BMW boss reacts after Toprak Razgatlioglu smashes his windscreen in frustration

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s anger was obvious when he smashed his own windscreen with his clenched fist in Australia.

The World Superbike Championship season-opening round at Phillip Island was a disaster for BMW and their reigning champion.

Razgatlioglu’s awful week in Australia included a crash in testing, another fall in FP1, a promising P2 in Race 1 on Saturday, before a braking issue ruined Sunday’s Superpole, then a technical problem forced an early retirement from Race 2.

Razgatlioglu fumed that he could quit WorldSBK due to the dominance of Ducati, who locked out both podiums on Sunday.

“This is part of the game, from being the hunters to being the hunted,” BMW boss Sven Blutsch said.

“It was clear that it wouldn’t be easier than last year, so we take the challenge.”

BMW boss explains plan to improve

Razgatlioglu’s title defence is off to a dreadful start, with last year’s runner-up Nicolo Bulega dominating the early exchanges.

But BMW’s Blutsch knows exactly where his team have gone wrong, and how they can fix it.

He reflected in Australia: “Not an easy winter for us…

“It was definitely a tough day for us. [On Saturday] we showed potential but [Sunday] was not easy.

“We need to refocus for Portimao.

“When we arrived it was clear that it would not be an easy weekend because we missed testing time.

“With the obstacles in the winter, with Toprak’s finger problem, he missed testing time.

“We had rainy testing days. With the change of the concession topic, we were in a position where we arrived at Phillip Island without a lot of testing time.

“We are still investigating the best way for our setup, so it’s not easy for us.

“We had a good test in Portimao so we are confident that we can have a good weekend there.

“Testing time is the most important for us. We have a couple of weeks at home to go deep into the analysis, and I’m sure we’ll come back stronger.”

There is an opportunity to test at the Portimao circuit before the second race weekend.

Blutsch said: “I have just one wish: no rain!

“If we have dry days of testing, it will help us to find the right way.

“In general, we have to find our sweet spot for the bike. This weekend showed there is potential.

“Sometimes we found the right way, sometimes we struggled. It all goes back to the testing time which is why it’s the most important for us.”