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BMW are already thinking about re-signing Toprak Razgatlioglu for their WSBK team

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Toprak Razgatlioglu won back-to-back world championships in his two years at BMW’s World Superbikes team.

And yet, Razgatlioglu traded that seat for a MotoGP ride with Pramac Yamaha, who finished bottom of last year’s world championship and remain there this year.

The Turkish rider has only outscored one full-time rider this season, even then Tech3’s Maverick Vinales (who has 10 points to his 12) has failed to start six races due to injury.

BMW want to stay in touch with Toprak Razgatlioglu

According to Speedweek, BMW’s ‘decision-makers’ are making ‘every effort’ to re-open a channel of communication with Razgatlioglu’s camp. That way, if he ever considers returning to Superbikes, they will be well-placed to sign him.

Without their former superstar, BMW have regressed to third in the pecking order this year. Lead rider Miguel Oliveira, who was incidentally Razgatlioglu’s Pramac predecessor, is only 10th in the standings.

What grade would you give Toprak Razgatlioglu after the first half of his rookie season?

Toprak Razgatlioglu of Pramac walks in the paddock
Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images

Nicolo Bulega, Razgatlioglu’s former title rival, has won all but one race, with Ducati unbeaten so far. Bulega is moving to MotoGP with VR46 next year and several ousted MotoGP riders are already eyeing that seat.

While Razgatlioglu has admitted lacking motivation at times this year, he has also made clear that his focus is 2027. In a sense, his rookie season has been about preparation.

Next year, MotoGP will switch to Pirelli tyres as the Michelin era comes to an end. Razgatlioglu has struggled on the French compounds this year, as many expected, but is used to Pirelli rubber from his WSBK days.

He’s also hoping that Yamaha, who almost wrote off 2026 after switching from an inline four engine to a V4, are more competitive. The signals are mixed on that front, but it’s still early.

Razgatlioglu knows he can establish himself as an all-time motorcycling great if he wins in both championships. He won’t give up on that dream easily, but it’s clear that, if he ever tires of Grand Prix racing, he can walk back into the WSBK paddock as a returning king.