Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu is in action for Yamaha as 2026 pre-season testing begins at the Sepang Shakedown. They are the only manufacturer able to field all of their full-time riders.
Having finished bottom of last year’s standings, Yamaha still have access to all concessions. Razgatlioglu, who will ride for satellite team Pramac, was joined on the track on Thursday by Augusto Fernandez.
The rest of the field was populated exclusively by test riders, aside from Razgatlioglu’s fellow rookie, Diogo Moreira of LCR.
2026 pre-season is underway! What jumps out from day one?
Razgatlioglu won the battle of the debutants, setting a 1:59.647 to finish fourth fastest, while Moreira was eighth.
Toprak Razgatlioglu almost matched Fabio Quartararo’s best race lap in Malaysia
Factory riders Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins were both absent on Thursday, as was Razgatlioglu’s Pramac teammate, Jack Miller. No direct comparison can be made at this stage.
However, one can look back to last year’s Malaysian GP for a frame of reference. Razgatlioglu was, of course, riding Yamaha’s new V4-powered motorcycle, while Quartararo and co. were still on the inline four.
It’s also worth noting that the Turkish rider’s run plan was unknown, and he wasn’t necessarily pushing flat out at such an early stage.
Wow! Did you see this one coming?
His best time was around 2.3 seconds slower than the 1:57.195 Quartararo managed in last year’s qualifying session. That lap was good enough for fourth on the grid.
However, Razgatlioglu was within two-tenths of Quartararo’s fastest race lap – 1:59.494, which has to be taken as an encouraging sign for both rider and team.
The three-time World Superbikes champion was also quicker than Fernandez on Thursday, though the Spaniard was trialling multiple different bikes.
Is Toprak Razgatlioglu destined to join Yamaha after Fabio Quartararo exit?
Of course, the big news to come out of Yamaha on Thursday concerned the future of Quartararo.
It emerged that Quartararo will join Honda for the 2027 season. With Alex Rins entering the final year of his contract, the factory team could have an all-new line-up for the new regulations.
Razgatlioglu’s chances of joining Yamaha have just increased significantly. If he impresses in his rookie season, then he will surely be a shoo-in for a promotion.
The 29-year-old signed a multi-year deal with the Japanese manufacturer ahead of his debut season, so Pramac may just be a step on the ladder.
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