Toprak Razgatlioglu makes ominous admission after topping WorldSBK Portimao test day one

The opening day of the WorldSBK Portimao test was also the first day of 2025 for Toprak Razgatlioglu, and the first day on an updated BMW M1000 RR.

Razgatlioglu was forced to miss last week’s test in Jerez due to a finger injury, but returned to action this week in Portugal and immediately laid down a benchmark, setting the fastest time on the first day in the Algarve.

“I didn’t expect the finger to be like this, because I immediately started very fast,” Razgatlioglu told WorldSBK.com.

“I felt a little bit of pain but not a lot. I used hard braking and everything was good; not like before, but it’s getting better.

“I was focused on my bike because we tried new parts and setup. It wasn’t a bad day for me. We tried many things.”

Razgatlioglu then revealed that his time-topping fastest lap – which put him 0.029 seconds ahead of Bimota’s Axel Bassani, and 0.098 seconds clear of Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega – was set not on the SCQ tyre but on the harder-compound SCX tyre, which the Turkish rider refers to as the “race tyre”.

“It was better than expected because, on the last run, I used the race tyre and not the SCQ tyre,” he said.

“This is the race tyre lap time and I think the other riders used the SCQ tyre.

“Not just one lap, but after ten laps, we’re very strong.”

Toprak describes 2025 BMW

The Portimao test is Razgatlioglu’s first aboard the 2025 specification M1000 RR, a bike which the Turkish rider says is not so different to the one he won the title on in 2024.

“[Between] the old one and the new one there is not really a big difference, but just some small steps,” he said.

“But, not bad. The bike is still working, especially with the race tyre and the race distance the bike is working well.

“For me it’s very important the pace – when I’m riding the bike the pace is very important for me, not only one lap.

“But we will see; this is a cold condition and also the track condition is not good today, some corners [were wet], and everyone was riding the same track but normally we are more fast.

“Anyway, this is for everyone, everyone tried their best, and also I’m trying a new bike.

“Everything is going good, it’s going well.”