Toprak Razgatlioglu needs Fabio Quartararo to leave if he ever wants to win a MotoGP title at Yamaha

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Yamaha will host a new rider in 2025 as they welcome Toprak Razgatlioglu, three-time World Superbike champion, to their ranks.

He’s currently settling in at Pramac alongside Jack Miller as he prepares to make his MotoGP debut at the astonishing age of 29.

Razgatlioglu has a multi-year deal, which means that he’s part of a long-term vision by Yamaha to reach the top of the podium again.

It means that he won’t be subject to the MotoGP rider market next year, as many of his rivals will be, whose contracts are about to expire.

Razgatlioglu disagrees with Fabio Quartararo about the V4 and doesn’t think the combination of the new engine and the Yamaha chassis is that bad.

Miller has helped Razgatlioglu settle in, and although the two are quite similar in age, they have been on very different career paths to this stage.

READ MORE: Toprak Razgatlioglu admits a ‘strange’ situation made him ‘nervous’ on first Pramac outing

Toprak Razgatlioglu needs Fabio Quartararo to leave Yamaha if he wants to win a MotoGP title

While Razgatlioglu is stressed about his MotoGP debut, he has greater things to be worrying about, such as getting a stranglehold of his new bike.

He’s had so much success elsewhere that there are no doubts about his talents. For 2027, the introduction of Pirelli tyres should also be a big advantage for him.

But, at the end of the day, he’s still riding for the same manufacturer as Quartararo – a seasoned veteran, who knows their operations inside out, as well as how to extract the maximum from their machines.

Yamaha are plotting a new line-up for 2027, which could see Razgatlioglu promoted and Quartararo gone. It’s more likely to fall that way if they have a bad 2026.

It’s hard to see Razgatlioglu beating someone of Quartararo’s calibre in the near future. A clear route to the top would make that process a lot easier.

READ MORE: Toprak Razgatlioglu’s manager explains why he will ‘surprise’ everyone in MotoGP in 2026

Neil Hodgson’s Pramac prediction turned sour during the 2025 MotoGP campaign

Neil Hodgson thinks Razgatlioglu signed for the ‘wrong manufacturer’, and that moving elsewhere would have been the better option for 2026.

Yamaha just finished bottom of the manufacturers’ standings, and haven’t won a race in three years. It feels like they’re a long way from their best.

2025 was their first season in partnership with Pramac – Razgatlioglu’s new team, who just finished bottom of the teams’ standings.

TNT Sports’ Neil Hodgson picked them to be a surprise this year, but that ended up being quite wrong. Their best result was fifth.

“So, surprise team, I’ve gone for Pramac Yamaha. It’s not quite worked out for them,” he said.