Van Der Mark: ‘Nice to have Toprak in the garage, atmosphere is really good’

Former teammates at Pata Yamaha, Razgatlioglu and Van Der Mark reunited at the Portimao test as they get set to attack the 2024 WorldSBK season together.

Razgatlioglu, along with Jonathan Rea, made blockbuster changes during the 2023 season as Razgatlioglu opted for a new challenge at BMW, while Rea switched from Kawasaki to Yamaha.

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The Turkish rider was in action on Sunday and Monday at Portimao, and despite conditions being less than ideal, Razgatlioglu was very pleased with his initial laps aboard the M 1000 RR.

Since returning to WorldSBK as a full factory team, Van Der Mark is the only BMW rider to have won a race which came in 2021 during the Superpole Race at Portimao. 

Speaking about Razgatlioglu joining the German manufacturer, Van Der Mark added: “Unfortunately, I did not do so many laps during the test. That has been bad luck. But it was nice to be with the team and to have Toprak in the garage. 

“There are some new mechanics and it was nice to spend a few days with the guys. Hopefully we have some better luck in Jerez. 

“There are so many things to test, so hopefully we can finally go out with the bike. 

“My first impression was that the whole atmosphere in the team is really good. I really enjoyed it even if I did not ride very much.”