Toprak Razgatlioglu says World Superbike Championship 'like a Ducati Cup' and suggests he could leave series
World Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlioglu suggested he could walk away from the series after labelling the championship as ‘almost like a Ducati Cup’.
The factory BMW rider was speaking after Ducati dominated at the opening round at Phillip Island in Australia, where last year’s title runner-up Nicolo Bulega sealed a treble on the Aruba.it Racing machine.
Razgatlioglu was the only non-Ducati rider in the top six in Saturday’s opening race, while the top three in Sunday’s Superpole race and Race 2 were filled by Ducati riders.
Razgatlioglu, who blew his chances in the Superpole Sprint race after running on at the hairpin on the opening lap, said: “Last year, yes, [Nicolo] Bulega [was strong], this year I’m not surprised that he is still fast and Alvaro [Bautista] also not bad,” Razgatlioglu told WorldSBK.com after Race 2.
“But, this year, all Ducatis are on the front, this is not normal, [it’s] why I say Superbike is almost like a ‘Ducati Cup’.
“I hope not to continue going like this because everyone is not enjoying like this.
“If Superbike continues like this in the future, I’m not thinking to race anymore here.”
Razgatlioglu fought back to claim 13th in the Superpole race.
In Race 2, the 28-year-old received a one-place penalty for an aggressive overtake on Danilo Petrucci and was later forced to retire after developing a mechanical issue with his M1000RR machine.
“For me, especially the Superpole race was not really good at the start, I feel some brake problem and we are lucky I didn’t hit someone and nobody crashed – this is why I’m happy,” said Razgatlioglu, who finished as the runner-up in Saturday’s opening race.
“For Race 2, we say it’s better to ride yesterday’s bike because I feel we are really improving and grip is much better than before and we started to use yesterday’s bike.
“But, in the race, we see there’s some technical problem, and after I didn’t continue the race.
I’m never starting very happy the first races in the season. Also last year, and two years ago – always I’m starting very strange, [and] this is the same.
“But I’m just focused on the next race because finally we are going to Europe and I’m just starting to fight with all the Ducatis.
“We have a long break, almost one month, I will keep working and try to come back more strong.”
Ulsterman Jonathan Rea was absent through injury, with the Pata Maxus Yamaha rider also set to miss the second round at Portimao in Portugal from March 28-30.
Rea has undergone surgery on broken bones in his left foot in Belfast after crashing during a test at Phillip Island on Monday.
Bulega won the first race by 4.8s from Razgatlioglu, with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati) in third ahead of Petrucci (Barni Spark Ducati), Scott Redding (MGM Bonovo Racing BMW) and Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven Ducati).
In the Superpole race, Bulega’s winning margin was 2.3s from Iannone, with Petrucci and Redding next and Sam Lowes in fifth on the Marc VDS Racing Ducati.
Bulega won the final race by 2.6s from Bautista, with Iannone, Redding and Petrucci the top five.
After the first round, Bulega leads the championship by 26 points from Bautista, with Razgatlioglu in eighth, 42 behind.