Toprak Razgatlioglu has made a surprising career move in the World Superbike Championship this year. The rider switched from Pata Yamaha, where he was capable of fighting for top positions, to ROKiT BMW, a team that hasn’t won in several years.
There are those who compare this decision to the one Valentino Rossi made when he moved from Honda to Yamaha in 2004. Razgatlioglu acknowledged the similarities by stating on the MotoSprint website: ‘Many people have told me this. Maybe the two experiences are similar, but for me, the only thing that matters is winning the title with BMW’.
BMW never secured titles in WSBK, and Razgatlioglu’s mission is to help the Bavarian manufacturer achieve that. He has no doubts about how he will be perceived if he succeeds: ‘If I win with BMW, I will be a legend’, he said.
The 2021 champion also revealed: ‘Last year was not easy for me, even though I frequently fought for wins, but this season everything is easier with BMW. We still need to improve, but things are on the right track, and I am happy with that. The atmosphere in the garage is calm, which is very helpful’.