Marco Bezzecchi
Gino Borsoi has worked with some of the best riders on the MotoGP grid, and he can already see shades of Francesco Bagnaia in Pramac’s latest star Toprak Razgatlioglu.
Razgatlioglu will make his MotoGP debut with Pramac in 2026 after he agreed to a two-year factory contract with Yamaha to move across from the World Superbike Championship. The 29-year-old will partner Jack Miller in the new season, which begins in Thailand on March 1.
Turkish superstar Razgatlioglu has replaced Portuguese pilot Miguel Oliveira at Pramac after winning three WSBK titles. His final act in the WSBK paddock was winning the 2025 title for BMW, adding to his 2024 championship with the German outfit and 2021 title with Yamaha.
Razgatlioglu knows his riding style will not suit Yamaha’s MotoGP bike, but he agreed to join Pramac in 2026 to start preparing for the 2027 regulations. The 2027 rules could be a better fit for the Alanya native, as MotoGP will outlaw ride height devices and swap to Pirelli tyres.
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Gino Borsoi thinks Toprak Razgatlioglu shares Francesco Bagnaia’s braking ability
Pramac team manager Borsoi expects Razgatlioglu will change from test to test as he gets ready to debut in MotoGP. But what Borsoi saw from Razgatlioglu during the 2025 Valencia test has already reminded him of the braking strength that Ducati rider Bagnaia possesses.
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Borsoi considers Bagnaia to be “one of the best” brakers that he has to date worked with in his career, whereas Aprilia rider Jorge Martin excels under acceleration. Borsoi worked with Bagnaia during the 2016 Moto3 season, and later helped Martin win the 2024 MotoGP title.
“He has to be chameleon-like, and I expect him to be different from test to test,” Borsoi told GPOne about Razgatlioglu. “He was certainly the best braker in the SBK, but now he’ll have to adapt to the qualities of the MotoGP.
“That said, I think Bagnaia is one of the best brakers I’ve worked with, and maybe they’re similar in that respect. Martin, on the other hand, was the best from mid-corner to exit.”
Gino Borsoi expects Toprak Razgatlioglu will be ‘competitive’ in MotoGP by mid-season
Bagnaia scored his maiden Moto3 race wins during Borsoi’s time as Aspar’s sporting director in 2016. They have been rivals more than allies in more recent terms, including when Martin beat Bagnaia by just 10 points to win the 2024 MotoGP title in his final act as a Pramac rider.
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Razgatlioglu is now the latest rider whom Borsoi has taken under his wing, as the three-time WSBK champion converts to MotoGP in the last year of the 1,000cc regulations. Adapting to Yamaha’s V4 M1 is a big challenge for Razgatlioglu, as the brand switches from an inline four.
Borsoi felt Razgatlioglu initially braked too hard on Yamaha’s MotoGP bike, having excelled in the World Superbike Championship through his very aggressive style under braking. But the Turkish star quickly realised that he will need to adapt to unlock the M1’s peak performance.
“From what we saw in Valencia, he had already changed his riding style on the second day,” Borsoi added. “He’s a braking master, and that kind of riding doesn’t always work.
“But he understood that right away. On Wednesday in Valencia, we already saw important progress. I think he’ll be competitive by mid-season.”
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