In what was my last interview with Toprak Razgatlioglu (at least as a Superbike rider), the Turkish phenomenon told us how his 2025 season began with many difficulties but ended with his third world title, the second for BMW. Toprak was keen to thank the German manufacturer by giving them another world title, and he succeeded.

Looking back on his past in the world championships, he cannot forget the great help he received from Kenan Sofuoglu, who, after Stock 600, preferred to steer him straight towards the big bikes and had him race in Stock 1000 before moving him on to Superbike. The rest is history.

For Toprak, the Sultan is not just a manager or a friend, but is now part of his family, and the two have been close since 2014 when Kenan picked him up at home and drove him to Magny Cours in France to make his debut as a wild card in STK600.

The result? Second in qualifying and first in the race. The “phenomenon” Toprak was born. From next year, however, another equally fantastic adventure awaits him: MotoGP. He will be the first Turk to race in the premier class, but he has no illusions: "It will be a very difficult season. I will have to learn about the bike, the tyres, the tracks and the environment. Sometimes I'll have to cover my ears and my mouth, but I think that in 2027 the music could change."

For him, who for years has been accustomed to considering second or third place negative, it will not even be easy to get used to (as he states in this interview) considering a points finish positive, a result that Toprak expects to achieve, at least initially. 2026 will be a “buffer” year, waiting for the following season, when the bikes will be different and the tyres will be Pirelli, which the Turkish rider knows very well, and perhaps he will be able to prove wrong those who think that Superbike riders cannot succeed in MotoGP.