The hypothesis of a move next year to the premier category for the Turkish driver Toprak Razgatlioğlu allows us to discuss today a subject that fuels a lot of controversy. Indeed, MotoGP has always benefited from an unrivaled aura in terms of prestige and brilliance for the men who run it, soberly described as the best riders in the world.
It's probably a bit quick to forget that exceptional talents have also been born within the World Superbike category, THE official championship for machines from the series. This is also the most notable difference compared to MotoGP where the machines are pure sports prototypes with elitist design costs.
Born in 1988 under the aegis of the FIM, Superbike gives rise to particularly lively contests every race weekend.
All the recognized brands in the motorcycle world are or have been officially involved there, on an occasional or permanent basis: HONDA, KAWASAKI, SUZUKI, YAMAHA, APRILIA, BMW and the Italian brand DUCATI, which has won 18 times. She even just won her 400e victory this weekend during the second race contested at Assen thanks to the good care ofAlvaro Bautista.
Many defectors from the Grand Prix category have moved to WSBK. French Raymond Roche is one of them: arriving in 1990, he immediately won the title ahead of the Italian Fabrizio Pirovano and the Belgian Stephane Mertens.
The British Carl Fogarty, who participated in 1990, 1992 and 1993 in the 500 cm3 category without notable exploits, was on the other hand a tenor in the Superbike category with four world champion titles in 1994, 1995 then 1998 and 1999.
Sylvain Guintoli, French MotoGP rider for YAMAHA in 2007 and DUCATI in 2008, will win the 2014 WSBK title aboard an APRILIA.
American Doug Pollen, 500cc rider in 3 with SUZUKI, became double WSBK champion in 1989 and 1991.
his compatriot John Kocinski, after six years in 500cc where he finished third three times, became WSBK world champion in 3 on a HONDA.
Max Biaggi, Carlos Checa and Álvaro Bautista, born on the altar of grand prix with great careers, all three would also win their titles of glory in WSBK in the following years.
This long litany, if it does not seem to say much, nevertheless reveals and statistically irrefutably that if the success of a good driver from the grand prix is almost assured in WSBK, the converse is not obvious. For proof:
- Australian Troy Corser was double world champion in the category in 1996 on DUCATI then in 2005 on SUZUKI. He completed an immersion in GP in 1997, unfortunately unsuccessful.
- Colin Edwards, nicknamed the Texan tornado, was crowned twice in WSBK (2000 and 2002) then migrated to MotoGP where, despite his talent and undeniable competitiveness, he never won a single race.
- English Neil Hogdson, 2003 WSBK champion, attempted the MotoGP adventure the following year within the DUCATI D'ANTIN team but without success.
- Troy bayliss, another Australian legend, became triple crowned in the category in 2001, 2006 and 2008. He tried his luck in the premier category from 2003 to 2005. If not in 2003 where he finished honorably sixth, the following two years relegated him to anonymity. The only exception during this unlucky time for Troy: He became the hero for a day during the last MotoGP round in Valencia in November 2006 where he crushed the competition and won his only victory in the category. It was also an opportunity for him to settle accounts with his employer DUCATI who had hired him to carry out this freelance work in the absence of the injured owner. Sete Gibernau. Indeed, Troy was removed from the official MotoGP team by DUCATI at the end of 2004 for insufficient results. By agreeing to carry out this race despite everything, he gave them a formidable snub and revenge on destiny.
- James Toseland, double winner in 2004 and 2007, will not really spark within the Yamaha Tech3 team in MotoGP the following two years.
- Alone Ben Spies, a pure American product, triple victorious in AMA Superbike, will take his first steps in MotoGP as a wildcard in three races. Unable to be a starter the following year, in 2009 he will play his ranges in the WSBK category where he will win the title straight away. YAMAHA then opened the doors to the premier category for him where he distinguished himself for 2 years, finishing 6th then 5th in the championship.
What does this prove you ask me? First of all, the very design of the motorcycles has a great influence on performance: Extremely rigid sports prototypes require different riding techniques from series machines, with more flexible frames and therefore more easily controlled. This essentially explains the difficulties that riders from Superbikes encounter when they arrive in Grand Prix, where they have to reformat their style to adapt, and in record time or risk falling by the wayside!
Toprak himself did not deny this fact during his first spins with the M1. Its only difference? His natural ease and his great ability to adapt which should allow him to, against all statistical evidence, perform in a universe from which he does not come, as long as we are willing to give him time!
So, Toprak Razgatlioğlu in MotoGP, a pipe dream?
Some people try hard to think so, starting with his compatriot and manager Kenan Sofuoğlu, for whom the premier category is unforgiving and far from the standards of the Superbike family. Remember that he himself was a five-time winner in 600 Supersport and that he “broke his teeth” in Grands Prix in the intermediate Moto2 category. Inevitably, this does not encourage optimism…
Toprak, although full of talents, will have to shine quickly if he wants to succeed or his passage will then be brief and certainly short-lived.
Shouldn't he act like Jonathan Rhea and stack the Superbike titles? He has the age and the weapons for it.
Besides, if we remember correctly, JR himself would not have been out of place in MotoGP. He did two freelance jobs there in 2012, replacing Casey Stoner at the San Marino and Aragón Grand Prix with an eighth and a seventh position. Not ridiculous… but not enough to make an impression! No really valid offer will be made to him in the hope of making a career there. And yet what a shame. You don't become a six-time world champion by chance.
The SBK races are now sublime with the three extra-terrestrials Rea, Razgatlioğlu and Bautista. In addition, Sprint formats have been in use since 2019 and resumed this year in MotoGP.
It is time for talent defectors to operate again and to defy the statistics. No, WSBK is not a cheap championship. And that the story would be beautiful for a pilot like Toprak Razgatlioğlu to mark the history of this sport by shining in both categories.
