Northern Ireland's Phil Marron on 'privilege' of working with Toprak Razgatlioglu after sealing third World Superbike title together before Turkish star leaves for MotoGP challenge
Northern Ireland’s Phil Marron says it has been a “privilege” to work with three-time World Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlioglu after the MotoGP-bound Turkish star retained his title at Jerez in Spain on Sunday.
Marron,from Moneyglass in Co Antrim, has worked alongside Razgatlioglu since 2019 as his crew chief and was instrumental in his maiden world title triumph with Yamaha in 2021, ending Jonathan Rea’s six-year reign at the top.
Razgatlioglu took Marron with him when he made the shock move to the factory BMW team in 2024, winning an historic title for the German manufacturer at their first attempt.
The 29-year-old wrapped up back-to-back championships at Jerez after finishing third in the final race, which was won by key rival and Ducati frontrunner Nicolo Bulega, who completed a clean sweep at the final round.
Bulega received a Long Lap penalty in the Superpole race after Razgatlioglu crashed out following contact with the Italian, but he closed out the result he needed to cap a dream two-year spell at BMW ahead of his move to the 2026 MotoGP World Championship with Pramac Ducati.
Marron did not have the opportunity to go with Razgatlioglu to the Grand Prix paddock, but he expects the three-time WSBK champion to ruffle a few feathers.
“I’ve seen him grow from a complete rookie, not able to string four laps together, to the complete monster that he is now,” Marron said at Jerez on Sunday.
“It’s just a privilege to work with him, it’s a privilege to watch him grow and to be honest, I don’t think he’s finished yet – he’s still got more to give.”
On Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP prospects, he added: “He’ll just take a few months to find his feet and once he gets settled in, he’s going to annoy a few people – he’s going to show a few people.”
Marron rates Razgatlioglu’s first World Superbike title success with Yamaha in 2021 as the toughest but said experience was a vital component of this latest championship triumph with BMW.
“The first one, without doubt, was the hardest; this one, we used our experience, we didn’t get cocky and didn’t let the pressure get to us. The first one was definitely the biggest,” he said.
“The group of guys and girls don’t stop in Munich, it’s non-stop. Shaun Muir’s team, they’re the same – they don’t stop. When we get trackside, they try to extract the maximum and it means the world to all these people, so congratulations to them.”