Alvaro Bautista tells Toprak Razgatlioglu ‘nobody cares’ if he starts complaining about MotoGP bike

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Alvaro Bautista made over 150 appearances in MotoGP before he moved to the World Superbikes championship in 2019.

Bautista, a former 125cc champion, raced for Suzuki, Gresini and Aspar in the premier class. While he never won a race, he did score three podiums.

When he moved to WSBK, he became one of Toprak Razgatlioglu’s primary rivals. Aboard the Ducati, he dethroned Razgatlioglu in 2022 and then retained his title in 2023.

Has Toprak moved to MotoGP too LATE?

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Razgatlioglu, who hit back in 2024 and ’25, has now left the series to race for Pramac Yamaha in MotoGP. In an interview with Motosan, Bautista was asked about the move.

Toprak Razgatlioglu warned ‘you just have to push harder’ in MotoGP

Bautista has warned Razgatlioglu that he faces a ‘very different’ challenge in Grand Prix racing. One of the biggest unknowns is the Michelin rubber, though he will race on more familiar Pirelli tyres from 2027.

Razgatlioglu also knows he has to learn new tracks, including multiple venues outside Europe. He himself has repeatedly played down expectations for his rookie season.

The 29-year-old will also encounter a different culture in MotoGP, Bautista says. If he complains about the bike, he will simply be told to ‘push harder’.

“He had the opportunity to go to MotoGP and he took it, so it’s understandable that he wanted to try it,” said Bautista. “But that championship is very different from SBK: bikes, tyres, circuits, riders.

“Besides, there, if you complain, nobody cares, you just have to push harder. I don’t know what to expect from him.

“Clearly, Toprak has a lot of talent and great bike control. The first year will be very difficult because he’ll have a lot to learn. We’ll see how he does.”

MotoGP is less ‘mentally stressful’ than World Superbikes, says Alvaro Bautista

Razgatlioglu will also have to adjust his training regime to suit MotoGP. The WSBK season ended on 19 October, giving him an extra month or so to prepare compared to his rivals.

The 12-round season featured 36 races, three per weekend. In MotoGP, there are only two – a Sprint and a Grand Prix – but there are 22 stops on the calendar.

Bautista, now 41, has found Superbike more ‘physically and mentally stressful’ than MotoGP, though it’s worth noting that his longest Grand Prix season lasted 18 races.

• READ MORE: Jack Miller issues clear verdict on being Toprak Razgatlioglu’s ‘mentor’ in his rookie MotoGP season

He explained: “In MotoGP there are more Grand Prix races, but in Superbike there are three races per weekend, and that’s physically and mentally stressful. I started changing my training in my last year in MotoGP, doing shorter, more intense aerobic sessions.

“I had already worked a lot on aerobic conditioning during my racing career, so I had a good foundation. I also started working intensively on the mental aspect.

“Doing three races per weekend is very demanding; you need to reset from one race to the next. The mental aspect is what I’ve worked on the most, and I think the results have been good.”