National motorcycle racer Toprak Razgatlıoğlu achieved yet another historic victory for Turkish motorsports in Spain on Saturday, October 19. He claimed the World Superbike Championship (WSBK) title for the second time in his career, his first one with BMW.
Razgatlıoğlu had an outstanding season statistically. He marked victories, set new records, dominated the tracks, overcame challenges, and ultimately added another championship to his extraordinary career.
The 2024 Superbike season started with Nicolo Bulega, Razgatlıoğlu’s main opponent throughout the season, winning the first race of the calendar in Australia. However, for Razgatlıoğlu or El Turco, everything really began with the second race in Catalunya, where he shocked everyone by taking pole position and coming first in both the first race and the Superpole. Later on, he continued his winning streak in the Netherlands, Emilia-Romagna, Great Britain, Czechia, and Portugal. He set a Superbike record by standing on the top of the podium 13 times in a row. Unfortunately, his streak was disrupted by an injury.
At Magny-Cours in France, Razgatlıoğlu had a terrible crash during a practice session and was immediately sent to the hospital. Due to the injury, he missed the French and Italian rounds, which gave his rival, Bulega, a chance to close the gap. Nevertheless, his setback did not cause a decline in his championship-leading standing, thanks to his 13-race winning dominance.
The athlete returned to the tracks in Aragon, Spain where he proved to the world that he recovered and got back to his menace form by coming second in all three races. In Estoril, Portugal, Razgatlıoğlu regained his momentum and secured two victories and a second-place finish. He had the chance to claim his title there, however with Bulega coming first in the Superpole, the rivalry continued to the final round of the season, the Jerez circuit.
The 12th and final round of the season was held at Spain’s 4.4-kilometer track. In the first race, Razgatlıoğlu started from pole position and finished in second place. He only needed a podium finish to secure the championship, so he opted for a smooth ride without pushing for the lead. As he crossed the line, the celebrations began. He took a dramatic victory lap on one wheel, waving the Turkish flag alongside his supporters and his mentor and fellow Turkish rider Kenan Sofuoğlu.
Afterward, Razgatlıoğlu donned his golden helmet and suit to mark his 2024 championship triumph and commemorate Turkish motorcycle rider Barkın Bayoğlu, known as “The Man in the Golden Suit.”
This remarkable glory was significant both for Razgatlıoğlu and for BMW, as this is the first time the manufacturer has delivered a strong performance and won a Superbike championship. “It’s been a long season. Nobody believed me or the BMW, but finally they understand we’re World Champions. This is incredible, especially with BMW; they’ve never won the title. Finally, I got my second title and BMW got their first!” the athlete expressed his feelings on being the World Champion.
Razgatlıoğlu stood on the podium 25 times in total this season and broke the record with his 13 consecutive wins. Additionally, he etched his name in the Superbike history by becoming the third rider to win championships with two different manufacturers, alongside the legends Troy Corser and James Toseland.
Born in 1996 in Alanya, Razgatlıoğlu grew up in a family deeply intertwined with the motorsports industry. His father, Arif Razgatlıoğlu was a famous stunt rider known as “Tek Teker Arif.” Taking inspiration from his father's successful footsteps, Toprak’s journey dates back to his childhood. He has been pursuing motorcycle racing since the age of 7. Along with his father, he was trained by Turkish motorcycle racer Kenan Sofuoğlu, which shaped his early career profoundly and elevated his talents and achievements quickly to the international stage.
Razgatlıoğlu commenced in the IDM Yamaha R6 Cup and Turkish Road Race 600cc Championship in 2011-2012. Moving to the professional international, stage Toprak competed in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, where he finished 10th and 6th in the overall standings in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Later in the 2014, he secured a win at Sachsenring, Germany, the 7th race of the 2014 season.
Razgatlıoğlu claimed a win in his debut at Magny-Cours in the European Superstock 600 Championship, which is known as a stepping stone for promising riders to race in WSBK. In 2015, Razgatlıoğlu dominated the European Superstock 600 Championship, earned the title, and therefore became the spotlight of international attention. He also competed in the European Superstock 1000 during 2016-2017, where he finished second in his second year.
El Turco started showcasing his tenacious motorcycle talents in WorldSBK for Turkish Puccetti Kawasaki racing team in 2018. In the ollowing year, he partnered with Kawasaki riders Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam for the 8 hours of Suzuka endurance race. However, due to not being permitted to alternate racing with the other two riders, he decided to take a step further in his career and leave Kawasaki. From 2020 onward, he joined PATA Yamaha as a factory rider.
In 2021, Razgatlıoğlu secured his first WorldSBK title with Yamaha and marked history as the first Turkish rider to win the Superbike World Championship. He finished ahead of his rival, Jonathan Rea, and ended his six-year reign. Both in 2022 and 2023, Razgatlıoğlu finished as the runner-up in the WorldSBK Championship standings.
For the 2024 season, Toprak joined forces with the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team. His choice surprised many and was seen as a long shot, as BMW had finished fourth among five teams the previous season, had never won a championship, and wasn’t expected to place in the top ranks.
However, their dominance throughout the season impressed everyone. Ultimately, Toprak claimed his second championship title in Jerez, Spain, and BMW won for the first time in its Superbike history. Once again, he immortalized his legacy in WorldSBK and Turkish motorcycle racing history.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu finished as the champion of the season with 527 points, and was followed by Nicolo Bulega in second with 484 points and Alvaro Bautista in third place with 357 points.
“I have to be fair, Toprak did an amazing job this year. He changed manufacturers and he won the title in his first year after changing. We know Toprak is always very strong. I knew before the season that he was one of the best guys. It’s already an honor for me to fight with Toprak until the penultimate race of the season because I’m in my first year, and it wasn’t expected for me to do this. I’m really happy about what we did and congratulations to them. I hope my time will come,” said Bulega.
Bautista also congratulated his opponent: “He and BMW had an incredible season. I don’t know if anybody expected him to fight for the title, but honestly, I did. Maybe not the level he showed because, especially in mid-season, he was really strong, and it was very difficult to beat him.” He further added, “They deserve it. He adapted very well to the bike and the combination has been very strong. Congratulations to all of them. I hope to fight in the future with them! He’s a really talented rider and he works really hard. He always tries to improve to be better and faster. This kind of rider, with this character, always deserves victories and titles.”
After finishing the season on a high note, Razgatlıoğlu received his trophy on Sunday during a ceremony at the Prometeon Spanish Round, capturing the world’s attention. Even the official MotoGP accounts, the pinnacle of motorcycle racing, celebrated his triumph. Although some MotoGP teams had previously shown interest in Razgatlıoğlu, the national athlete stated that he will continue racing for his current team in Superbike next season and will proudly use the number one, reflecting his belief that BMW truly deserves it.
Given the exceptional work he has been accomplishing over the years and the talent that has been described as “out of this world” and “alienish ”, fans do not anticipate him to remain in Superbike forever and expect him to rather move forward to the next steps of the sport. “To see the limits of the possible, one must try the impossible,” he once remarked.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu once again brought pride and joy to his country not only with an outstanding season followed by an historic title, but also with his determination to work hard and always keep going forward.
Edited by: Derya Selin Yener, Oya Yamaç