Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) returned to his team’s box on Saturday after being ruled out of the Motul French Round following his Free Practice 2 crash on Friday. The #54 was ruled out with mild traumatic pneumothorax but he was at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours on Saturday to watch teammate Michael van der Mark claim victory in a thrilling MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race on Saturday.
Razgatlioglu had topped the Free Practice 1 times as he looked to extend his winning streak at a circuit he considers one of his favourites, and on his first flying lap in FP2, he had posted three red sectors as he went faster than anyone else. However, through Turn 14, the Turkish superstar came off his M 1000 RR and went through the gravel. He walked away from the scene before being taken to hospital where he was diagnosed with mild traumatic pneumothorax.
See you in two weeks?
After Race 1, @toprak_tr54 gave us an update on his conditions and said he’s aiming for a comeback at the #ItalianWorldSBK Round #FrenchWorldSBK pic.twitter.com/aVX8n2NPvH
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) September 7, 2024
Discussing his recovery and when he plans to compete again, Razgatlioglu said: “I hope to be back in two weeks’ time in Cremona. We’ll have checks again, but I think it should be okay. We will see. I want to thank all the medical stuff at the track and in Moulins hospital. And I want to thank everybody for the many messages and best wishes. See you soon on track again!”
Razgatlioglu returning to the track meant he was on site to see teammate van der Mark end his win drought in an incredible flag-to-flag battle. The Dutchman won by more than eight seconds after switching from slicks to wets on Lap 4 and battled with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) until the #22 crashed from P1 at Turn 13. Razgatlioglu was on hand to see his teammate claim a long-awaited victory, 100 races on from his last.
“Michael did an incredible job today,” began Razgatlioglu when speaking about his teammate’s win. “He is always strong in wet conditions, and he showed that again. It was a fantastic ride. He did not take a risk; he was just riding smoothly and finally he got the deserved win. It’s a pity that I can’t take part in the races after my crash yesterday, but my recovery is the most important thing. This is what I focus on now.”
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Source: WorldSBK.com