Razgatlıoğlu excels in wet Assen race, while BMW faces mixed results

Razgatlıoğlu makes history with a rain masterclass while van der Mark stuns the home crowd, but BMW’s dry struggles reveal the work needed.

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The 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s Dutch Round at Assen delivered a weekend of contrasting emotions for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu claimed a spectacular victory in Sunday’s rain-affected Superpole Race, while teammate Michael van der Mark thrilled home fans with a charging ride to fifth. However, both riders faced challenges in the dry main races, leaving BMW with work to do ahead of the Cremona round.

Historic Wet Weather Triumph

Razgatlıoğlu dominated the 10-lap Superpole Race, securing his first-ever wet-weather victory in WorldSBK. The Turkish star controlled the race from the front, demonstrating the BMW M 1000 RR’s potential in mixed conditions. “In the Superpole Race in wet conditions, I felt very good on the bike and the grip also seemed to be not bad. It was special because it was also my first win in my WorldSBK career in wet conditions. That makes me very happy,” he said.

Van der Mark, starting 13th, delivered one of the rides of the day, slicing through the field to finish fifth. “The weekend started off alright on Friday. I was able to improve here and there and was quite happy with the bike.”

Dry Race Struggles Highlight Work Ahead

The main races proved more difficult. Razgatlıoğlu, struggling with rear tyre wear, finished fourth in Race 1 and eighth in Race 2. “For race two in dry conditions, we tried a different setup but it was still not working. Yesterday, we had a very big drop on the rear tyre, so this time we used the standard SC0 tyre but it started to get blisters on the right side. It was not easy to ride the bike.” 

Despite the setbacks, Razgatlıoğlu gained ground in the championship after title rival Nicolò Bulega (Ducati) suffered two retirements. The BMW rider now sits 21 points behind the Italian. “The season is long,” Razgatlıoğlu noted. “We must improve to fight for wins consistently.”

Looking Ahead to Cremona

BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Sven Blusch acknowledged the team’s fluctuating performance: “The Superpole win proves our potential, but we lack consistency. We’ll use the break to prepare for Cremona.”

With the championship moving to Italy in three weeks, BMW aims to build on its wet-weather promise while solving its dry-race struggles. For Razgatlıoğlu, the target remains clear: “We must find a better setup quickly, the title fight is still wide open.”