Van Der Mark: “Who says there can’t be three bikes”, Toprak to BMW a ‘surprise’

Michael Van Der Mark says BMW’s decision to sign Toprak Razgatlioglu for the next two WorldSBK seasons was a ‘surprise to everyone’.

Robert Jones

01 Jul 2023

Michael Van Der Mark, BMW WorldSBK Assen 2023

Van Der Mark has been out of WorldSBK action since suffering a broken leg at his home round in Assen earlier this season.

The second consecutive year where Van Der Mark has been limited by a big injury, the Dutch rider is now hoping to make a return at Imola in two weeks time.

"I’m going to ride next week and then I will decide if I’ll be riding in Imola," said Van Der Mark. "For sure I can ride but I’m not gonna ride just to ride.

"I want to be fully fit, fully competitive because it has no meaning otherwise."

In regards to his WorldSBK future, Van Der Mark has an option to extend his current deal with BMW, as does Scott Redding. The problem for both factory riders is that one spot has already gone to Razgatlioglu, which likely means one of the two riders will be riding elsewhere.

But Van Der Mark joked about the idea of BMW running three factory bikes, before claiming he’s not worried about his future.

"Who says there can’t be a third bike? It’s not my problem," began Van Der Mark.

"I think [signing Razgatlioglu] was a big surprise for everyone. But I think this is also BMW showing their commitment.

"Taking a world champion to the project shows that they really want to win and for my future; I don’t have to worry.

"I’m sure they will communicate. For me it was also good that they took Toprak so that I can see how much they want to win."

Van Der Mark also went on to claim that moving across to Bonovo Action BMW is not an option but that remaining with BMW is his main goal.