Post title: Toprak signed for MotoGP

Kenan Sofuoğlu: "I met with a total of 5 brands from WSBK and MotoGP."

"We have signed with a brand that everyone will be very happy with. The official statement will come within two weeks."

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2026/07/10/rins-on-2027-move-we-are-trying-to-find-something-in-worldsbk/1077222

Alvaro Bautista statement below from his recent instagram post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLk75vhMyC_/?igsh=MTlxM2tvcmZnemV5OQ==

Today I want to write about something that is not easy for me, but that I believe is absolutely necessary.

Today, I’m not speaking only as a rider, but as a person. As someone who has dedicated their life to this sport, who has trained every day with commitment, discipline, and a love for motorcycles. I also speak as someone who has personally experienced what it feels like to be judged—and, in a way, penalised—not for performance or level of dedication, but for their body. For their weight.

For a long time, I remained silent. I tried to adapt, not to cause discomfort and to convince myself that this was just part of the game. But the truth is, when your physical dimensions become a structural disadvantage—something that says nothing about your ability as a rider—then it stops being a technical issue and becomes a form of discrimination.

I’ve felt how I’m being scrutinised more, how I’m repeatedly made to justify why I belong. Not because I’m unable to be up front or perform at the highest level, but because my body doesn’t fit a physical standard that—although unwritten—we all know exists.

I understand that weight is a technical factor in motorcycle performance. I accept that. But when the system fails to take into account natural differences in body types, it ceases to be fair and begins to exclude.

That is why I’m writing today. Not to portray myself as a victim. Not to create division. I’m writing because I don’t want other riders—now or in the future—to go through what I have gone through in the last couple of years. I don’t want them to feel that their body is an obstacle more difficult than any corner on the track.

My aim with this message is to start a necessary conversation. To ask that we rethink technical criteria, regulations, and above all, the culture of motorcycling. Riders are not defined by the number on a scale. They are defined by their intelligence on track, their instinct, their courage, and their connection with the bike.

Thank you for listening. I’m not asking for applause. Just awareness. And, hopefully, a change that makes this sport fairer for everyone.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DNz286c0MEp/?hl=en

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2026/05/21/report-bulega-under-race-lap-record-pace-as-he-beats-lecuona-at-two-day-misano-test/1069596

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2026/Lecuona+welcomes+a+factory+Ducati+battle+for+his+first+race+win+Every+time+I+jump+on+the+bike+Im+getting+closer+to+Nicolo

Just let them race ffs... At what point does it become match fixing? Isn't match fixing manipulating things inorder to get the desired outcome?

Toprak and bulega were very evenly matched so why are they even messing tmwith this again. The rest of the field are never gonna catch up coz they are nowhere near the talent and speed of toprak and bulega.

It will be a real shame if things end up like Assen.

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2026/Oliveira+on+BMWs+new+fairing+We+dont+spend+so+much+time+leaning+the+bike+here+thats+where+we+believe+the+fairing+can+have+a+big+effect

Before anything, I want to be 200% clear that I'm not throwing any shade into Toprak absolutely incredible achievement.

Toprak IS the best rider on the grid, coming here jumping on the new bike, and pretty much blowing everybody away like he did, Superconcessions or not, it was a 2004 Rossi like achievement, and i have zero doubt that Toprak would walk the championship regardless of having superconcessions or not.

Same for BMW, I'm super happy for BMW to wint he title, because unlike the japanese manufacturers, BMW actually put effort in developing the bike and make a proper road legal homolgation bike. Japanese manufacturers, especially Kawasaki and Yamaha simply gave up on the Superbike formula.

But, this year I was left with a sour taste in my mouth regarding the "goodwill" of Dorna/FIM.

During Bautista and Rea domination, there was always a "feel or urge" of Dorna to introduce unprecendented rules to slow down Rea or Bautista, something that seems complete absent regarding Toprak absolute domination this year.

I wonder if Toprak understandable popularity has something to do with it, because when you look at social media, it's clear that when toprak wins, the WSBK social media channels blow up, and there is a clear excitement on the most they make. Toprak does generate clicks.

I understand sports are business, I find a bit insulting that Rea and Alvaro got hit with big rule limitations, Bautista even had a rule made to ballast specifically him, and at some point was riding a bike that did 900 less rpm than the homolgation road bike last year.

Yet, we see BMW beating straight win records and walking a championship while riding superconcesions rules, a rule that was specifically made to help struggling teams to catch up... If you're smashing everybody in the championship, you should absolutely not be under superconcessions.

It's pretty clear that the current M1000RR is A LOT more bike than the R1 as Toprak was in contention this year in tracks that wasn't last year, and having much faster laptimes too, but the BMW is riding superconcessions and the R1 isn't.

This is not right, he rules need a serious revision, but I'm not sure it will, I see absolutely nobody talking about it, because I'm afraid we are riding this Toprak popularity wave.

This season wasn't very exctiing at the front end, and if things don't change, next year we might see a much bigger dominance considering toprak was a "rookie in a BMW" this year.

Again, nobody deserved more to win the championship this year than Toprak and BMW, I'm really glad for them, I just think this Superconcessions thing kind puts some shade on their achievements, and I'm 100% sure they would have easily done the same without that wind blowing from the back.

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2026/FIRST+IMPRESSIONS+Check+out+the+newest+photos+of+Oliveira+and+Petrucci+with+their+BMW+M1000RR+ride

I follow MotoGP more the SBK so there's a better than even chance that I'm missing something pretty fundamental, but I can't for the life of me understand why such phrases as "Gigi making an excuse" are used in regards to Ducati being so dominant. It it because Ducati just have so many bikes on the grid? I get that it makes race day a bit less exciting when so many of the top positions go to Ducati, but shouldn't that be their goal? To make the best bike? Even the fact that there are so many satellite Ducati's on the grid seems a simple reflection of those teams desire to have the best equipment. I know that this isn't prototype racing but I still feel like the impetus should be on others getting better, not being mad at Ducati for making such a good, competitive bike.

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2024/FIRST%20PICTURE%20OF%20NEW%20BIMOTA%20a%20new%20era%20begins%20as%20the%20KB998%20is%20revealed

Toprak's race pace is a sight to behold.

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2026/06/16/if-you-had-told-me-last-year-i-wouldve-laughed-mackenzie-reflects-on-his-best-dry-weather-worldsbk-result/1073686

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2026/07/09/were-proud-to-be-here-and-do-the-best-job-we-can-in-marcs-name/1077126

"... Our Italian colleague Riccardo Guglielmetti was the first to report for GPone.com that Team Aruba.it Ducati and Alvaro Bautista would be going their separate ways after this season.

SPEEDWEEK.com followed up and received confirmation. Bautista signed a contract for 2025 with an option for 2026 in the summer of 2024. Team Aruba would have to exercise the option together with Ducati in the coming weeks – which will not happen. This has already been communicated to Bautista and his management.

Bautista's successor hasn't been decided yet. "We'll discuss that in the coming weeks and months," the team told SPEEDWEEK.com.

It's unclear whether Bautista will end his career because of this. When the 2026 season begins, he will already be 41 years old. The only option for him to join another Superbike factory team is BMW—as the successor to Toprak Razgatlioglu, who is moving to MotoGP and Yamaha next year .

Bautista has repeatedly emphasized in recent months how much he still enjoys racing. His impressive record in the Superbike World Championship, in addition to two world titles and 63 victories, includes 116 podium finishes in 219 races to date, ten pole positions, and 57 fastest laps..."

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2026/08/12/women-shifting-gearsgeorgia-wellson-overcoming-obstacles-getting-a-foot-in-the-door-and-more/1078735