Danilo Petrucci addresses Toprak Razgatlioglu’s chances of beating Fabio Quartararo at Yamaha

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There is more expectation on Toprak Razgatlioglu’s rookie MotoGP campaign than there has been on anyone for a long time.

That’s the tough part about making your MotoGP debut at the age of 29, regardless of whether you’re a three-time World Superbike champion.

Yamaha have taken the gamble to place the Turkish rider in the Pramac seat for at least the next two seasons, in the hope that his mega talents translate to the premier class.

If they do, then Razgatlioglu could just turn out to be the perfect replacement for Fabio Quartararo, should he leave ahead of the 2027 campaign.

Carmelo Ezpeleta says Razgatlioglu must avoid injury if he wants to build any sort of career momentum with Yamaha.

At the same time, Razgatlioglu must heed Quartararo’s warning that they face a long road ahead with the new V4 engine. It’s going to require patience and development.

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Danilo Petrucci expects it to be ‘tough’ for Toprak Razgatlioglu to beat Fabio Quartararo

Yamaha’s ‘dream’ is to replace Quartararo with Razgatlioglu, but that requires him to step up and surprise in many ways.

There’s no need to panic if it takes until the summer break for him to get a real feel for the Yamaha. Time is required to build confidence on these machines.

Razgatlioglu’s World Superbike replacement at BMW, Danilo Petrucci, has now weighed in on whether he can beat Quartararo at Yamaha.

“Quartararo is impressive, but so is Toprak,” he told SPEEDWEEK. “It will be tough for Toprak, but I can’t say how tough. Quartararo feels like he’s always been on this bike and possesses pure talent and raw speed.

“And Toprak has never ridden in MotoGP or with Michelin tyres. But he has so much talent. Kenan always tries to keep the level as high as possible and pushes 100%. That’s why he sets such a goal.

“It will be difficult for Toprak to beat Quartararo – everything is tough in MotoGP, in every class. I’m really going to enjoy watching MotoGP this year. There’s nothing I love more than watching motorcycle racing.”

READ MORE: Toprak Razgatlioglu names the Yamaha rider who has been ‘essential’ to his MotoGP preparations

How did Toprak Razgatlioglu fare in MotoGP’s 2025 post-season test?

The first chance that Razgatlioglu got to ride Yamaha’s V4 in an official capacity came at the post-season test in Valencia, just over two months ago.

Although it was a day of running affected by poor weather conditions early in the morning, things did improve throughout the day.

Quartararo was the fastest Yamaha bike on record, clocking in at just under six-tenths behind the fastest time.

To some surprise, Razgatlioglu was their second fastest rider, albeit a further six tenths behind, ahead of new teammate Jack Miller and Alex Rins. Positive signs are already there.