Toprak Razgatlioglu’s second WorldSBK title was a historic moment for BMW, as it marke⭕d the brand’s first 𓄧world title in the premier division of production motorcycle racing.

Razgatlioglu was clearly a huge addition to BMW’s WorldSBK project for this year, but BMW Motorrad Motorsport director Marc Bongers explained that even the Bavarian brand didn’t expect the title in the first 🐷year.

“The target was, when we signed Toprak [Razgatlioglu] for a multi-year deal, we said 🌌‘Okay, the target is to win a couple of races in the first year and take the championship the second year,’” said Bongers to WorldSBK.com.

“For sure nobody could have thouꦫght this scenario.”

Bongers continued, explaining the sacrifices that he and others at BMW have made to achieve succ🧸ess in WorldSBK.

“As you know this has been really emotional because wౠe’ve had really tough areas, we all sacrifice a lot,” he said.

“I've been in this project for🗹 10 years. Sometime𒁏s we are our own biggest opponents.

“I've carried this project through, we’ve had an impressive crew, an impressi𒆙ve team, aౠnd support from my family. It's hard, but it's nice...we are going to party and we will party big.”

Muir: “Every year we’ve improved”

As well as the first World Su🐭perbike title for BMW, Razgatlioglu’s 2024 success has been the first championship for the Shaun Muir Racing (SMR) squad that runs BMW’s factory WorldSBK team.

SMR began its WorldSBK journey with BMW in 2016, but switched to Aprilia in 2017 before going back to BMW machinery when itꦐ became the Bavarians’ factor༺y outfit in 2019.

“It's unbelievable, I'm super prou⛎d of this moment,” said Shaun Muir, team principal for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team.

“It's been a long hard struggle, not withou🍷t its problems. You’ve seen this emotion in the paddock and everybody we’ve put together in this team, it's not built overnight.

“When the project started 🌌in 2019, I think there's only 10 personnel who were with us from then to now.

“Every year we’ve improved and become a stronger, more credible team and that's t🎃aken us to where w🐽e are today.”

Razgatlioglu is a rider that stands out to M🦂uir, who has worked with ot♏her champions such as Tom Sykes, and BSB champions like Tommy Hill and Josh Brookes.

“Toprak has a steely determination that I have n♒ever ever seen in another rider in all my years I've been running a race team,” Muir said.

“The determination that you've got not only to compete at the highest level but to only accept a win [...]. In his opinion, he's not at the top yet, ൲he's got a lot more to do.”

Flasch: “Everybody likes heroes…”

While BMW Motorrad CEO Markus Flasch appreciated the importance of the title to BMW, h🀅e was especially appreciative of Razgatlioglu’s character.

“This is a landmark for BMW and we’re very excited that we achieved this,” 🌸BMW Motorrad CEO Markus Flasch told WorldSBK.💃com.

“I think we 🐟really deserved it. We’re supportive of motorꦦsport in general as BMW, and motorsport is all about heroic stories.

“Everybody ꦇlikes heroes and Toprak [Razgatlioglu] has shown what it means not justဣ to be champion or a professional athlete, but also with his attitude and the way he shares the value of the brand, BMW are very happy about that.

“A friend of mine in the USA said there are different categories of riders,🐻 and ღToprak is definitely an alien because he brings the sport to the next level. At the same time, he’s humble.

“The way he came back after his accident, it was amazing to me, and it shows how💃 strong he is mentally.”

Gonschor: “The BMW is one of the two best bikes in the paddock”

BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s Technical Director, Chris Gonschor explained that the combination of Razgatlioglu and the the work done by BMW with its test team — w♏hich features Sylvain Guin꧒toli and Bradley Smith as riders — has been a part of the key to the brand’s success.

“Becoming World Champion was t𝓀he main target we wanted to achievᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚe,” he said.

“We finish🍰ed the mission we sꦗtarted a few years ago.

“Everybody has their own talent. With Toprak, it’s obvious that his is corner entry but the best thing, looking at hi⛄s data which I like a lot as a technical ⭕director, is to see how he can manage the whole bike.

“This mea♑ns tyre management, getting the exit prepared. The stopping is obvious but the rest of the riding style is quite unique.

“It’s clear he has a very clear feeling for the front tyre. He’s using thꦍe front tyre not only to stop, also for the apex situation, getting the exit.

“We learn a lot about how a human being▨ can read feelings compared to what we read with data.

“I’d agree that the BMW is one of the two best bikes in the paddock. It was a l✱ong and tough way to get there.

𓆉“We started a lot of technical fine tuning last year working with the test team.

“We could collect lots more data and be better prepared for race weekends, leading to a si♊tuati𓃲on where we could, immediately from FP1, concentrate on racing and not on collecting data or checking parts.”