The World Superbike season is only in its third round, but speculation about the rider market for 2024 is already underway. Michael van der Mark is nearing the end of his contract with ROKiT BMW, and Andrea Iannone is being touted as a candidate for the position.
The other rider for the manufacturer, Toprak Razgatlioglu, has a contract until the end of 2025. When asked by the championship’s official website about who could be his teammate next year, the 2021 champion made his preference clear:
– “I don’t know, but I am very happy with Mickey. And the atmosphere within the team is also very good. And we are working very well together with Mickey. I am very happy with him, but we will see. If BMW asks me this question, I think it is easy to say Mickey, because I am very happy with him, he is a very good teammate.”
Razgatlioglu added: “I worked with him before, he is a very good guy, he respects, and we are also improving the bike together, and we are working together.”
It is worth noting that van der Mark and Razgatlioglu had been teammates at Yamaha in 2020, a unique year due to the pandemic. At that time, the Dutchman finished the championship in fifth place, with five points less than the Turkish rider who finished fourth.
