The World Superbike Championship (WorldSBK) has seen its fair share of team and rider changes, but one of the most anticipated changes has been confirmed: Toprak Razgatlioglu’s move to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team for 2024. Along with this significant change, another key question was answered: Will Phil Marron, Razgatlioglu’s current team manager, follow him to BMW?
The answer is a resounding yes. Phil Marron, who has been a key figure in Razgatlioglu’s career, announced on social media that he will accompany the #54 Yamaha rider to the BMW factory team next year.
The professional relationship between Marron and Razgatlioglu dates back to 2019, when they collaborated at Kawasaki Puccetti Racing. Marron, with previous experience working with riders like Eugene Laverty, quickly formed a strong bond with Razgatlioglu. Their partnership continued to flourish when they transitioned to the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK team in 2020, securing their first victory with Yamaha at Phillip Island.
Their time at Yamaha was marked by significant achievements, especially in 2021, when Razgatlioglu managed to surpass Jonathan Rea from Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK, ending Rea’s championship streak. Despite securing 60 podium finishes in 69 races during 2022 and 2023, Razgatlioglu had to relinquish the title last year. Currently, he is still in the fight for the 2023 championship against Alvaro Bautista from Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, but Bautista holds a 60-point advantage as the season’s final round approaches.
Razgatlioglu’s decision to join BMW was announced in May, but Marron’s future remained uncertain until now. Pata Yamaha Team Director, Paul Denning, had previously mentioned that Marron’s contract with Yamaha would end this year, leaving him free to decide his next steps. The recent exchange of messages on social media, where Marron confirmed: ‘Yes, I am following Toprak’, put an end to all speculations.
