Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu will be making the switch to MotoGP in the upcoming term, and it has been revealed that one Yamaha chief wasn’t too bothered about his talents until Paolo Pavesio stepped in.
The MotoGP world championship will feature its first Turkish rider ever upon Razgatlioglu’s entry into the category next season. The 29-year-old will be riding for Yamaha’s satellite team, Pramac Racing.
He will pair up with fan-favourite Jack Miller, who was retained by the Italian team after they were left with deciding on getting rid of either him or Miguel Oliveira to make room for the incoming WSBK champion.
Razgatlioglu knows how important Miller is to Yamaha’s setup and is looking forward to racing alongside the Australian in MotoGP next season.
Paolo Pavesio was adamant about signing Toprak Razgatlioglu after winning the WSBK title with him in 2021
Speaking as a guest on Nick Harris and Julian Ryder’s Racing Back podcast, WSBK commentator Gregory Haines revealed the internal discussions within Yamaha that led to them bringing Razgatlioglu over to the premier class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
He said, “I got the impression, from talking to some people at Yamaha, that when he did the original test at Jerez a year or so ago… Do you remember he said he wanted a lower seat positioning and wanted a few things changed, which they apparently didn’t give him?
“Lin Jarvis, at the time, I’m not sure he was that bothered about running Toprak, but I know Paolo Pavesio is.
“The man who’s obviously taken over, and he still considers his best career highlight as a boss or a manager as Toprak’s title win in Indonesia with Yamaha in ’21.”
Razgatlioglu’s first taste of success on the world stage came during the year that Haines mentioned. The Turkish rider triumphed over Jonathan Rea to take the first title of his career, and would go on to win two more before his proposed move next season.
READ MORE: Toprak Razgatlioglu says Marc Marquez has highlighted something ‘very strange’ about MotoGP in 2025
MotoGP fans don’t think Toprak Razgatlioglu will be able to challenge Marc Marquez for the title next year
According to a story run by MotoGP News, nearly two-thirds of fans do not believe that Razgatlioglu has what it takes to challenge Marc Marquez for the 2026 premier class crown.
Yamaha will be delivering the final form of their V4-powered prototype to the full-time riders within their stable for the upcoming year, so there is a lot of uncertainty regarding how competitive the new bit of kit will be.
However, Razgatlioglu has his sights firmly set on 2027. New MotoGP regulations will take effect, and the biggest change in favour of the Turkish rider will see Michelin rubber being swapped out for Pirelli.
The Italian tyre supplier currently supplies the World Superbikes category, and Razgatlioglu has raced atop them for the entirety of his stint in the sport.
It will be fascinating to see what he can achieve during his maiden season in the sport next year.
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