Toprak Razgatlioglu points finger at "next WorldSBK champion"

Nicolo Bulega is on course to be WorldSBK’s “next World Champion”, according to two-time winner Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Bulega began his WorldSBK career in perfect fashion when he won Race 1 at Phillip Island, and ended up second in the championship, taking a further five victories before the end of the year.

Ultimately, he came up short of winning the title thanks to a dominant season from BMW’s Razgatlioglu that saw him win 18 races despite not starting six through injury.

“In his first year he [Bulega] did a very good job,” concluded eventual 2024 champion Toprak Razgatlioglu when speaking to WorldSBK.com.

“He looks like a big talent. I think he’s the next World Champion.”

Razgatlioglu has not been the only two-times WorldSBK Champion to find praise for Bulega. The Italian’s factory Ducati teammate, Alvaro Bautista, said that, even in Bulega’s rookie season, he was able to take lessons from the 25-year-old.

“For sure, to have Nicolo [Bulega] on the other side of the box has been very positive for me because I saw many things that he does differently to me,” Bautista told WorldSBK.com.

“So, it worked in many situations, so I try to learn, and it was very positive to see that another rider with a different style to mine can be fast as well.

“So, I try to use this information, and try to make a mix between his strong points and my strong points and try to make a complete package.

“For sure, he’s not easy to beat because he’s very strong, he’s very talented, and he did very well his first year in World Superbike, but I will try to close the gap and try to fight with him next year.”