Two seasons with BMW, two titles. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) made it back-to-back campaigns winning the Championship, and took his third overall, after a hard-fought fight with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati). A tricky start to the season left ‘El Turco’ on the back foot and trailing the Ducati star, but a run of unbeaten rounds and P2 finishes allowed the Turkish star to end his stint in WorldSBK as a three-time World Champion.

THE FIRST QUARTER: Perfect Portimao sandwiched between difficult Australia and Assen rounds

Last year in Australia, Razgatlioglu scored a podium in the Tissot Superpole Race and a P5 in Race 1. In 2025, he scored P2 in Race 1 and failed to score on Sunday. Both times were disappointing for the #1, but two different winners last year meant the gap to P1 was 32 points; compared to 2025, when he was 42 points back from Bulega after the #11 scored a hat-trick. The weekend featured some strong words from Razgatlioglu about the new BMW M 1000 RR. Still, he responded in style at Portimao with a hat-trick – not as dominant as 2024, with Bulega hot on his tail – but Assen was, like last year, another tricky round. A first win in the wet in the Superpole Race was the highlight, but P4 and P8 in Race 1 and Race 2 left the reigning Champion wanting more; however, a double DNF on Sunday for Bulega meant Razgatlioglu outscored the #11 in the Netherlands. The gap had halved in the six races since Australia to 21 points, despite Bulega gaining in Race 1 at Assen.

FINDING FORM: Bulega extends his lead at Cremona, but Razgatlioglu’s run begins

Cremona hosted its second WorldSBK round this year, but for Razgatlioglu, it was his first competitive visit. Three P2s weren’t a bad return to form, and he limited the damage as Bulega bounced back from Assen disappointment in the perfect fashion, with a home hat-trick. But after Cremona was Most; Razgatlioglu territory. Showing how close the title fight would be this year, Razgatlioglu won Race 1 and the Superpole Race before Race 2 was a modern classic as Bulega beat the BMW star in a last-lap showdown.

13 IN A ROW: Razgatlioglu equals his own all-time win record

While defeat at Most put a small dent in Razgatlioglu’s recovery of Championship points, he soon put it out of his mind. A hat-trick at Misano was followed by trebles at Donington Park – where he took the Championship lead for the first time – Balaton Park and Magny-Cours. Suddenly, the 41-point advantage Bulega held after Assen Race 1 had become a 39-point lead for Razgatlioglu. Victory at Aragon made it a 44-point lead and 13 wins in a row for ‘El Turco’, matching his own record from last season, and, despite Bulega fighting back with a double on Sunday at Aragon, Razgatlioglu had the advantage heading to Estoril.

WRAPPING IT UP AT JEREZ: Coming out on top in a showdown

While the results at Aragon meant it would go down to the final two rounds, Bulega kept the pressure on. Razgatlioglu’s victories in Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race gave him the chance to win the title on Sunday in Portugal; with the #1 needing to outscore the #11 by 18 points. However, Bulega claimed victory to take it to a Jerez finale, where the first opportunity came in Race 1 if Razgatlioglu won the race or finished ahead of his title rival. Bulega won Race 1 outpacing him on Saturday, sending the Championship to the final day. To open that Sunday, the title battle took a dramatic turn when Bulega and Razgatlioglu made contact at Turn 5 on the opening lap of the Tissot Superpole Race, sending ‘El Turco’ sprawling into the gravel, and cutting the #1’s title lead down to 22 points before Race 2. The decider was then postponed to the final race of the season, where with all eyes on the title battle, Razgatlioglu managed his race in order to finish P3, clinching his third World Championship in his final race before moving on to his next challenge in MotoGP

RAZGATLIOGLU’S 2025 SEASON IN STATS: more records broken

Wins: 21, the most he’s had in one season

Podiums: 31, including 25 in a row, his longest streak

Poles: 6, joint most he’s had in one season

Fastest laps: 20, the most he’s had in one season

Races led: 26

Laps led: 323, most he’s led in one season

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