Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu’s debut MotoGP campaign is just a few months away as he gets to work on a new chapter in his career.
The three-time World Superbike champion had been linked with a move to MotoGP for a few years, but his dream was finally realised by Yamaha in 2025.
As a result, Razgatlioglu will get to ride the new V4 engine for Pramac, where there won’t be too much expectation on him during the first 12 months.
It’s a significant move, and he will require some time to adjust. When he masters the front end of the bike once more, he will be a force to be reckoned with.
Should MotoGP riders be afraid of Toprak Razgatlioglu?
Toprak's record in WSBK
Razgatlioglu’s ‘biggest target’ is to fight Marc Marquez in 2027, which would be an excellent achievement for someone in the second year competing in the premier class. It’s a lofty goal.
His first few races shouldn’t be near that level, and Razgatlioglu will find it ‘difficult’ fighting for 15th place, but it might even do his motivation to get to the front even better.
READ MORE: Toprak Razgatlioglu needs Fabio Quartararo to leave if he ever wants to win a MotoGP title at Yamaha
Toprak Razgatlioglu says Ducati must sign ‘really good’ Nicolo Bulega for MotoGP
Razgatlioglu disagrees with Fabio Quartararo about Yamaha’s V4 after getting a solid day of running on it during the post-season test in Valencia.
While the factory Yamaha superstar has been critical of the project, the newcomer has been quite complimentary of it. To a degree, he is impressed.
He has also been impressed by main World Superbike rival and Ducati fill-in Nicolo Bulega in 2025, who deputised for Marquez during the final two rounds of the season.
He has gone as far as telling the Italian manufacturer that they ‘need’ to consider signing him to their MotoGP ranks in the future.
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“He’s a really good talent,” he said on The Race’s MotoGP Podcast. “He’s doing really good things in [World] Superbikes. Especially the second season, also the first year he did [a] very good job, but second year, he is getting more strong.
“I believe also, next year he is [will win] the championship. After, I think he’s coming to MotoGP. I believe this, because he’s [a] really good talent. They [Ducati], need to bring him to MotoGP, I think.”
READ MORE: Toprak Razgatlioglu says Jack Miller has already addressed one concern he had about MotoGP move
How close was the 2025 World Superbike Championship between Toprak Razgatlioglu and Nicolo Bulega?
At each World Superbike race weekend, there are three races. Race one is followed by a sprint, and then Race two.
In 2025, Bulega swept the opener, winning all three while Razgatlioglu struggled, finishing second, 13th, and retiring from the last race.
But the Turkish rider soon found his groove. Between Misano and Aragon, he won a whopping 13 races in a row, clean sweeping four consecutive weekends.
It proves that he has the sort of DNA within him that Marquez also has, but it’s about translating it to a new discipline.
Despite that run, Bulega managed to finish just 13 points behind him, which speaks volumes about his level of talent, too.
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