Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu is one of the most successful World Superbike riders to date, yet the three-time WSBK champion will be a rookie in MotoGP at Pramac Yamaha in 2026.
Yamaha finally convinced Razgatlioglu to leave World Superbikes and move to MotoGP with their satellite team, Pramac, from the 2026 season in June. The 29-year-old agreed to sign a two-year factory Yamaha MotoGP contract before winning his third WSBK title later in 2025.
Only Jonathan Rea (6) and Carl Fogarty (4) have ever won more World Superbike titles than Razgatlioglu, who won the first of his three for Yamaha in 2021 before sealing the 2024 and 2025 titles with BMW. Only Rea (119) also has more WSBK race wins than Razgatlioglu (78).
Razgatlioglu even won 21 of the 36 WSBK races en route to sealing the 2025 title, including scoring 13 wins in a row in the middle of the season. Yet glory could be hard to find in 2026 for the Turkish rider, as moving to MotoGP will now present him with a huge learning curve.
Has Toprak moved to MotoGP too LATE?
Alberto Vergani backs Toprak Razgatlioglu to give the Yamaha riders a ‘big headache’ in 2026
Razgatlioglu’s “biggest target” is to fight Marc Marquez by 2027, as the Alanya native has no illusions about the challenge of having to adapt to a MotoGP bike after eight terms in WSBK. He must adapt his braking style and riding position, as well as learn a number of new tracks.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Toprak Razgatlioglu from net worth to nickname
Prominent MotoGP rider manager Alberto Vergani thinks Razgatlioglu can still give the other Yamaha pilots a “headache” in 2026, however, as it is “crazy” how aware he is about the size of his challenge. Razgatlioglu is also currently the only Yamaha star with a contract for 2027.
“For the others at Yamaha, he could be a big headache,” Vergani told GPOne. “Toprak is a champion, a crazy talent, and the results speak for him. He has won three World [Superbike] Championships with two different manufacturers.
“At Valencia, I had a chance to talk to him, and it was crazy. He is fully aware of what lies ahead of him, the difficulties he will encounter and how to handle them, considering his riding style.
“As Marco Melandri claimed, Toprak is endowed with a monstrous talent, which Mother Nature has given him.”
Alex Rins is at risk at Yamaha ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP debut
Can Toprak Razgatlioglu replicate his World Superbike success in MotoGP?
Razgatlioglu and Yamaha agreed that 2026 should be the year that he moves to MotoGP, as it offers him the chance to learn before the new regulations start in 2027. Yamaha must also study their line-ups with Fabio Quartararo, Alex Rins and Jack Miller out of contract in 2026.
Yamaha already see Razgatlioglu as a future factory rider, although his Red Bull sponsorship deal currently blocks a path to their Monster-backed works crew. A seat could open in 2027, too, as SPEEDWEEK notes Rins is at serious risk of being released at the end of next season.
Neither Rins nor Yamaha had a better option when they agreed on his current deal through 2026 in 2024. But the Iwata outfit do have alternatives now, so Rins must regularly contend with Quartararo during 2026 to stand a chance of securing another contract with the brand.
Yamaha’s priority in the rider market during 2026 will be to convince Quartararo to agree to a new contract ahead of the 2021 champion’s existing deal expiring. The Frenchman scored 201 points as the lead Yamaha rider in 2025, while Miller scored 79 and Rins only scored 68.
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