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With his usual flair for the dramatic, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) closed out this chapter of his career as a MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship rider on Sunday afternoon with a Race 2 podium finish. Same as last year, the Championship question came down to the final round at the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto, Andalucia’s Pirelli Spanish Round, however this time was even closer, with his title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) delaying his coronation until the season’s final race, where ‘El Turco’ at last clinched the defending Champion his third title in five season.

The factory BMW squad have presided over the German manufacturer’s most successful stint in their history of competition in WorldSBK by far. Their two-season collaboration brought the manufacturer two World Championship titles, whereas the Bavarian fabricator had never lifted a title since joining the Championship in 2009. While Razgatlioglu’s talent is certainly out-of-this-world, precipitating in his move next season to MotoGP, their accomplishment takes an entire team firing on all cylinders to lift the title, even more so to do it in back-to-back seasons.

SEVEN SEASONS OF GROWTH SIDE BY SIDE: “At the start, he couldn’t even string four laps together, he couldn’t qualify, he couldn’t ride in the wet, and now he’s evolved into an absolute monster!”

Crew Chief Phil Marron has been at Razgatlioglu’s side for the last seven seasons, watching a skinny Turkish kid from Alanya in his second year in WorldSBK go from winning two races in 2019 to 21 in 2025 and punch his ticket to the MotoGP paddock. The Irishman was gleaming with pride for his rider, and while the pair won’t continue their work together next season, it's clear that they’ve left an impact on one another.

On his rider’s progress and world title accomplishment, Marron said: “I’m proud, but we played a small part; the guys on the bike deserve the credit. We’re in the background, just giving them the tools to do the job. It’s been a privilege to be along for the ride. It’s now been seven seasons together with this little Turkish kid. At the start, he couldn’t even string four laps together; he was all over the place, he couldn’t qualify, he could ride in the wet, and now he’s evolved into an absolute monster! It’s been a pleasure to be along for the ride and a joy to watch him progress. What he’s accomplished is pretty special; he’s rewritten the history books.”

FROM ACROSS THE GARAGE: “Knowing the bike as I do, I think that not many people understand how special Toprak is”

Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Razgatlioglu’s story goes even further back than their joining forces back in 2024, when ‘El Turco’ announced his blockbuster move to BMW. The pair first rode side by side in 2020 for one season after Razgatlioglu moved from Kawasaki to Yamaha.  In 2021, van der Mark moved to BMW before Razgatlioglu won his first World Championship that season. When the pair were reunited at BMW, they picked up where they left off, joking and creating a bond that helped the team continue to gel and work together.

On his friend and teammate’s accomplishment, Michael van der Mark said: “We know how special Toprak is, but he showed everyone every weekend how good he is, and how special he is. He and Nicolo did a fantastic job this year; together, they were two steps ahead of everyone and put on a really good show. Knowing the bike as I do, I think that not many people understand how special Toprak is. He deserves his title, and looking at the data and the inside information, we knew he was special, but this year, he showed it all.”

GONSCHOR’S ANALYSIS: “The key to any success in sport is always focus and teamwork”

BMW Motorrad Technical Director, Chris Gonschor, was instrumental in ironing out the wrinkles in the new 2025 M 1000 RR platform that the team homologated at the start of the season. With their 2024 superconcessions revoked after winning the title, Toprak, Gonschor, and the rest of the crew had to work hard to go back to the drawing board after Phillip Island and find a direction for the bike’s development. With 2025 done and dusted, and having earned more podiums and wins than last season, it’s safe to say they did just that.

Chris Gonschor, on this season, said: “The key to any success in sport is always focus and teamwork. We had some slight difficulties at Phillip Island and weren’t able to win at Cremona, so we looked into the data, listened to our rider, we looked into our package and tried to be focused to learn from the situation. With the focus of the rider, the crew, and all the technical staff back in Munich, we did some tests, started to find our way after Most and went on to win even more races than last season.”

A SUNDAY SURPRISE: “I’m speechless, I think today for all the fans was perfect, but we all aged ten years”

Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the rest of the factory BMW squad had a rude awakening from what looked like it was a relatively smooth path to the title at Jerez on Sunday morning after the #1 and the #11 collided on Turn 5 of the opening lap, preventing ‘El Turco’ from earning any points. That meant that in Race 2, Razgatlioglu had to finish above P13 to lock down the title, a feat he not only managed, but even finished on the podium in P3, but not before giving the German a few more grey hairs.

On Sunday’s drama and their collaboration overall, Sven Blusch said: “I’m speechless, I think today for all the fans was perfect, but we all aged ten years. The bike was damaged, and despite the pressure that was on the team to get that bike running, their effort was amazing. We’re so happy, we’re happy for the team, for the brand, and for our riders. Toprak wrote history for BMW; the door will always be open for him. He is now family to us. We are happy to have shared it with his whole crew and the whole Turkish community. It was a wild ride together, and we will cheer for him next year in MotoGP. I think he is leaving this paddock as an ambassador for WorldSBK.

A TEAM EFFORT: “The team, the mechanics, the crew, everyone dug so deep between the Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2 and it’s a testament to how far we’ve come over the last 5-6 years”

Team Principal Shaun Muir shared in Blusch’s concern on Sunday morning, highlighting the fear that many in their box had; that with the crash happening so early in the Superpole Race, and the lack of a Free Practice or Warm Up session between those two sessions, they didn’t know if there was a problem with the bike after repairing it before they had to take to the tarmac for Race 2. Not only did their bike perform when they needed it most, but their rider again showed his speed even when riding conservatively to land the manufacturer their second Riders’ Championship.

Shaun Muir said: “It feels different from 2024. It’s been a fantastic season. This final day added a little bit of extra spice. Going into the final race, anything could have happened. The biggest problem with Race 2 was that we didn’t know if we had a terminal mechanical problem or a failure that would have hit us. We knew Bulega’s pace and that he would have three wins before we got here. Our problem was that we could have had a mechanical issue in Race 2, had a mechanical issue, and that lost the title on the last day. I think justice was done. Toprak ran a really sensible race; we wanted to stay out of trouble. The team, the mechanics, the crew, everyone dug so deep between the Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2, and it’s a testament to how far we’ve come over the last 5-6 years. We’ve grown in stature with the two World Championships, but the group has grown so tight, we’ve made subtle changes that have made us better, and I’d think when people look down the pit lane, people will think that we’re a team to be reckoned with.”

Look back through a treasure trove of ‘El Turco’s best 2025 moments with the WorldSBK VideoPass!