The race against time for Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) is one where we won’t find the answer until closer to the start of this weekend at MotorLand Aragon. The #54 was assessed on Thursday and cleared to ride on Friday in Free Practice 1, after which he will be reviewed again. The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship leader has spent the majority of his time since his Magny-Cours crash based at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center trying to regain his fitness.
RAZGATLIOGLU’S COMEBACK PLAN: lots of time in Austria
His trip to Salzburg will be more intense than almost anything Toprak has faced on track. The goal will have been to assess his condition and then determine the best course of action to get him back on track as soon as possible. For most patients with a pneumothorax injury, rest is the typical course of action and the injury heals itself, but this won’t be an option for Razgatlioglu and he’ll be doing everything he can to find an edge to return.
THE CHALLENGE FOR TOPRAK: sustained riding over a long distance
Having suffered from the injury, which is a partial collapse of the lung, the biggest question isn’t Toprak’s ability on the bike. It’s his ability to sustain his performance for 35 minutes on the bike and to deal with the stress of three days of riding. On the bike, Razgatlioglu will be fast and able to ride but to maintain that performance for three races will be an exceptional challenge.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP SITUATION: the lead could change hands at Aragon…
For the Italian Round at Cremona, it was decided that the best course of action was to sit out the weekend. Toprak risked losing the Championship lead by doing so. However, with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) unable to win at the Italian venue, it has allowed Razgatlioglu to maintain a 13-point advantage. With only three rounds remaining – Aragon, Estoril and Jerez – there is now less margin for BMW to play with. A 13-point advantage could easily be at least a 25-point deficit if Toprak misses another round. Suddenly, if that was the case, he’s the underdog rather than the title favourite.
AVAILABILITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ABILITY: how crucial will Aragon be?
Razgatlioglu is the fastest rider in WorldSBK at the moment. He has shown on Kawasaki, Yamaha, and BMW machinery that he can win on any bike and in any condition. The only question mark over his Championship is his physical condition. Bulega has been impressively consistent this year but he’s now proving one of the oldest sporting adages; sometimes availability is the most important ability. A fully fit Bulega versus a fully fit Razgatlioglu has been one way traffic this season. When Toprak comes back, his fitness will be the determining factor in who wins the 2024 WorldSBK title.
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Source: WorldSBK.com