MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

The WorldSBK paddock decamped to the Iberian Peninsula for four days of winter testing. Unfortunately, rain and wind followed the paddock from Jerez to Portimão. Teams were severely hampered with running at both tests and the majority could only use two days of running to try and get ready for the start of the coming campaign.

While the tests wasn’t as efficient as manufacturers would have hoped it certainly wasn’t a waste of time. The majority of the field felt that enough was done to be ready for Phillip Island, because we’ll have two days testing at the thrilling Australian venue, and a mid-March test at Portimão will allow them to get fully ready for the start of the European season at the Portuguese venue.

BMW’s talisman is back on track

After missing the Jerez test a week previously Toprak Razgatlioglu was back on track at Portimao. The Turkish rider arrived mid-afternoon on Monday and was immediately the centre of attention. Speaking to him as he left the garage he was relaxed but obviously concerned about his finger injury.

In four weeks time the lights will go out at Phillip Island and the 2025 WorldSBK season will start. The campaign is already underway, as WorldSBK is in the middle of the Iberian Winter Test season. Two days at Jerez followed by two days at Portimao are ideal for getting ready for the new season. Four days of running will be complimented by two days of testing in Australia before the first race of the season.

It’s hard to find a better way to prepare for the year. The south of Spain offers the promise of good weather and the Algarve almost guarantees it. These winter sun destinations are popular tourist traps at the time of year. What could go wrong?

Quite a bit it seems. Two days of rain-interrupted testing saw the value of the Jerez days questioned by teams. WorldSBK regulations limit teams to just ten days of testing throughout the season for their race riders. Was it better to get track time now to be ready for Australia or to save the days for later in the year? The majority of teams opted to sit it out. The expense of travelling to Jerez was balanced by the value of running.

“Toprak tries things that seem to be impossible but he makes them possible,” said a smiling Michael van der Mark following the Catalunya Round of WorldSBK. It’s hard to argue with the BMW Motorrad rider because his teammate, Toprak Razgatlioglu, dominated the headlines at the second round of the 2024 WorldSBK season.

Smashing the lap record in Superpole was impressive. Taking two last lap victories was stunning and tallied into a weekend that BMW will never forget. Toprak was the top points scorer in Catalunya and has immediately proved himself as a title contender once again. Winning races on the Kawasaki in 2019 or the Yamaha for the last four years was meeting expectations, but to do so with BMW has left his rivals with furrowed brows.

Scott Redding, a title contender when he was racing with Ducati, has been left scratching his head. When Toprak was signed Redding commented that he didn’t think Toprak was a better rider. After Catalunya he had changed his view. Garrett Gerloff, a podium finished in Catalunya in the past, said that he was in awe of what Razgatlioglu has been able to do.

Rider and bike

It was only Van der Mark who had a strong weekend and it was his performance that really proved that BMW has made progress. Qualifying on the second row and coming away with fourth in Race 2 was a good showing from the Dutchman ahead of his home round.

It is fitting that the world championship motorcycle racing season should open at the greatest racetrack on the face of the earth. Phillip Island never disappoints, and it is a source of eternal envy in the MotoGP paddock that it is World Superbikes that get to visit Phillip Island at the end of summer, when the weather is at its best, while MotoGP is left with the dregs of winter.

As wonderful as it is to see bikes on track at the world's greatest racetrack, Phillip Island is such a unique place that it is unwise to read too much into the results of the opening weekend of the World Superbike championship. Phillip Island is a riders' track, where bravery and talent count for more than having a perfect setup or a superior motorcycle. The rider can make up for a lot.

Throw in a new surface, and you muddy the picture even further. The new track was so much faster than the old surface that Pirelli was forced to introduce compulsory pit stops to change front and rear tires. Both outright and race lap records were demolished, the Superpole record by 1.3 seconds, the race lap record by 1.5 seconds. That is a lot more speed, and a lot more speed means a lot more stress on the tires. Despite pit stops and shortened races, tires at the end were looking very chewed up and right at the edge of endurance.

Jumping to conclusions

Before I even start here, I have to say I struggle with top ten lists. As ever it’s a subjective view of the WorldSBK season. So here’s my top ten list for 2023 anyway. I think that it’s only the top three that I have an ironclad belief in my choices, because beyond that you could make a case for almost any rider on the grid. As I found as I made my list, as I changed people around time and again, putting riders further up or lower down the list.

Everyone in racing has a story to tell of their season and there’s so much that goes unnoticed but this is the list I settled on. Get involved in the comments with your lists and I’ll come back to see what everyone has to say, and by all means throw egg in my face for this list!

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (7 wins, 33 podiums, 34 Top 5, 2 DNF)

Is it possible to argue with Toprak as the leading man in WorldSBK? Over the last three years he has, for me at least, been the most impressive rider in the world. He might be racing a lesser level in WorldSBK but the Turkish rider isn’t a star; he’s a superstar. Other than Valentino Rossi or Marc Marquez I’ve never seen a more “box office” rider. When Toprak is on track you can’t take your eyes off him.

Nothing ever stays the same in racing. There are too many variables at play in a dynamic sport at the best of times. In a production based series this is even more the case. A new model of machinery from a rival manufacturer can suddenly be a game changer. Overnight the benchmark can be obsolete.

This is what happened with Kawasaki when Ducati unveiled the V4R ahead of the 2019 season. Kawasaki and Jonathan Rea went on to win another two titles, but the tide had clearly turned red. Over the last two years this has become even clearer. For Rea, a six times World Champion, this has become untenable.

The Northern Irishman is addicted to winning. And like any addict he’ll do whatever it takes to get what he needs. Switching from Kawasaki to Yamaha is a clear indication that the only thing that matters is winning. In Rea’s mind there is more chance to win on a blue machine, and he was willing to move heaven and earth to make it happen.

Management buy out

With one year left on his contract he has done what he had to do to extricate himself from his commitments in 2024. Paying out a reputed €800,000 is a perfect illustration of how strongly he believes that the ship has sailed from Kawasaki. After six titles, more than 100 victories and over 200 podiums it seems remarkable that it’s come to this.