Why Toprak can shock Bautista and win the WSBK title in first season with BMW

Toprak Razgatlioglu will have a new bike, new team and more rivals than ever in 2024, but here’s why we think he can win the 2024 WorldSBK title.

Robert Jones

28 Dec 2023

Toprak Razgatlioglu, Yamaha WorldSBK Jerez 2023

Razgatlioglu is one of the most incredible talents on two-wheels, whether that’s WorldSBK or MotoGP.

A style that no one else has been able to replicate, Razgatlioglu has become famous for his ability to brake late, lift the rear of his machine off the ground, begin turning and not cost himself any time on corner exit.

That’s just the spectacular stuff we see regularly because it stands out more than other areas of his riding, but that doesn’t take away from the all-around ability he has and the talent that’s necessary to do all the small things right.

Razgatlioglu, who won the WorldSBK title in 2021, has remained a constant threat since then as he pushed Alvaro Bautista more than anyone else over the last two seasons.

Bautista and Ducati is the perfect combination, not just in WorldSBK, but arguably in any form of two-wheel racing at the moment.

But with that said, Razgatlioglu was every bit a match for Bautista even when it was clear that the Spaniard had a bike that was performing better.

The Yamaha is a fantastic package, and will potentially be good enough for Jonathan Rea to grab wins with in 2024. However, it must also be said that Razgatlioglu made a huge difference when talking about the results they achieved, especially in 2023.

Part of the problem for Razgatlioglu in 2023 was the lack of straight line speed compared to Bautista.

Stronger around much of the Portimao circuit, Razgatlioglu was then seeing his advantage wiped away in one single straight.

But joining BMW should help with that as the M 1000 RR is a machine that can rival the Ducati for power.

Of course, the BMW is not the finished product, however, they have not had a rider like Razgatlioglu before which should increase their chances of becoming a consistent threat.

Razgatlioglu has demonstrated an ability to put a weaker bike on the top step of the podium, or at least challenge for such results throughout his stint with Yamaha.

And with BMW getting stronger with each season, the combination of the M 1000 RR and Razgatlioglu could be perfect to rival Bautista and the Panigale V4 R.

With equal or close to equal machinery, Razgatlioglu has shown an ability to beat Bautista, therefore if BMW make the expected gains during the off-season, there’s little doubt that the Turkish star will be a title threat.