The long winter period may be in full swing but there is still time to look back at the 2023 WorldSBK Championship season as BSN brings you our rundown of the Top 10 WorldSBK Riders of the Year.
Toprak Razgatlioglu shakes his tail-feather into the runners-up spot...
| 2nd - TOPRAK RAZGATLIOGLU | |
| Team | PATA Yamaha Prometeon |
| Motorcycle | Yamaha R1 |
| Overall Classification | 2nd |
| Points | 552 points |
| Best Results | 1st [7x Rd.2 Mandalika, Rd.6 Donington Park, Rd.7 Imola, Rd.8 Most, Rd.9 Magny-Cours] |
It says a lot when you can’t decipher whether the outcome of ranking just two riders ends up being somehow both sensible and controversial at the same time.
But while there is the temptation to write two different endings to this countdown, you’ll understand why it is Toprak Razgatlioglu who lands runner-up spot here, though it’s a much closer run thing than should ever be expected between one rider with seven wins and another with 28…
However, what is a gulf on paper is not reflected in reality, Razgatlioglu’s sheer effort, determined attitude and progressive mentality bridging a significant portion of that statistical chasm.
In such a close series with venues that allow machines with superior performance and drive to establish a sizeable time margin, the combination of the Ducati Panigale V4 R and Alvaro Bautista’s talents made for a remarkably difficult chasm for any rider to bridge.
Nevertheless, Razgatlioglu’s affinity with the Yamaha R1 package shone through as he persistently wrung every ounce of performance to keep Bautista honest where possible.
Though left in the shadows as a consequence of Bautista’s dominant start to the year, a string of podiums kept Razgatlioglu in the game, which in turn ensured he was well placed to claw back time when Bautista’s defences showed signs of weakness.
Ultimately, the final tally of seven wins versus 28 are indicative of the end result, but Razgatlioglu’s mesmerising efforts in battle with Bautista in Portimao - capped off by a superb win on the road in Jerez during the season finale - were evidence of his fighting spirit.
He couldn’t pull off a miracle, but Razgatlioglu didn’t need to win to prove he is performing better than ever.
Raised eyebrows or not, there is arguably no better time for Razgatlioglu to begin his BMW era…
BSN’s Top 10 WorldSBK Riders of 2023
3 - Axel Bassani
4 - Jonathan Rea
5 - Danilo Petrucci
6 - Andrea Locatelli
8 - Garrett Gerloff
9 - Dominique Aegerter10 - Alex Lowes
