Toprak Razgatlioglu is currently dominating the Superbike World Championship with such authority that he seems untouchable. His streak of ten consecutive victories attests to this, and he is on track to beat Alvaro Bautista's record. This exceptional performance, however, has been overshadowed by recent controversies surrounding its future. His manager Kenan Sofuoglu takes stock.
The statements of Sofuoglu regarding a possible departure from Toprak Razgatlioglu towards MotoGP in 2025 have created a shock wave within BMW. The German manufacturer, which invested massively in the Turkish driver, took a very dim view of this desire to terminate a contract still in progress.
« They did everything with the team, the sponsor and the second driver's contract to make Toprak happy. They give everything so that he can win the title, leaving would destroy the plan in place" , said Sofuoglu. Faced with the reaction of BMW, Sofuoglu and Razgatlioglu finally understood that it was impossible to leave the Superbike championship prematurely. “ We messaged him about the damage it would do to BMW if he left" , has explained Sofuoglu in remarks relayed by Motoracing. The Turkish pilot then agreed to respect his contract and continue his adventure with BMW in 2025.
« Toprak Razgatlioglu will not be very young anymore, but it is not excluded that he could find a MotoGP team ready to give him an opportunity »
Si Razgatlioglu, 27, put aside his dream of MotoGP for the moment, he has not given up on accessing it in the long term. “ He won't be very young anymore, but it is not excluded that he could find a team ready to give him an opportunity" , valued Sofuoglu.
Despite these tensions, Razgatlioglu remains focused on its current goals. He is determined to win a new Superbike world title in 2024 and write a new page in the history of this championship.
This episode between Razgatlioglu et BMW showed how complex the relationships between drivers, managers and manufacturers can be. If the Turkish rider was able to find serenity and concentrate on his sporting performance, the future remains uncertain regarding his possible move to MotoGP. One thing is sure, Toprak Razgatlioglu is a talented and ambitious rider who will make Superbike history.
