Toprak Razgatlioglu

FIM Superbike World Champion in 2021, after finishing runner-up for the following two seasons Toprak Razgatlioglu finally regained the crown in 2024 in his first season for BMW. The twenty-eight-year-old Turkish star made global headlines with his change of team, but his debut for the German giant at round one in Australia did not go to plan and after finishing fifth in the opening race he exited race two early with a mechanical DNF. Fighting back at round two in Barcelona, after topping Super Pole he took a win and a third before embarking a winning spree, starting in the Netherlands in April. Finishing second in the opening race at Assen, his victory in race two marked the start of a record-breaking run and for the next four rounds hewon every Super Pole and race to establish a ninety-two-point lead. His win-streak was ended by a crash in free practice at round eight in France and after sitting out the following round in Italy his lead was down to thirteen points, but Razgatlioglu returned in style and overall victories in Spain and Portugal ensured he stayed in control before wrapping up the title in the opening race at the final round.

PALMARES 

FIM World Superbike Champion - 2021, 2024

TOPRAK ON TOP! 

It does not seem right to mention the FIM Superbike World Championship without name-checking Jonathan Rea, but the Northern Irish star’s amazing run of six consecutive titles was finally halted in 2021 by Toprak Razgatlioglu. 

The Turkish Tornado has competed full-time in the WSB since 2018 and his star has been steadily rising. Ending his debut season in ninth, he improved to fifth in 2019 and was fourth last year before he finally usurped Rea at a thrilling showdown at the Pertamina Mandalika Street Circuit in Indonesia at the end of November. 

Razgatlioglu has taken numerous podium finishes and wins over the past three seasons, but up until this year he had never quite manged to put the puzzle together. 

However, he started to fit the pieces in place this season and took the lead in the championship at Donington Park at the start of July with a sixth-placed finish in the Superpole race sandwiched between two wins. 

From here on it was a rollercoaster ride with the lead swinging between Razgatlioglu and Rea with the soon to be champion only finally breaking clear on Portugal’s Algarve coast at the start of October before hammering home his advantage with a dominant performance at the series’ penultimate round at the Circuito San Juan Villicum in Argentina. 

With rain stopping play on the first day of the championship swansong in Indonesia, Razgatlioglu kept his nerve and by following Rea home in the opening race secured the title. 

PALMARES 

FIM World Superbike World Champion - 2021