With three undisputed victories, Toprak Razgatlioglu and BMW crushed the competition in the first of the Superbike World Championship (World SBK) on the brand new Balaton Park circuit, located on the shores of the lake of the same name.
As in Misano (ITA) and Donington Park (GBR), El Turco was untouchable on his BMW M 1000 RR entered by the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. He took pole position and won all three races of the weekend, each time with the fastest lap.
His success in the Sunday morning Superpole Race also marked a historic milestone: it was the 1000th race in WorldSBK history. Thanks to this domination, Toprak Razgatlioglu widened the gap in the drivers' standings, going from 4 to 26 points ahead.
At BMW, which has reduced the gap with Ducati to just 16 point, we are obviously in heaven, as evidenced by Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport: “It was a truly historic weekend for BMW Motorrad Motorsport. Winning the 1000th WorldSBK race with Toprak at this new Balaton Park circuit, securing another hat-trick and extending our championship lead is simply fantastic. Thanks to the entire team here, to the teams in Munich and Berlin, and to all the BMW employees and fans. We are on track and looking forward to Magny-Cours. But our immediate attention turns to Suzuka, where Mickey, a four-time winner there, will be a valuable asset to our EWC team.”
Same story at Christian Gonschor, technical director of BMW Motorrad Motorsport: “It was a fantastic weekend, not only for the results but also for the atmosphere here. Racing in Hungary again after so many years was great. Great people, a beautiful layout, excellent infrastructure. The circuit suited Toprak perfectly: there are lots of stop-and-go sections, ideal for his strengths and those of the bike. His mastery of braking and acceleration, combined with the performance of the BMW M 1000 RR, created a perfect package. We celebrated another hat-trick, the championship fight remains intense, and we also made good progress on the manufacturers’ side.”
Paradoxically, the tone is a little less euphoric at Toprak Razgatlioglu who, while certainly enjoying his third hat-trick of the season, which complements his victories in the 800th and 900th Superbike races, is expecting a more difficult end to the season: “It’s been an incredible weekend for me. It was a new circuit for everyone, but from Friday onwards I found a good rhythm. We worked very well. The Superpole Race was a bit difficult with the wet sections and only one dry line, but I stayed focused. It was a very special race: I had already won the 800th and 900th, and now the 1000th. I’m not thinking about the championship, I just want to win every race. I’m looking forward to Magny-Cours, where I didn’t race last year. It’s one of my favourite circuits, like Estoril. We have to win there, because Ducati will be very strong at Aragón and Jerez. Now it’s time for a few holidays, but I’m also going to work hard. Nothing can be taken for granted.”
Next year will certainly be more difficult, because for two years BMW has had a hard time with the exceptional champion that is Toprak Razgatlioglu, his planned departure from MotoGP next year leaves the Bavarian firm with the very difficult task of finding a replacement. The performances of his teammate, Michael van der Mark, are enough in themselves to illustrate the talent of the Turkish driver: 15th with 70 points against 407 for the championship leader.
Sven Blusch He himself does not hide his face about the contribution of the Dutch driver to the Munich team: "We will also use the summer break to provide intensive support to Michael van der Mark so that he can return to the top 10."
As indicated by his current non-renewal within the Barni Spark Racing Team, contrary to Yari Montella, Danilo Petrucci is in the running.
The eclectic driver from Terni is keeping his fingers crossed: "I would like to know my future. Unfortunately, it does not depend on me. What I can do is continue as at Donington, in trying to get on the podium as many times as possible. I feel really good in this championship, but the only thing I can do is go faster. Right now, I don't have an answer. I wish I had one. I'm not nervous, but there are a lot of rumors, a lot of gossip, and I want to stay focused on the races.. The team we're talking to is also talking to other drivers. That's why I said the situation isn't entirely up to me. I can't just press a button and decide where I want to go."
At 34, the Italian certainly seems a more attractive possibility than the experienced Alvaro Bautista, aged 40, necessarily weighted down because of his weight and for the moment without a contract, but will BMW bet on petrux who actually has a good season or on a younger talent by betting on the years to come, such as Aron canet ?
In any case, it seems impossible to find a driver of the level of Toprak Razgatlioglu, but the choice of his replacement will perhaps also be a strategic indication of BMW's future involvement in Superbike... or in MotoGP.
BMW Toprak
