Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu completed his first official MotoGP test at Valencia on Tuesday, getting his chance to integrate with his new team Pramac.
The Turkish rider tested the Yamaha V4 bike at Aragon after he secured the 2025 World Superbike title. Now, he has made his first public outing on the machine as the Iwata outfit roll out the project for 2026.
Razgatlioglu was P18 in the test and the second-fastest Yamaha rider behind Fabio Quartararo, who was almost a second clear in 14th. The 29-year-old was two tenths quicker than Pramac teammate Jack Miller.
Timings must be taken with a pinch of salt due to track conditions and the fact that the 2026 prototypes are far from the finished product. But Razgatlioglu has already caught the attention of MotoGP stars and fans with his first test.
Gino Borsoi reveals Toprak Razgatlioglu ‘slowly realised’ his WSBK braking style would not work in MotoGP
Dani Pedrosa has compared Razgatlioglu to Kevin Schwantz and is excited to see his riding style in MotoGP. Fans caught a glimpse of that during the Valencia test as he was seen trying several stoppies throughout the day.
As impressive as they looked, Pramac boss Gino Borsoi says the Turkish rider ‘slowly realised’ that his ‘incredible’ trait would not be as effective in MotoGP. But he is confident that Razgatlioglu can adapt quickly.
Borsoi told GPOne: “As you saw, his braking is incredible, which is something that with these brakes and this front tyre he still has to adapt to.
“At the beginning he was braking really hard, but then he slowly realised that the great braking he had in Superbikke isn’t as efficient here.
“So he has to try to adapt and improve, and I’d say he did it quite quickly, even though he still has a lot to learn. He’s a chameleon-like rider who adapts quickly to what he has to do.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Toprak Razgatlioglu from net worth to nickname
Gino Borsoi admits Toprak Razgatlioglu exceeded Pramac’s expectations in Valencia
Teammate Miller felt ‘sorry’ for Razgatlioglu in Valencia as he could not get out on track over the weekend of the 2025 season finale. He was ‘itching’ to get out on the circuit after spending the weekend with Pramac, and he made an impression when he finally stepped onto the V4.
Asked if the Turkish rider had exceeded Borsoi’s expectations, he replied: “In my opinion, yes. Looking at the different sections of the track, he wasn’t able to put together the perfect lap, knowing the bike less and having ridden less.
Where will Toprak Razgatlioglu finish in his first MotoGP season?
“Bulega also comes from Superbike, but he had the whole weekend to work on in addition to the test. We also started this new project that still has a lot to give and there’s still a lot to do.
“All in all, Toprak’s test was very positive and I’m very happy. He gave good feedback and as a person, he’s easy to work with.”
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