Is there a manufacturer in WorldSBK facing bigger question marks heading into the season than BMW? The German marque has dominated the championship for the past two years in the hands of Toprak Razgatlioglu. With the Turkish superstar gone one question remains: can BMW find a way to be successful?
Razgatlioglu’s departure leaves a huge void to be filled. While the M1000RR has proven itself to be a title-winning machine, BMW’s recent success was always seen as being about the rider rather than the bike. For decades BMW Motorrad chased a World Championship, and when it was delivered it wasn’t the result of vast development budgets. It was, rather, the investment made in Razgatlioglu that delivered success. His sheer talent defined the project and delivered the title.
Now BMW has to move forward without its talisman.
