The Turkish rider has fought hard this season to win the Superbike title race against Jonathan Rea. After a sluggish first third of the season and a big disappointment in the Netherlands, the Yamaha rider was able to hold on to the rope to win his first coronation in the discipline.
In 2021, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu will have made Superbike history by becoming the first Turkish rider to win the title in the category, while putting an end to the incredible streak of six consecutive crowns of Jonathan Rea. A triumph which took time to take shape, the Yamaha rider having to wait until Race 2 at Misano, during the third round of the season, to achieve his first success of the year.
Enough, however, to instill doubt in his opponent from Kawasaki, who then showed nervousness, with errors that we had lost the habit of seeing him make (for example his fall during Race 1 contested in Most at heart of summer). “I'm really happy, of course because of my World Champion title, but also because I was able to fight in almost all the races with Johnny [Jonathan Rea]”, explained the 2021 title holder to the Superbike official website. “It was an incredible season, which reached its conclusion during the very last round, which also attracted a lot of spectators because all scenarios were still possible in Indonesia. »
Donington, the first turning point of the 2021 championship
But if Razgatlıoğlu was able to challenge Rea's hegemony this season, the clash between the two men took time to take place, the Turk having to wait until the fourth round, at Donington at the beginning of July, to finally have his first reference round, moreover on the land of his opponents, with two victories during Races 1 and 2, leaving only crumbs, in other words a success during the Superpole Race, in Rea. It must be said that the Turk has always performed well in England, where he scored his very first Superbike podium in 2018.
However, the Yamaha rider almost became disillusioned in the following event, run at Assen, where his British rival responded with a hat-trick while the person concerned had to abandon during Race 2 after being caught at the start. in the first turn by another representative of the brand with three tuning forks, Garrett Gerloff. “After my accident at Assen, I really told myself that my chances at the championship were over”, recognizes Razgatlıoğlu, who then turned to the man who until now served as an absolute reference in the world of Turkish motorcycle racing: Kenan Sofuoğlu.
A welcome support while number 54 seemed dejected following the Dutch round, and which allowed him to refocus on the essentials to be able to move forward again. “With Kenan, I can't say that we talked a lot about the championship, but rather we approached the races one after the other, and after this fall at Assen, I actually decided to only concentrate on the races to stay motivated. »
“I always take Kenan as a reference, because he has a lot of experience”, continues Razgatlıoğlu. “You know, he won five Supersport titles [in 2007, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016, editor’s note], and so he’s a hero for me. We train together a lot. He helps me a lot, and he's always by my side, which is a good thing, I'm really lucky to be able to count on him. »
“Kenan is a hero to me”
Rea more nervous than usual
After the disappointment of Assen, Razgatlıoğlu therefore returned to work and set out in pursuit of Rea, constantly gaining strength over the course of the season while his opponent marked time, probably suffering a pressure whose intensity he had not necessarily anticipated. “I think he had a lot of pressure this year, which resulted in a lot of accidents and several mistakes”, confirms Razgatlioglu. It is true that the Northern Irishman made a mistake while scrambling with the Turk and Scott Redding during Race 1 in Most, allowing the first city to instantly erase its disappointment in the Netherlands.
It was enough for him to return to the charge in the race for the title, but always with this respect for the one who was able, even before Sofuoğlu, to represent a sort of mentor for him, particularly during his arrived in Superbike in 2018 with Kawasaki Puccetti Racing. “We congratulated each other after the last round”, recalls the resident of Yamaha. “I love Johnny, for me he is a Superbike legend with his six titles. I remember my first season in Superbike, in 2018, when he gave me advice on every race weekend. »
“I love Johnny Rea, for me he’s a Superbike legend”
Water has flowed under the bridge since then, and the Turk has now joined Yamaha to stand on his own two feet and take on his former godfather, distinguishing himself from the latter with an aggressive riding style that has won over many observers. , even though it may have been criticized by some of its competitors on the track. “It is of course always better when there is respect between the drivers, but we must not lose sight of the fact that we are in competition, and we must therefore try to do our best in each race that arises. », recalls Razgatlıoğlu.
“Some people think I'm dangerous on the track, but that's not my opinion at all, because if you look closely I've never caused a single accident. I always try to do clean overtaking, even if sometimes it's true that it's a bit forceps, but in the end no one has ever crashed because of me. »
Razgatlioğlu will now approach the next season with the status of World Champion, and the favorite that goes with it. A new test for the 25-year-old, who confirmed he represents the next generation this season. But there is no doubt that he will be able to defend his interests against Rea, Redding, or even Alvaro Bautista.
