Neil Hodgson tells Toprak Razgatlioglu he’s signed for the ‘wrong manufacturer’ after joining Yamaha

Add as preferred source on Google

Toprak Razgatlioglu has just over two months before he can get to work on his debut MotoGP season with Pramac.

Not only does he have a lot to do to get up to speed with the demands of the premier class, but so do Yamaha, who will be providing the bike he is riding.

The Japanese manufacturer have been poor at developing their bike over the last few seasons, but new MotoGP regulations for 2027 could be their saviour.

It could be a welcome change for Razgatlioglu, too, with Pirelli tyres that he is familiar with from World Superbikes set to replace the Michelin rubber.

Razgatlioglu has a ‘major’ advantage in 2027, and it could turn him into a title contender if he has the right engine to go with it.

Despite being quite old for a rookie, Razgatlioglu has been tipped to ‘surprise’. He’s a multiple champion who knows what it takes to win, at the end of the day.

READ MORE: Miguel Oliveira shares why he’s ‘at ease’ with Toprak Razgatlioglu taking his MotoGP ride at Pramac

Neil Hodgson tells Toprak Razgatlioglu that Yamaha is the ‘wrong manufacturer’ for 2026

Carlo Pernat can’t understand Yamaha’s risk to debut the Turkish rider in the final year of a set of technical regulations.

It’s going to require a lot of adjustment, and then even more in 2027. A lot of information to take in, and a lot of pressure on his shoulders.

Yamaha struggled in 2025, and have done for some time now. They have the slowest bike and hope that the V4 engine is the answer, but Neil Hodgson thinks that Pramac is the wrong destination for Razgatlioglu.

“Sitting here now, looking into the future, 2026, he signed for the wrong manufacturer,” he said in TNT Sport’s MotoGP season review. “Because, obviously, as 2025 has ended, the Yamaha they’re a little bit in turmoil.

“Obviously, they’re developing the new V4, but it’s not where it needs to be. It’s not as good as we hoped it would be, or let’s say the Yamaha riders had hoped. So, Toprak has got that to deal with, and Sylvain is so right. Toprak’s key strength, his superpower, is the braking zone.

“It’s the first part of it, where he has got this incredible talent to be really aggressive on the brake. Almost going from flat out and having no brake to having full brake. He can control that first period.

“If you do that with a Michelin front slick, on a MotoGP bike with a lowering device, it will lock, and you’ll faceplant. He needs to learn that.”

READ MORE: Fabio Quartararo has changed his Toprak Razgatlioglu expectations after what he saw in Valencia test

Why Toprak Razgatlioglu is in the right environment for 2026

Razgatlioglu ‘slowly realised’ his braking style won’t work during his first official outing for Pramac at the post-season test in Valencia.

Once he gets the hang of things, he should slowly be able to modify his approach without losing much overall speed.

Yamaha need to ‘help’ Razgatlioglu with tyres, but it feels like a bit of a pointless assignment for him. In less than 12 months, they will have been abandoned.

But Yamaha have nothing to lose. They’re already at the bottom and can afford to take risks. Having Jack Miller as a teammate will help, and at the end of 2026, they should be in a stronger position than where they will start it.