Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP debut is upon him as the 2025 season came to an end at the Valencia Grand Prix.
The three-time World Superbike champion will move over to the premier class with Yamaha in 2026, signing with satellite team Pramac. His arrival in MotoGP has seen widespread excitement.
The Turkish rider is undoubtedly a brilliant talent and will be keen to make an impression on the main stage. However, Razgatlioglu won’t say whether he can beat Marc Marquez, as he is aware that his venture into MotoGP will be a challenge.
He needs to get accustomed to an entirely different bike and tyre, which Yamaha have already looked to address. Razgatlioglu was present at the Valencia Grand Prix ahead of pre-season testing on Tuesday, but he was kept apart from Pramac rider Miguel Oliveira, the rider he is replacing.
Yamaha kept Toprak Razgatlioglu away from Miguel Oliveira during his final MotoGP race at Valencia
In a report from Speedweek, Razgatlioglu ‘spent a lot of time in the garage’ with test rider Augusto Fernandez. The Yamaha test rider has been making several wildcard appearances in the second half of 2025 on the team’s new V4 bike.
Yamaha will introduce the machine in 2026, with the Turkish rider already testing it ahead of the Valencia test. But he is keen to learn more about the bike and integrate himself into the team, with him meeting with Andrea Dovizioso inside the Pramac garage.
However, Razgatlioglu ‘only briefly said hello’, as Yamaha intended to keep him apart from Oliveira. The Portuguese rider ‘wasn’t supposed to have his successor in sight all weekend’ at Valencia.
It can only be assumed that Yamaha did not want the 30-year-old distracted by Razgatlioglu during what was his last race in MotoGP. Yamaha activated Oliveira’s exit clause in his contract, paving the way for the WSBK champion to partner with Jack Miller in 2026.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Toprak Razgatlioglu from net worth to nickname
What Toprak Razgatlioglu has made of Yamaha’s V4 bike ahead of Valencia test
The 29-year-old is certainly in for a difficult debut season in MotoGP, with the Iwata outfit finishing last in 2025. But Razgatlioglu is not worried about Yamaha’s form, as he believes that they will come back ‘even stronger’.
However, that will take a lot of work with the V4 bike, which is still in need of major development before he or his fellow riders can win with it.
Razgatlioglu told Yamaha to improve the front end of the V4 after he tested it at Aragon. The power behind the bike is also an issue, with Miller calling for more horsepower after the Valencia GP.
It will be difficult for the Turkish rider at first as he needs to get up to speed with the new machine. However, Fernandez thinks Razgatlioglu can overcome concerns about his braking style after seeing his data from his test at Aragon.
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