Toprak Razgatlioglu told there’s ‘no chance’ he could be worse than one current MotoGP rider if he makes 2026 Superbike switch

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Toprak Razgatlioglu has been heavily linked with a MotoGP seat for 2026 and there are a few openings which could be tempting for him.

While he’s winning races in the World Superbike Championship, it’s always going to be tough to bank on a move to MotoGP paying off.

Razgatlioglu currently rides for BMW and has been a regular title contender for the last four seasons. He has experience of winning.

After flirting with a move for years, there’s a good chance that 2026 could finally be the year that the Turkish rider arrives on a new grid.

Honda have prepared an astronomical offer for Razgatlioglu, which could see them offer him a place on an ascending factory machine.

However, Razgatlioglu has also been linked with Yamaha and a potential berth at Pramac, if Jack Miller’s contract is not renewed.

READ MORE: What Toprak Razgatlioglu is ‘telling people’ about MotoGP plans amid fresh links to Pramac Yamaha

Toprak Razgatlioglu told there is ‘no chance’ he is worse than Somkiat Chantra in MotoGP

Every now and then, certain riders struggle to adjust to certain bikes in MotoGP. Francesco Bagnaia is a good example of it at Ducati currently.

There is no guarantee that Razgatlioglu would be able to hop onto a bike and be rapid from day one, but his talent should give him a good foundation for speed.

One rookie rider who has struggled in 2025 is LCR’s Somkiat Chantra. His teammate Johann Zarco has been in inspired form, while he has struggled to pick up a point.

Steve English believes that there is no chance of Razgatlioglu doing worse than Chantra if he were to make a switch for 2026.

“If he does to MotoGP, I just don’t see how he does a worse job than people like Marini have done on the Honda, or there’s Chantra on the bike right now,” he said. “You know, is he going to go and be worse than Chantra?

“No chance. And I think that’s one of the things where for Toprak, you look at what could happen for him if he goes to MotoGP. It might not work, and Toprak said this at the weekend.”

READ MORE: Neil Hodgson sees a ‘unique’ opportunity for Toprak Razgatlioglu to move to MotoGP, ‘the dream ticket’

Why Toprak Razgatlioglu should sign with Honda for the 2026 MotoGP season

If Razgatlioglu ever wants to ride in MotoGP, the time to bite the bullet is now. He’s going to be 29 years old at the start of the 2026 campaign.

Whether or not Honda will have a factory seat available in the future (which should pay good money) is in the air. They might keep Joan Mir if he can limit mistakes.

It means that waiting until 2027 with the new regulations, he would be a 30-year-old debutant, with no prior experience.

All of his rivals will have plenty of laps under their belts with a 1000cc machine, so moving down to 850cc won’t be an issue.

For Toprak, he has little idea what to expect. At least if he rides in 2026, he enters 2027 in a familiar environment and with some experience.