Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlıoğlu captured his third World Superbike title Sunday with a third-place finish at Circuito de Jerez, sealing the 2025 crown before making his long-anticipated move to MotoGP next season.
Riding for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, Razgatlıoğlu’s podium finish in Race 2 was enough to secure the title ahead of Italian rival Nicolo Bulega, wrapping up a season-long duel that went down to the wire.
The 29-year-old became a three-time world champion – matching Australia’s Troy Bayliss – and joined an elite group behind only World Superbike legends Jonathan Rea and Carl Fogarty.
Razgatlıoğlu ended the season with 21 victories, including a remarkable streak of 13 consecutive wins between May’s Emilia-Romagna Round and September’s Aragon Round, equaling his all-time record set during his 2024 title run.
Despite suffering two retirements – one at Phillip Island and another in the Jerez Superpole Race after a collision with Bulega – he finished the season 13 points ahead of the Italian, securing back-to-back titles for the first time in his career.
Bulega’s 14th win of the season in Sunday’s Race 2 was not enough to close the gap, as Razgatlıoğlu’s third-place finish sealed the championship.
The result also marked BMW’s second world title with the Turkish star, following his 2024 triumph, and cemented the German manufacturer’s growing presence in a Ducati-dominated grid.
“All I needed today was to finish 13th, but I wanted to end on the podium,” Razgatlıoğlu said after the race. “It’s been an incredible season – 21 wins, many battles, and another title. I’m proud of what we achieved with BMW.”
The victory capped off a historic weekend for Razgatlıoğlu, who in just two seasons with BMW turned the M1000RR project into a title-winning machine.
His teammate, Michael van der Mark, helped secure vital points throughout the year, while Bulega benefited from a fleet of Ducati riders backing his title bid.
This year’s championship also underscored Razgatlıoğlu’s consistency and maturity. He became the first Turkish rider to win three World Superbike titles, building on his 2021 success with Yamaha before switching manufacturers to BMW.
His career now includes 78 race wins and 172 podiums – achievements that have firmly established him as one of the sport’s greats.
The Jerez finale was also marked by the absence of Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter, who sat out due to a hand injury and finished the season 14th overall.
The 35-year-old’s future remains uncertain following the end of his partnership with Yamaha, with speculation suggesting a possible return to the Supersport World Championship, where he was champion in 2021 and 2022.
Razgatlıoğlu’s next chapter begins in 2026 with the Prima Pramac Racing team in MotoGP, where he will become the first Superbike world champion to leap Ben Spies’ move to Tech3 Yamaha in 2010.
His arrival is expected to draw widespread attention as fans anticipate how his aggressive, late-braking riding style will translate to MotoGP machinery.
“After eight incredible years in WorldSBK, I’m ready for a new challenge,” Razgatlıoğlu said. “Winning three titles here means everything to me, but now it’s time for the next step.”
