A key piece of the 2024 WorldSBK puzzle has been put into place as it has been announced that the 2021 Champion will be riding for BMW next season.
The former World Superbike number one will jump ship from Yamaha to join the factory German outfit in what is a coup of a rider signing for the struggling team.
Having earlier announced that he would be leaving Yamaha come the end of the 2023 season, Razgatlioglu commented that he would be seeking a 'new challenge', with BMW emerging as the destination.
After his four years with Yamaha this will be the third manufacturer that Razgatlioglu has competed for in his WorldSBK career having made his debut with Kawasaki via the privateer Puccetti Racing team.
It has been a solid start to the season for Razgatlioglu and Yamaha, securing 11 podiums in the opening 12 races, among them a single win in Indonesia.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director, said: “Toprak is undoubtedly one of the best riders in the field at the moment, which he not only proved by winning the 2021 World Championship title. But he's not just a fast motorcycle racer, he's also a great personality off the track. We are convinced that Toprak will settle into the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family very quickly. We are looking forward to our collaboration and to our future together.”
Dr. Markus Schramm, Head of BMW Motorrad, added: “Welcome to the BMW Motorrad Motorsport family, Toprak Razgatlioglu. We are delighted to welcome him to our WorldSBK factory squad from next season on. I am very proud that Toprak has opted to join BMW Motorrad. This is a forward-looking step for our project and a strong commitment of BMW Motorrad Motorsport in World Superbike.”