Toprak Razgatlıoğlu

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (born 16 October 1996) is a Turkish world champion motorcycle racer contracted to race a factory BMW from 2024 in the Superbike World Championship, which he first rode at private tests held after the 2023 season at Portimão and Jerez.

After riding for Kawasaki, Razgatlıoğlu rode a factory-team Yamaha YZF-R1 until 2023, winning the 2021 Superbike World Championship, ending Jonathan Rea's six-year reign. Razgatlıoğlu is the first Turkish Superbike World Champion.

Early life

Born in Alanya, Razgatlıoğlu is the second son of famous Turkish stunt motorcyclist Arif Razgatlıoğlu who was known as Tek teker Arif which means Wheelie Arif. His father died, together with his girlfriend who was riding on the pillion seat, following a motorcycle accident in Antalya on 17 November 2017.

Career

Early career

He competed in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2013 and 2014, finishing 10th and 6th overall respectively. He finished first in the 7th race of the 2014 season in Sachsenring, Germany.

He won his debut race in the European Superstock 600 Championship on 5 October 2014 at Magny Cours aboard a Kawasaki ZX-6R.

He won the 2015 European Superstock 600 Championship aboard a Kawasaki ZX-6R.

Superbike World Championship

Razgatlıoğlu was an upcoming performer with Turkish Puccetti Kawasaki racing team from 2018 and was partnered with factory Kawasaki riders Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam for the 2019 Suzuka 8 Hours, a track endurance race. Due to not being allowed to ride with the other two taking turns throughout the race, Razgatlıoğlu soon left the Kawasaki marque to become a factory Yamaha rider from 2020. He became World Champion in 2021 after finishing 2nd in Race 1 at the Mandalika International Street Circuit.

Under contract to Yamaha in the Superbike class from 2020 until 30 November 2023, Razgatlıoğlu was prevented by Yamaha from testing his 2024 BMW machine at an official test held immediately after the 2023 season-end race at Jerez in late October/early November, when Jonathan Rea, previously with Kawasaki Racing Team and Razgatlıoğlu's direct replacement, was allowed to participate on his new Yamaha.

Razgatlıoğlu was offered a test on 22/23 November with gagging conditions attached, but chose to wait until 4 December when out of contract to Yamaha. He rode the BMW over two days at Portimão, followed by another test at Jerez.

MotoGP

2022

In June, Razgatlioglu got the chance to test the black Yamaha YZR-M1 during a one-day MotoGP private test at the Motorland Aragón circuit. Toprak switched from the Yamaha YZF-R1 to the YZR-M1 and did a total of 40 laps of the 5.078 km MotorLand Aragon circuit in scorching hot conditions. There is no empirical data in the form of lap times or photos of Toprak in action on the track as this was probably part of a super-secret test conducted privately by Yamaha. In the test, he was accompanied by Cal Crutchlow.

2023

Yamaha officially announced that Razgatlıoğlu would ride the Yamaha YZR-M1 during the development tests held at the Jerez circuit in Andalucía, Spain, when he joined Yamaha MotoGP test rider Cal Crutchlow for two days on April 10 and 11. This was the second test on the YZR-M1, following his first ride at Motorland Aragon in June 2022.

Career statistics

Career summary

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

FIM Superstock 1000 Cup

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Superbike World Championship

By season

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

* Season still in progress.

Suzuka 8 Hours results

See also

• Kenan Sofuoğlu

References

External links

• Toprak Razgatlıoğlu at WorldSBK.com
• Page at the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup