World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu Returns to His Country
Toprak Razgatlioglu, the national motorcyclist who became world champion for the second time, returned to Istanbul after finishing second in the first race of the 12th and final round of the 2024 World Superbike Championship held in Spain, increasing his points to 493. As an athlete of Red Bull, Razgatlioglu achieved his second Superbike championship in his first season racing with his new team, ROKiT BMW Motorrad. He arrived in Istanbul on a Turkish Airlines scheduled flight from Malaga, Spain, in the evening. After completing passport and baggage procedures, Razgatlioglu was greeted by motorcycle enthusiasts, his family, and fans as he exited the VIP terminal at Istanbul Airport. Among those who came to welcome him, the most notable was Kenan Sofuoglu, a Turkish motorcycle racer and five-time world champion.
Toprak Razgatlioglu: “Completing the season with a championship is very gratifying”
Razgatlioglu, who received an intense display of affection, shared his feelings in a statement, saying, “I am very happy about the championship. Thank you very much to everyone. I am very proud of this achievement. I have brought a world championship to my country. Completing this season with a championship is very gratifying. We have played the National Anthem of my country to many people in various countries.”
“I aim to win the world championship again next year”
Razgatlioglu noted that the season was not easy, stating, “I made an agreement with BMW at the beginning of the season. There were not many good things said about BMW. During the season, we broke a new record by achieving first place 13 times in a row. After the accident, we made a significant comeback. We won the world championship again. Hopefully, we can continue like this. Everyone has played a significant role in this success. I thank the federation, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and Red Bull. I aim to win the world championship again next year.”
Kenan Sofuoglu: “It was disappointing for us that Turkey did not hear about Toprak”
Kenan Sofuoglu, the captain of the Turkish Motorcycle Federation (TMF) National Teams, emphasized their desire to announce Toprak Razgatlioglu’s success in Turkey, stating, “The world knows him. It was disappointing for us that Turkey did not hear about Toprak. I want to remember our late president, Bekir Yunus Ucar. He put in a lot of effort for Toprak. We had planned this championship together. Right now, we have the most valuable motorcycle racer in the world.”
After the speeches, Toprak Razgatlioglu got on a motorcycle and departed the area to applause, accompanied by other motorcyclists.
