Toprak Razgatlioglu threatens to quit World Superbike: “almost like a Ducati Cup”

Reigning World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu has suggested that he could quit the production derivative series if Ducati continues to dominate.

Ducati won all three races at Phillip Island this weekend thanks to Nicolo Bulega, but it was the performance of the other Ducati riders that caught Razgatlioglu’s attention.

Razgatlioglu was the only non-Ducati rider in the top-six in Saturday’s Race 1, and both podiums on Sunday were locked out by Ducati, with Andrea Iannone and Danilo Petrucci behind Bulega in the Superpole Race and Alvaro Bautista joining Iannone and Bulega on the podium in Race 2.

“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.”

In contrast to Ducati’s and Bulega’s dominant weekend, Phillip Island was a tricky one for Razgatlioglu.

He crashed in testing on Monday, and then again in the opening minutes of FP1 on Friday.

Saturday’s Race 1 yielded a second place, but a braking issue in the Superpole Race saw him go wide at turn four on the first lap and finish only 12th. Then, a technical issue forced him to retire in Race 2.

“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,” Razgatlioglu said.

“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.”

He added: “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.”

The break Razgatlioglu mentioned is punctuated by a test in Portimao – also the location of the next round – on 14–15 March.

“We have a test there, we need the test,” the Turkish rider said.

“Two days for me are very important because we are trying to improve the bike and we are still not 100 per cent.

“But everyone is pushing hard, I know, and we will see because these two days for me are very important.”