Rea: Razgatlioglu 'the guy to beat', but 'hype surrounding his future' helps us

Six-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea feels Toprak Razgatlioglu is the early season favourite, although hype surrounding the Yamaha rider’s future could play into his hands. 

Even before winning the 2021 title, rumours about Razgatlioglu’s future in WorldSBK were a hot topic of discussion. The 25 year-old has and continues to be heavily linked with a switch to MotoGP for 2023. 

Whether a move to MotoGP comes to fruition or not, Razgatlioglu will first look to defend his WorldSBK title against Rea who believes that the Turkish rider is the favourite as it stands. 

But with that said, Rea himself has spoken about the rumours linking Razgatlioglu with a move away from Superbike racing and that the hype surrounding his future could have a positive effect on his 2022 campaign.

"Is Toprak the guy to beat? Well, let’s see! You’d be silly to bet against him and I really feel that he starts as favourite," Rea told WorldSBK.com. "I think that it really helps our preparations with the hype surrounding him and his future. 

"I’m curious to see how he is going to perform in 2022. In WorldSBK, you never know. After Toprak, so many guys filled the podium in 2021, a lot of unexpected guys and a lot of race winners, it was incredible!

"I expect the same kind of season (as 2021); rookies with more experience, factories learning more, rider changes such as Bautista to Ducati, Redding to BMW and also MotoGP riders coming into Honda! It’s all change! 

"With that, you need to understand everyone’s place and I’m sure that after three or four rounds, we’ll understand the evolution of the championship but for me, I’m just focussed on myself. 

"If I can do that, then I’ll be fighting for podiums and hopefully a little bit more."

The first pre-season test in which Razgatlioglu and Rea will both be on track together takes place in four days time at Portimao.