Danilo Petrucci is looking to adopt Razgatlioglu’s riding style to get the most out of BMW brakes

Danilo Petrucci is looking to adopt Toprak Razgatlioglu’s approach on the BMW in World Superbikes, hoping it’ll help him make the most of the bike’s braking strengths now that he’s taken over his seat.

Razgatlioglu, who left World Superbikes for a two-year factory Yamaha deal with Pramac starting in 2026, opened up a spot at BMW. The team chose Petrucci, who had spent the previous three years at Barni Spark Ducati before making the switch.

Only Razgatlioglu found consistent success with the BMW M1000RR last season, winning 21 out of 36 races and finishing 13 points ahead of Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega to clinch his second title. He also stood on all but five podiums, while teammate Michael van der Mark managed only one rostrum and finished 12th overall.

Petrucci hasn’t made quite as strong an impression so far. He sits outside the top 10 through four rounds with 46 points while his teammate Miguel Oliveira is fourth in the standings. Reflecting on his situation this week, Petrucci explained how he sees Toprak as a model for maximising what works best about BMWs.

Petrucci looks to Razgatlioglu’s braking style after seeing BMW data

Oliveira made the switch to BMW after Razgatlioglu took his seat at Pramac, and the Portuguese rider has already found some success, landing three World Superbike podiums since leaving MotoGP. All three came at Portimao, where he finished third each time. Petrucci’s best result so far is a sixth-place finish.

Looking for ways to get more out of the BMW M1000RR, Petrucci has gone back over Razgatlioglu’s data from 2025. The Turk’s braking skills are well known in the paddock, and Petrucci believes that was a big factor in his success – something he now hopes to mirror.

Petrucci explained: “He’s really, really good at bringing together all the bike’s best features. Sure, in 2024 they had the concessions which helped them a lot and allowed them to build the bike. And in 2025 he did I must say a tremendous job.

“Because it’s not just that he rides hard, he rides in a way where he brakes really hard. But above all, he manages to turn the bike in the final section so that he can get it back up as quickly as possible. So, he wasn’t just a braker. And it’s clear that he’s a brilliant rider.

“But let’s say you can get close to him, you can improve in certain areas. As I said at Assen, for example, I was consistently faster than him. And that pleased me a lot. I was faster than I was last year, so that means we’re on the right track.

Razgatlioglu, maintaining parts of his riding style that helped him win three World Superbike titles since moving to MotoGP has even seen him adapt fairly well through the early rounds of his new career. The Turkish ace has quickly shown he is a match for Jack Miller at Pramac.

Factory Yamaha MotoGP rider Fabio Quartararo praised Razgatlioglu in America for using the riding style that he honed in the World Superbike Championship to nurse his tyres too. But like Petrucci with BMW in World Superbikes, Razgatlioglu is still adapting to the Yamaha M1.

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