World Superbikes' surprisingly controversial title decider
Motorcycle racing

World Superbikes' surprisingly controversial title decider

by Valentin Khorounzhiy
3 min read

MotoGP-bound Toprak Razgatlioglu is leaving World Superbike as a three-time champion after a nervier-than-expected 2025 title decider at Jerez.

The 29-year-old Turk, who will ride for Pramac Yamaha on a factory Yamaha contract in MotoGP next year, signed with BMW in 2023 and gave it its first and second riders' title in the category during his two seasons on the bike.

His first season was utterly dominant, but the loss of BMW's 'superconcession' chassis and a stiffer challenge from Ducati's Nicolo Bulega made 2025 a closer affair - even though each of the campaigns featured a Superbike-record run of 13 wins in a row for Razgatlioglu, who had won his first WSBK title with Yamaha back in 2021.

He needed just three points across Sunday's two races - but champagne was kept on ice by major controversy in the day's first race, the shorter-distance Superpole race.

Bulega nudged Razgatlioglu off the bike going through the Sito Pons corner while in early battle for the lead, then was able to win comfortably despite the resulting late-race penalty. 

Booed very loudly in parc ferme, Bulega told TNT Sports he was "very disappointed" as he's "always clean".

"I always do these overtakes, also in Aragon, it's my strong point, making corner speed. I just wanted to overtake him. I'm really sorry. Really-really sorry. I didn't do this in all my career. I'm very sorry and I'm not happy to win."

In the end, despite that and despite the crash relegating Razgatlioglu to 10th on the grid for the final race, it all proved very straightforward for the BMW rider - who hadn't crashed out from a race once all season before the Bulega contact.

He methodically navigated his way up to third before staying there - for his first third-place finish of the season - to wrap things up, and receiving from Bulega what appeared to be a personal apology to go along with the congratulations on the cooldown lap.

What next for WSBK?

Razgatlioglu leaves behind a WSBK career of three titles, 78 wins (second all-time, behind Jonathan Rea) and 174 podiums (second all-time, also behind Rea).

The 38-year-old Rea has retired from World Superbike after two disappointing years at Yamaha, his glistening career ending with a final-race withdrawal - after suffering a knee sprain and contusion in a Superpole race crash with Remy Gardner.

The other rider in the pre-Bulega WSBK 'big three' is Alvaro Bautista - who will switch to Ducati satellite team next year after the works team didn't pick up the option on him, and turns 41 next month.

Bautista has felt targeted by WSBK's weight rules introduced in 2023. 

"I feel like my performance is to fight for the title, not to fight for third," a tearful Bautista told TNT. He was outscored 603 to 337 by Bulega in 2025. 

"For sure, I feel like I can win - and now it's a bit frustrating to not be able to win, because I feel like I'm doing my best, but I think you cannot see the real result of our performance."

The fact Bulega could win the shorter-distance race with ease despite his penalty is telling. It is difficult to convey just how outrageously dominant Razgatlioglu and Bulega were this year - though the simple statistic of laps led does a good job of summarising it.

Laps led in 2024

Razgatlioglu - 248
Bulega - 127
Everyone else combined - 218

Laps led in 2025

Razgatlioglu - 323
Bulega - 265
Everyone else combined - 23

Bulega and Razgatlioglu provided the vast majority of the high-stakes intrigue. If that performance picture carries into 2026, the title battle is so, so toast - and the season is in real trouble. 

The series' hopes have to rest on Bulega's new Ducati team-mate Iker Lecuona, a talented but inconsistent ex-MotoGP rider, making a huge step or BMW's bet on its line-up of MotoGP veterans paying off.

Danilo Petrucci has been credible as a satellite Ducati rider in World Superbike but will need to adjust to the BMW. Miguel Oliveira should still be pretty close to his peak - but faces an adaptation to Pirelli rubber from the MotoGP Michelins.

There's a decent chance none will have enough for Bulega right away. And WSBK's performance-balancing systems may have to work overtime.

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