Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: the stunning WorldSBK champion
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu is currently THE name of the WorldSBK. It’s not only because he is the defending world champion with BMW Motorrad and the man to beat for all the other riders. Is also because his riding brilliance, a pure talent on the bike that combined with his personality, has most motorcycling fans dazzled.
The sportive career of Toprak Razgatlıoğlu is like his riding style: different to the any other career, far away from the usual path of many other champions. This is the story of ‘El Turco’.
Razgatlıoğlu, a family of stuntmans
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu was born on October 16, 1996, in Alanya, Turkey. His father, Arif Razgatlıoğlu, was a renowned stunt rider, often referred to as "Tek teker Arif" (One-wheel Arif) due to his exceptional stunt performances. This fact explains a lot of what he has become memorable: his control of the bike at the absolute limit. Growing up in such an environment, Toprak began riding at a young age, drawing inspiration from his father's skills and showmanship.
Tragically, in November 2017, Arif passed away in a road accident, a profound loss that deeply impacted Toprak. Determined to honour his father's legacy, Toprak channelled his grief into his racing career with the help of a legend of the WorldSBK paddock: Kenan Sofuoğlu.
From RB MotoGP Rookies Cup to WorldSBK
Eager to promote motorcycling in Turkey, the 5-times World Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoğlu, immediately recognized the talent of the young Toprak racing at the Istambul Park circuit and becoming Turkish Champion in 2012. With his guidance, Toprak jumped from national scene to the international championship. In 2013 he competed in the RedBull MotoGP Rookies Cup, ending in 10th and achieving a double podium in his first very first race weekend, in CoTA. Next year he repeated in the RB Rookies Cup and won in Sachsenring to finish 6th in the standings. 2014 was a busy year for him, entering in the last round of the now defunct European Superstock 600 Championship. He won the race, held at Magny Cours, in his debut at the class.
After these performances, Razgatlıoğlu entered for a full season at the European Superstock 600 in 2015. Winning nearly all the races, he clinched the title with just 19 years. For next year, he moved up to the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup and accomplished two podiums, at Magny Cours and Jerez. In 2017 he stayed and fought the title with Michael Ruben Rinaldi; in the end the Italian beat him by just 8 points, though Toprak achieved three wins and two more podiums.
Debuting at WorldSBK
In 2018 Razgatlıoğlu made the big move to Superbike class with Puccetti Racing and Kawasaki machinery, the same team and manufacturer that Sofuoğlu raced in his last career years and Toprak was familiar since 2014. He achieved the main goal: being the best rookie, finishing in an impressive 9th overall in the standing and two podiums, one at Donington Park and other in Magny Cours.
Next season, he continued his progression: although the season started with some difficulties, he regained the confidence scoring podiums regularly at Imola, Jerez, Misano, Donington Park, Portimao, Villucum and it was in Magny Cours, his talisman track, that he achieved his first win. This made his stand 5th in the final standings.
Switch to Yamaha and WorldSBK Champion
In 2020 Toprak ended his Kawasaki era. Despite having a factory machine in an independent team the previous year, Razgatlıoğlu was looking to become a full factory rider in the Kawasaki Racing Team but Kawasaki had, back in the day, a clear number 1 rider: Jonathan Rea. Toprak, with the help of his ever present and skilful manager Sofuoğlu moved to Pata Yamaha team.
In an amazing accomplishment, Toprak was able to be competitive from the very beginning and debuted with a win in Race 1 at Phillip Island, first Round of the season. Adaptation to the YZF-R1 proved to be troublesome in some moments of the year, especially mid-season, but he keep scoring podiums to a final tally of nine, including three victories, to end at 4th position in the championship.
In the 2021 WorldSBK, Toprak will consecrate himself with his first ever World Championship. Although the year started with some difficulties at Aragon Round, Toprak soon was fighting in force against the 6-time WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea. It was a close run between the two, being neck and neck in the points until the very last rounds: both achieved 30 podiums and 13 victories by the end of the season. But minor results dictated that Toprak had an advantage of just 13 points, clinching the WorldSBK title.
This achievement was historic, as Toprak became the first Turkish rider to win a WorldSBK Championship. His success not only elevated his status in the racing community but also ignited a surge of interest in motorcycle racing within Turkey and he became a real hero in his country, a popular figure in the minds of all the Turkish citizens.
Toprak title’s defence was an epic season where he battled all year long with Álvaro Bautista and Jonathan Rea in one of the most competitive and thrilling years in WorldSBK history. Unfortunately for the Turkish rider, the growing dominance of the combination Bautista-Ducati impeded him the revalidation of the #1 plate. And 2023 was worse for him, as the ‘red bullets’ became unreachable for him onboard his Yamaha: he just achieved 7 wins on the season. A good number for any rider, but not for a champion like him.
The bold move: riding for BMW
His duels with Bautista were frustrating for the Yamaha rider: on most occasions he saw himself losing all the advantage he had in braking and cornering during the acceleration and straight-line speed, due to the powerful Ducati engine and Bautista fine handling of the Panigale’s strengths. This was a no-go situation for Toprak and started searching for an alternative. But few suspected the next move: switching to ROKiT BMW Motorrad.
It was, for most of fans and press, an illogical choice that raised eyebrows. Most considered that 2024 will be a thought year for him, to adapt and address the limitations of the M1000RR with some podiums at the most; others even went so far as to catalogue the move as ‘career ending’ with money as the only incentive. Certainly, the Bavarian brand improved substantially the economy of Toprak with his signing, but why other reason will make choose a rider to go for a manufacturer whose last victory was ten years ago?
In the eyes of Toprak the answer was clear: power. The M1000RR had in plenty of horsepower. He will find a way to make the BMW turn and stop in the corners, but the engine will need to perform in straight, where the talent of a rider can’t make the difference. And he wasn’t alone: the whole BMW Motorrad factory redoubled efforts in the WorldSBK program… it was not a gamble. Or at least, it was a calculated gamble.
With a new chassis, Toprak exceeded all anticipations: after a first podium in the Superpole Race of the first Round in Phillip Island, ‘El Turco’ gave BMW his first victory together in Race 1 at Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit. In the fourth race weekend of the year, at Misano, he signed his first triplet. And since there his performance was nothing short of stellar, achieving 13 consecutive race wins—a new record in the championship's history that cemented the path to a second world title. In few rounds he switched the fans mood from “he can fight for the title” to “who is going to stop him”!
Despite missing two rounds (six races) after crashing in Magny Cours during the Free Practice, he came back to secure the title with podiums in Aragon, Estoril and Jerez for a total tally of 27 out of 30 races, underscoring his dominance and consistency. His second WorldSBK title is an incredible achievement in the history of motorcycling.
The birth of the ‘stoprak’
Toprak's riding style is a show, characterized by aggressive braking and masterful bike control, testament of his days as stuntman. Social media clips of him executing long, controlled stoppies in the pitlane test after test earning the nickname "stoprak" to the move among fans. But Torpak can put into practice his distinctive braking technique during races, not only mesmerizing spectators but also provides him with a competitive edge on the track. Toprak attributes this style to his mentor, Kenan Sofuoğlu, from whom he learned the nuances of hard braking and bike handling.
Phil Marron, his crew chief during the Yamaha and BMW years, has shed light on the technical aspects of Toprak's riding, noting his specific demands regarding bike setup, especially on corner entries and use of the engine brake and electronics to stop the bike in the last meters before the corner. This meticulous attention to detail allows Toprak to push the limits of his machine while maintaining control, a balance that few can achieve.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu merchandise collection
Certainly, riders who become champions are popular among fans. But Toprak is something else amongst the WorldSBK fans. Probably his riding style and cool and playful attitude in the paddock has contributed to garnering a global fanbase. His ability to blend thrilling performances with humility off the track makes him a beloved figure in the racing community.
Maybe that’s the reason why Toprak merchandising is a hit at the WorldSBK Store! The Toprak Razgatlıoğlu official merchandise collection has many items but be sure to be as fast as him in our store because most of products sold out easily!
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu merchandise range includes t-shirts and caps with classics designs with the #54 number and Toprak logo, but also others with ‘El Turco’ nickname. The collection also includes t-shirt and cap with the #1, for his title defense with BMW. And don’t forget to add a pack of Toprak stickers to your order!
For those eager to celebrate Toprak’s second title, there’s the 2024 WorldSBK Champion t-shirt and cap. The design features the frontal fairing of the BMW M1000RR #54, adorned with BMW Motorsport colors against a sleek black background. Accentuated by a golden laurel wreath and the 'El Turco' logo, the ensemble exudes elegance and pride.
And if you want to combine Toprak’s merch with ROKiT BMW Motorrad apparel, there’s a variety, including jackets, suits, and casual wear, all official merchandise from the WorldSBK team.