. I don’t have a dream, you know, ‘I am the first Turkish MotoGP rider’; this is not my dream.

“My dream when I’m going to the MotoGP is some podiums, winning. I hope this is the biggest dream for me. ‘The MotoGP world champion’ – this is a dream, but we will see in the future, especially next year, maybe four or five months later, I think starting talking to some things, maybe also the MotoGP side.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu reveals the only factor that could stop MotoGP switch

Razgatlioglu’s BMW contract expires at the end of the 2025 season, and he believes that the only thing that could hinder his chances of getting a full-time seat is his age.

Only a limited number of seats will be available, as only four MotoGP riders have contracts expiring after the 2025 season: Luca Marini, Jack Miller, Franco Morbidelli, and Johann Zarco.

He previously admitted that this would be his final chance to switch to MotoGP. However, a prior test with Yamaha saw disappointing results for both parties, making a possible return to the Japanese brand unlikely.

If no MotoGP opportunity arises, despite it being his preferred destination, Razgatlioglu will focus on remaining in WorldSBK and achieving a feat no rider has accomplished before.

“But my age also next year [in 2025] 29, I’m almost a limit, and my feeling is the limit, but if 2026 if I am not going to the MotoGP, I have a different plan because of before any rider not to get three different brands the world title if I’m staying in the Superbike product again. But my biggest target MotoGP,” he revealed.

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One MotoGP Hall of Famer praises Toprak Razaglioglu’s “crazy” 2024 title-winning WorldSBK season.

The Turkish rider dominated throughout the season in unprecedented fashion after switching to BMW, a manufacturer that had struggled in previous seasons.

Razaglioglu’s ambitious move paid off. The partnership led to 18 victories, and he became the third rider in WorldSBK history to win two world titles with two different manufacturers.

In 2025, the 28-year-old will look to become only the fourth rider to reach three titles in the series, equalling the Australian Troy Bayliss, before setting his sights on the achievements of the British duo of Carl Fogarty and Jonathan Rea.

MotoGP Hall of Famer Andrea Dovizioso discusses Toprak Razaglioglu’s achievements

“I always follow every race,” Dovizioso told WorldSBK.com. “Even if I’m not [watching] live I record everything because I want to see everything.”

“Toprak [Razgatlioglu] and BMW did something special and crazy.

“For sure, BMW improved, but I think Toprak showed how strong he is, how fast he is, because last year with Yamaha he did something really good, and this year with BMW again. So, it was nice to see him in that level with a different brand.

“I think Toprak and BMW now will become even stronger next year, so for their competitors it will be a bit difficult. But, anyway, the battles at the front are always really good.”

Andrea Dovizioso expresses sympathy for former champion Alvaro Bautista

The 15-time MotoGP race winner expressed his sympathy for his former rival Alvaro Bautista after the changes made to weight on the bikes.

For the 2024 season, WorldSBK introduced ballast to the bikes depending on how much lighter they were than the reference weight, which was set at 80kg.

Bautista went from a 27-win race season in 2023 to winning only four times in 2024 and the former 125cc champion believes that the changes hindered him.

“I know Alvaro [Bautista] is struggling with the weight, that’s very bad because I know him very well, how good he is, his riding style, his mentality, he is a champion,” Dovizioso said.

“I would like to see him like before without the weight, but I don’t think it will be like this.”

On the other side of the Ducati garage, however, Dovizioso applauded Nicolo Bulega after his step up to the factory team in his debut year.

“It was really nice to see [Nicolo] Bulega that competitive in his first year of World Superbike.”

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The 2024 WorldSBK Championship has now concluded, with Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu claiming his second title in the series and his first with BMW.

The 28-year-old consistently outperformed the competition throughout the year, cementing his name in several record books from the sport’s 37-year history.

Razgatlioglu’s achievements make him the third rider in WorldSBK history to win championships with two manufacturers, after Troy Corser and James Toseland.

Motorsport Week looks back at how Razgatlioglu, in such a short period, made the plunge to leave a team he had won it all with to a struggling team in the series that struggled to find its feet and conquered the WorldSBK paddock once more to cement his racing legacy.

Yamaha and Razgatlioglu go their separate ways

Razgatlioglu and Yamaha famously ended Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki’s six-year tenure at the top of the WorldSBK summit in 2021. The Turkish rider accumulated 13 wins and produced some remarkable racing with the Northern Irishman.

The success in 2021 led to him being presented with an opportunity to test the R1 MotoGP Yamaha at Aragon the following year. Despite the weather reducing his time on the track, Yamaha and Razgatlioglu completed a second test together in 2023 at Jerez.

During that test, relations between this history-making partnership began to head south. This multi-day test didn’t go as planned, with the then 26-year-old revealing much later that he intended to stop the test earlier than expected.

Kennan Sofuoglu, his manager and the illustrious five-time World Supersport champion, convinced him to continue out of respect for Yamaha, despite the Japanese marque’s key personnel stating he wasn’t quick enough to meet expectations.

Maio Meregalli said: “I don’t know how much he grew. Honestly, I expected his times to be more consistent after two days. However, I don’t think he pushed too hard.”

With this feedback in mind, Jerez’s 2023 Spring test left Razgatlioglu in quite the predicament. His contract in WorldSBK was over at the end of the season, but he knew he had to leave an organisation that didn’t seem to value his potential contribution in MotoGP.

Not long after the test, on May 21, both parties would separate at the end of the season. One of WorldSBK’s best riders was now on the market and looking for a new home.

“I want to say to the whole Yamaha family a very big thank you for the love and respect they have shown me. To win the World Championship was my dream when I signed with Yamaha, and we reached that goal together,” he said. “For next season I feel I need a new challenge and while there was an opportunity in MotoGP, I didn’t feel the same connection with the MotoGP bike that I have with the superbike.

“But if I am to stay in WorldSBK then I need a new target, a new ambition. I am sorry to leave Yamaha, both the brand and the people, as we have a very good relationship, but change is part of any sport and normal for any professional.”

May 22, 2023: BMW acquire Toprak Razgatlioglu on a multi-year deal

The day after his announcement that he would leave Yamaha at the end of 2023, it was revealed he had chosen BMW. At the time, it was a decision that didn’t make much sense from an outside perspective. The Bavarian manufacturer announced its intention to join as a factory outfit in 2019, and its success up to that point was virtually non-existent.

Razgatlioglu replaced former MotoGP rider and BSB champion Scott Redding, who finished eighth and 14th in the 2022 and 2023 championships respectively. This disappointing feat showed the incapable qualities that BMW possessed in prior years.

His “new target” and “new ambition” appeared to be a bridge too far. It was known at the time that BMW had a far larger budget to attract Razgatlioglu, and many fans and media personnel alike questioned the motive behind the move.

Was it for apparent financial gain? What could he see that we couldn’t? The most significant question was whether he could win a Riders’ title with BMW.

February 25, 2024: A podium on his maiden BMW outing

The 2024 regulations shake-up saw ballast added to the bikes and changes to RPM and fuel tank capacity reductions. This made a difference to Ducati’s two-time champion Alvaro Bautista as he was forced to gain weight because he was one of the lightest on the grid.

BMW and Razgatlioglu’s first outing at Phillip Island gave the team plenty of optimism. In only his second race during the Superpole, he claimed a first podium with the team, but also retired for the first and only time all season in Race 2 on Sunday due to an engine failure.

March 23, 2024: The breakthrough BMW victory

In only his fourth race for BMW, victory arrived in Barcelona in the weekend’s opening race. Razgatlioglu started on pole, but his championship rival Nicolo Bulega had stolen the show for most of the race and sustained a five-second advantage out front. The BMW rider, with 10 laps to go, hunted down the Italian rookie and displayed blistering pace to go back within 0.7 seconds ahead of the final lap. Razgatlioglu lapped 1.282s faster than the factory Ducati rider and sealed a move past his rival on the final lap to win.

Razgatlioglu’s confidence improved significantly heading into the Superpole race later on that weekend, with a matchup against his old foe, Bautista. Bautista had recovered from 11th to set up yet another duel and salvaged the lead down the start-finish straight on the last lap. While Bautista clung to the lead throughout the last lap, the Turkish rider pulled off one of the best overtakes of the season as he emulated Valentino Rossi’s last corner pass on Jorge Lorenzo in 2009 to win his second race for the team.

“I was then just thinking in the last corner and what Valentino Rossi did many years ago, so I thought ‘Why not now?’ and I was close enough,” he said post-race. “I used second gear in the last corner, took the line and the plan was perfect. The acceleration wasn’t bad and I am winning again. I’m not surprised, I was just thinking in the last corner!

“I used second gear for acceleration because maybe in third gear, it doesn’t accelerate well in third gear. This Superpole Race and especially the last corner have given me good memories! Maybe it’s one of my top three race wins.”

June 16, 2024: Razgatlioglu secures the treble

After a mixed outing at Assen, Razgatlioglu’s weekend at Misano was what truly kick-started his 2024 campaign. He posted a pole position lap of 1.32.320s and never looked back.

Razgatlioglu achieved his first treble for BMW and a first since 2022, winning in Race 1 by 1.7s, Superpole by 1.6s and Race 2 by 2.9s.

This accomplishment in his new surroundings signified a change in the championship standings as it elevated him into the position of the new leader. From then on, he never relinquished his lead in the standings. The weekend’s affairs capped off a dominant display, which saw him accumulate a much-needed 62 points in the standings.

August 11, 2024: A record-breaking 13 wins in a row for BMW

Razgatlioglu’s dominance and sheer raw pace were shown in the subsequent rounds, which started at Donnington Park. In qualifying, the Turkish rider smashed the lap record by 1.2s from last year’s best to claim pole position. His final lap time of 1.24.892s meant he started at the front of the grid for Race 1.

Razgatlioglu’s weekend display at the British Grand Prix was truly a masterclass. He was a cut above the rest of the field and disappeared into the distance in all three races.

In Race 1, he obliterated the field to win by 11.4s, in the Superpole race he triumphed by a reduced 4.8s before then proceedings to notch the victory in Race 2 by 8s. A combined distance of 24.2s advantage across all three races upped his win streak to seven.

The Turkish rier went on to complete the treble in the next WorldSBK outings at Most and Portimao, with the latter venue seeing him make history in the series once again. Sunday’s Superpole saw Razgatlioglu overtake Jonathan Rea’s and Bautsista’s 11 wins in a row record from the pair’s respective 2018 and 2019 championship-winning campaigns. Despite the 2018 season having two race weekends per season, BMW and Razgatlioglu’s formidable partnership got stronger and stronger throughout the season.

It felt like nothing could stop him. He was in a world of his own. The title looked to be wrapped up earlier than expected. But he showed that he was human after all….

September 6, 2024: A life-threatening crash at Magny-Cours

After 13 incredible wins in a row, the WorldSBK series returned to its usual Magny-Cours slot. The championship looked set to be decided in the coming race weekends with five rounds left to go.  However, proceedings took a monumental shift, with Razgatlioglu suffering from a severe crash in the final sector which saw him clatter into the tyre barrier head-on, rejoining just off the circuit’s racing line.

Following initial examinations at the medical centre, he was taken to Moulins hospital, where he spent the night. Doctors diagnosed a mild pneumothorax, and the championship leader was declared unfit for the remainder of the race weekend.

The sheer luck in avoiding significant injuries at such a fast-paced crash and part of the circuit could have prevented him from winning the championship. He missed Magny-Cours and the inaugural Cremona round to recover, which enabled his closest title rival, Bulega, to close up in a championship race which had been one-sided until Razgatlioglu’s incident.

October 19, 2024: Razgatlioglu makes history

As Bulega closed the gap for the final three rounds of the season, Razgatlioglu’s return marked numerous questions relating to his fitness. After all, a punctured lung and going up to speeds of 180mph plus at certain tracks wasn’t going to be an easy task.

But once again, the outright speed of the Turk allowed him to be instantly competitive for the remainder of the season. He wrapped up three-second places at Aragon, and then secured two wins at Estoril to put one hand on the trophy heading into the season finale at Jerez. In Race 1, he needed to finish inside the top three to win, which he achieved.

Razgatlioglu’s campaign has seen one of the best individual performances of all time, having won exactly half of the races. Hardly anyone, if anybody, would expect such a miraculous turnaround and fortune for both BMW and Razgatlioglu. The success achieved in such a short space of time has seen a new marque involved at the front of the pecking order with a rider who has been able to extract the absolute maximum of the bike’s limited capabilities.

BMW’s history-making season puts the German outfit as first-time champions in the series and on two wheels, but the team’s success once again shows that every rider must have a team that backs its rider fully.

“I am genuinely happy because this race is very important for me and the race isn’t finished because I see the last 10 laps and I say, ‘we are 10 laps, you know, there are many laps’,” he said after Race 1 at Jerez. But finally, you know, I finish the race second position because I lose a lot and I say ‘Ok, I see the gap [is] a lot and second position is good, save [the tyres], better to finish today’.

“I’m really happy, finally we did it and we are the world champion. This team is amazing because everyone was pushing hard, and you know, when I signed with BMW, everyone was talking about me, you know, saying, ‘Is his career finished’?

“But now they understand now I think, I’m very happy, I win the championship with two different brands [Yamaha and BMW] and we look to the future and I’m very happy so thank you very much.”

Heading into 2025, WorldSBK promises another exciting year of superbike racing, with various manufacturers able to compete for victories and podiums. The dynamic duo of Turkey’s newly crowned two-time champion and BMW will be looking to go two steps further and challenge for the Teams and Manufacturers titles with Ducati.

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Toprak Razgatlioglu’s manager Kenan Sofuoglu has revealed the Turkish rider’s ambition is to move to MotoGP on a factory bike in 2026.

If a 2026 MotoGP offer is presented to him, the 2021 and 2024 WorldSBK champion will only accept a contract with a factory team.

Previously, Razgatlioglu tested a Yamaha MotoGP bike, but no seat was offered, and he consequently left for the Bavarian BMW brand.

Sofuoglu stated that he and Razgatlioglu aren’t interested “in a deal like Marc Marquez’s with Gresini” given Marquez’s strong sponsorship network behind him.

“In 2026 we would like to go to MotoGP, that is our goal,” his manager Kenan Sofuoglu told GPOne.

“We will evaluate all the opportunities on the table.

“Should we not find the right proposal we may stay here in this championship.

“At the moment BMW is our priority but we still don’t know what will happen after 2025.

“We have to see what is on the table and then we will see what to do.

“We want a factory package and a contract with the factory as, for example, works in Pramc with Jorge Martin.

“We are not interested in a deal like Marc Marquez’s with Gresini.

“I say that because Marc has great support and strength behind him, while we in Turkey have no sponsorship, let alone weight in terms of support.”

Will we see Toprak Razgatlioglu in MotoGP?

Whether Razgatlioglu will enter the MotoGP paddock in 2026 remains to be seen, but the theoretical chance is that he will join the series at the age of 29.

Given the nature of the junior series ‘ young crop, this would suggest that the window is too late to join, but BMW could accompany him.

The German manufacturer previously toyed with the idea of entering MotoGP for the new 2027 regulation period shake-up.

Though plans differ by a year, the partnership could embark on this path together ahead of the regulations, given its acquisition of Suzuki’s data before the Japanese marque left the sport in 2022.

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BMW Motorrad CEO Markus Flasch described its WorldSBK championship win as a ‘landmark’ achievement.

Toprak Razgatlioglu became the first rider to win a two-wheeled championship for the Bavarian brand in the season finale at Jerez.

The Turkish rider joined at the start of the 2024 season and was on the top step of the podium 18 times, becoming the third rider in WorldSBK history to win two world titles with two different manufacturers.

BMW boss Markus Flasch praised the team’s achievement as a “landmark” feat and was complimentary of Razgatlioglu and what he brings to the German team.

“This is a landmark for BMW and we’re very excited that we achieved this,” BMW Motorrad CEO Markus Flasch told WorldSBK.com after the last race at Jerez.

“I think we really deserved it. We’re supportive of motorsport in general as BMW, and motorsport is all about heroic stories.”

“Everybody likes heroes and Toprak [Razgatlioglu] has shown what it means not just to be champion or a professional athlete, but also with his attitude and the way he shares the value of the brand, BMW are very happy about that.

“A friend of mine in the USA said there are different categories of riders, and Toprak is definitely an alien because he brings the sport to the next level. At the same time, he’s humble.

“The way he came back after his accident, it was amazing to me, and it shows how strong he is mentally.”

BMW’s Marc Bongers – “Nobody could have thought” Toprak Razgatlioglu’s success in his first year

BMW Motorrad Motorsport director Marc Bongers stated that Razgatlioglu’s achievements throughout the season were completely unexpected

“The target was, when we signed Toprak [Razgatlioglu] for a multi-year deal, we said ‘Okay, the target is to win a couple of races in the first year and take the championship the second year,’” said Bongers to WorldSBK.com.

“For sure nobody could have thought this scenario.

“As you know this has been really emotional because we’ve had really tough areas, we all sacrifice a lot,” he said.

“I’ve been in this project for 10 years. Sometimes we are our own biggest opponents.

“I’ve carried this project through, we’ve had an impressive crew, an impressive team, and support from my family. It’s hard, but it’s nice…we are going to party and we will party big.”

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Toprak Razgatlioglu stopped a Nicolo Bulega hat-trick of wins to claim WorldSBK Race 2 victory at Jerez to close out the 2024 season.

The red flag was called out with four Laps to go due to Phillip Oetti’s engine going up in smoke on the start-finish straight.

The top two dominated proceedings once again and had a near ten second advantage over the rest of the field.

Bulega and Razgatlioglu maintained first and second place into Turn 1 with both riders by far and away the best riders of the weekend thus far.

Danilo Petrucci fell from fourth to seventh on the grid as Michael van der Mark and Andrea Iannone pounced on the Italian.

Razgatlioglu forced his way through on Bulega on Lap 2 with an incredible last-ditch attempt in the first sector, which he made stick.

2023 BSB champion Tommy Bridewell crashed out early on his wildcard appearance on the Honda, with Tarran Mackenzie retiring later that same Lap, too.

Andrea Locatelli aboard the Yamaha in the final podium fended off a possible threat from Kawasaki rider Lowes before Van der Mark elevated himself to fourth to try and cap off the season with a double BMW podium.

The Italian rider proceeded to drop down to seventh inside two Laps due to Van der Mark, Iannone, Lowes and Petrucci all forcing their way through.

Alvaro Bautista was the next rider to pass Locatelli at the Turn 6 hairpin but could not ride that bike around the complete Turn, which consequently meant he had to sit the back up as he fell back down to the 11th spot.

He overtook Axel Bassani and Jonathan Rea in quick succession and was soon behind Garrett Gerloff’s BMW as the Panigale bike showed its outright speed around the Spanish streets.

Despite the problematic start from Petrucci in the opening stages, he recovered to the back of Lowes and spent the first half of the race finding a move.

Iannone tried to find a gap in the final corner to overtake Van der Mark’s BMW, but no room was available. Iannone’s GoEleven went wide and recovered from a possible crash and retirement.

With the Italian rider behind Petrucci and Lowes due to the marginal incident with the Dutch BMW rider, the following Lap on that same corner, Iannone recovered past Petrucci.

While on the back of Gerloff, the Spaniard aimed to make ground due to his past errors in the race. However, his attempts proved to be short-lived, as he crashed out of the race and for the third time over the weekend.

On the other side of the garage, his rookie team-mate Bulega was right on the back of Razgatlioglu, but the red flag was called out because Phillip Oetti’s engine blew up.

Razgatlioglu picked up his first victory of the weekend in the final race to close out the 2024 WorldSBK season in style.

Bulega could only manage second for Ducati and his elusive first treble will be put on hold until 2025 at the earliest.

Van der Mark delivered BMW a 1-3 to close out the season, but BMW has missed out on both team championships to Ducati.

Iannone impressively recovered to fourth place before the red flag was called ahead of Lowes and Petrucci.

The British rider hung on to fourth in the championship ahead of the Italian, but Petrucci will take comfort in knowing he won the Independent Title for Barni Spark.

Gerloff solidified seventh place for BMW in his last race for the Bonovo team as the American fended off the factory Yamaha riders of Locatelli and Rea.

Bassani took tenth place for Kawasaki ahead of Ducati’s Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s last race.

The last point-scoring positions consisted of Scott Redding, Xavi Vierge, Sam Lowes and Tito Rabat.

The post Toprak Razgatlioglu wins red-flagged WorldSBK Race 2 at Jerez appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Newly crowned two-time WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu declared that his 2024 season is the “best season of my career.”

Thanks to a second-placed finish, the Turkish rider wrapped up the title after Race 1 at Jerez with two races to spare.

He admitted that it took longer than expected to hit the ground running with BMW, but once he got to grips with the German bike, he set unprecedented records, most notably a 13 race win streak.

The championship went to the finale in Jerez after he had a severe crash in practice at Magny-Cours, as championship rival Nicolo Bulega closed in on his championship lead due to his absence.

“The form is from the beginning of the season was not easy because the first race especially in Australia, I did not do a good job because of tyres had a big drop [which] destroyed the tyre.

“But when we come to Europe, we started winning, but the 13 wins in a row is amazing, and finally we are the world champion. But, especially after the big injury, we come back very strong and finally we get the title.

“This is amazing for me, and I think this is the best year in my career. But we will see in the future; maybe next year we will do much better.”

“The 2021 title I was fighting on all corners, but now I have a little bit faster engine but still, the bike is not 100%. We are trying to improve the bike.

“For tomorrow, we improve the bike because it’s spinning a lot, not good acceleration, but anyway, I’m just enjoying, and because we are world champion, I don’t care [about] this. Tomorrow, I just want [to have] mega fun.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu joins an exclusive list following 2024 title success

The 28-year-old becomes the third rider to win championships with two manufacturers, after Troy Corser and James Toseland.

Razgatlioglu delivered BMW its first two-wheeled championship in his first season with the Bavarian brand – a transfer that generated significant interest in the paddock, given BMW’s previous lack of success in the series.

“I’m really happy, finally we did it and we are the world champion. This team is amazing because everyone was pushing hard, and you know, when I signed with BMW, everyone was talking about me, you know, saying, ‘Is his career finished?’

“I am genuinely happy because this race is very important for me, and the race isn’t finished because I see the last ten laps and I say, ‘We are ten Laps, you know, there are many Laps [left to go.]

“But finally, you know, I finish the race second position because I lose a lot and I say ‘Ok, I see the gap [is] a lot and second position is good, save [the tyres], better to finish today.

“But now they understand now I think, I’m very happy, I win the championship with two different brands [Yamaha and BMW] and we look to the future and I’m very happy so thank you very much.”

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