The 2026 WorldSBK season would be the first within the collection to be with out Toprak Razgatlioglu since 2013, however one rider particularly is hoping to note the three-time world champion’s absence.
Bahattin Sofoglu joined the World Superbike paddock in 2019, 5 years after becoming a member of Razgatlioglu within the WorldSSP300 class, the place he developed alongside his older compatriot and coaching associate, lastly making the step as much as the Superbike class in 2025.
Sofoglu could have supersport rider Can Onc remaining within the paddock as a fellow Turkish rider and with whom he trains recurrently as a part of Kenan Sofoglu’s coaching facility, however will miss Razgatrioglu.
MotoxRacing’s Sofoglu informed WorldSBK.com on the primary day of the Jerez take a look at after the race on October twenty first, when requested if he would miss Razgatlioglu in 2026: “There are numerous! The truth is, there are various.”
“Now I am right here alone and I need to do my greatest as the one Turkish rider on Superbike.
“I hope to be like him (Razgatlioglu) sooner or later and I’m actually wanting ahead to watching him race and take a look at in MotoGP as nicely.”
First take a look at in 1 yr
For lots of the riders who took half within the Jerez take a look at, it was a take a look at that got here after a season affected by the possibility to check out new set-ups, objects and, within the case of some Ducati riders, completely new bikes.
Nevertheless, it was Sofoglu’s first testing alternative since pre-season, and after his first yr in World Superbike racing there was naturally loads he wished to check out.
“It was truly higher than I anticipated,” Sofoglu mentioned of the Jerez take a look at after the race.
“We carried out very nicely on this take a look at.
“After we have been capable of begin the take a look at within the morning, it began raining and we needed to wait till lunchtime. After lunchtime, we needed to plan the take a look at and there have been a number of difficult elements.
“I attempted all the things step-by-step, for instance, I attempted 4 elements and three of them I favored.
“We examined it for the primary time a yr later and there have been so many issues to strive.
“I am additionally glad with the electronics.
“Ultimately I received an excellent lap time and after that lap I made one other discovery, however I used to be out of tires.
“We’re very pleased with this outcome and really motivated for the subsequent one.”
He added that now that the season is over, he has extra freedom to strive some issues, saying, “Even after the season is over, I can suppose extra freely.”
“Now I can take a look at something in my head, which is a big variety of issues. Then I came upon that this stuff even have advantages.
“After that, I used to be capable of set a greater lap time in comparison with (the Spanish spherical).”
