The World Superbike Championship season is only heading into the third round, but speculation about the rider market for 2024 is already underway. Michael van der Mark’s contract with ROKiT BMW is coming to an end, and Andrea Iannone is being touted as a candidate for the seat.
The other rider for the manufacturer, Toprak Razgatlioglu, is under contract until the end of 2025. When asked by the championship’s official website about who his teammate might be next year, the 2021 champion made his preference clear:
– I don’t know, but I’m very happy with Mickey. And also the atmosphere inside the team is very good. And we are working very well ith Mickey. I’m very happy with him, but we will see. If BMW asks me this question, I think it’s easy to say Mickey, because I’m very happy with him, he is a very good teammate.
Razgatlioglu added: ‘I worked with him before, he is a very good guy, he is respectful, and also we are improving the bike together, and we are working together’.
It’s worth noting that van der Mark and Razgatlioglu had been teammates at Yamaha in 2020, an unusual year due to the pandemic. At the time, the Dutchman finished the championship in fifth place, just five points behind the Turk, who finished fourth.