The World Superbike scene was electrified by Toprak Razgatlioglu, riding for BMW, who scored two resounding victories at the final meeting of the season in Barcelona. These successes did not go unnoticed, particularly by Kenan Sofuoglu, Razgatlioglu's mentor and himself a five-time WorldSSP champion, who spoke about this major turning point.
« Since our partnership with BMW, I believed in Toprak. Despite the skeptics, I was convinced of the BMW's performance. The team had enormous potential, only Toprak was missing to complete the picture. And there you have it, the victories start to come ", told Sofuoglu.
The manager also shared a notable moment from the victory in Superpole RaceWhere Razgatlioglu recalled a legendary overtaking of Valentino Rossi that holds the top spot. " I asked Toprak about his reluctance to attack earlier in the race, where he usually excels. His answer ? He was waiting for his moment, and found it at the final turn. A decision that paid off “, He detailed.
Kenan Sofuoglu: “ the BMW proved to be a competitive ride, exceeding our expectations with Toprak Razgatlioglu »
Sofuoglu has high expectations for this season, believing that Toprak Razgatlioglu is a serious contender for the title. “ Winter tests were revealing. Although I don't expect the wins to come this soon, Toprak has proven that he is ready to compete for the championship. The BMW proved to be a competitive ride, exceeding our expectations “, he explained.
As for competition, Baptist is seen as the main adversary. “ Bautista gave us a hard time. He is a formidable competitor, but he is experiencing difficult times, particularly with the emergence of Nicolo Bulega. This internal Ducati dynamic can work in our favor ", added Sofuoglu, emphasizing on wsbk.com the complexity of internal duels and their psychological impact on the pilots.
These first successes of Razgatlioglu under the colors of BMW mark a potential turning point in his quest for the World Superbike title, with a Sofuoglu confident in the potential of his protégé and the strategies to come, in WSBK or elsewhere...
As @toprak_tr54 would say “Abiiii 🥰”!
We love to see these moments between teammates 🫶#CatalanWorldSBK 🏁 pic.twitter.com/hbfZkcLLar
- WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) April 2, 2024
