Toprak Razgatlioglu issues worrying prognosis for WorldSBK Australia opener

Reigning World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu is still looking for improvements in both himself and the BMW M1000 RR after the two-day test in Phillip Island this week.

The 2025 World Superbike Championship gets underway this weekend at the Australian venue, the only circuit at which Razgatlioglu raced in 2024 without scoring a podium.

The Turkish rider crashed on the first day of the test, which delayed his programme, and left him still searching for a race setup on Tuesday.

“After the crash, especially on the second day, we started off well because our main target is to find the right setup for the race,” Razgatlioglu said at the end of day two.

“We finally found something, but we’re not 100 per cent ready yet.

“After the crash, we lost two hours of riding, and the afternoon brought some rain, so we only got the last eight minutes to ride the bike.

“We found a few things, but we’re still not 100 per cent, so we’ll see how it goes on Friday.

“The weekend is really important, and we’re doing our best, as always.”

After his crash on Monday, which came after his European testing plans were disrupted by a finger injury sustained during off-season training, Razgatlioglu was still feeling like his physical condition was not at its best on Tuesday.

“I feel the same as before, but I’m continuing to ride the bike,” he said.

“We’re racers, and it’s crucial to keep riding.

“This is an important weekend because it’s the first race of the 2025 season.

“Even though I’m still not 100%, after a couple of laps, the pain isn’t too bad, and I can still ride without problems.

“We also did some good lap times on race tires, so I’m a bit excited for the first race.”