Marco Bezzecchi
Yamaha team director Massimo Meregalli has opened up on how the Japanese brand are trying to help Toprak Razgatlioglu of Pramac adapt to MotoGP ahead of his debut.
The 29-year-old is finally set to debut in the prototype series this term after agreeing to race for Pramac on a two-year factory Yamaha contract. Razgatlioglu will make his MotoGP debut on March 1 when the season starts in Thailand, where he has not entered a race since 2019.
Razgatlioglu last raced at Buriram during the 2019 World Superbike Championship, which he has now left as a three-time champion. The Turkish star secured his third WSBK title in 2025 in his final act for BMW, having also lifted the 2021 title for Yamaha and 2024 title for BMW.
A number of the tracks on the MotoGP calendar will also be completely new to Razgatlioglu, who faces a host of hurdles as he adapts after years of competing on production bikes. One of Razgatlioglu’s biggest hurdles is MotoGP’s Michelin tyres, after racing on Pirellis in WSBK.
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Yamaha have ‘asked’ Andrea Dovizioso to help Toprak Razgatlioglu at the Sepang test
Razgatlioglu’s braking ability instantly impressed Pramac boss Gino Borsoi, but he still has to learn how to optimise his entry speed to improve his mid-corner and exit speed. The Alanya native is also still trying to understand the optimal way to accelerate on the V4 Yamaha M1.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Toprak Razgatlioglu from net worth to nickname
Also, Yamaha have had to remove their rear aero from Razgatlioglu’s bike in Sepang due to MotoGP’s 2026 bike height restrictions. So, Meregalli has asked test rider Andrea Dovizioso to help Razgatlioglu during this week’s Sepang test as the Turkish talent adapts to their M1.
Meregalli told GPOne: “Andrea is an important figure because, in addition to being a test rider, he is also a sort of translator between the rider and the crew chief. All our riders trust Dovi and go to him to talk. Right now, we’ve asked him to spend some time with Toprak.”
Andrea Dovizioso suffered a clutch problem on Day 1 of the 2026 Sepang test
In addition to offering Razgatlioglu his support in Sepang this week, Dovizioso is also helping Yamaha develop their V4 engine ahead of the start of the 2026 season. But the Italian’s time on track with the M1 during Day 1 on Tuesday was delayed after an early reliability problem.
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A report by Motorsport.com notes that Dovizioso’s reliability gremlin raised ‘concern’ within the Yamaha garage, as the 15-time MotoGP Grand Prix winner had to stop at the side of the circuit. He was not alone in hitting trouble, as Fabio Quartararo and Jack Miller crashed.
Dovizioso suffered a clutch problem according to Sky Italy, which reports the issue arose as the Yamaha test rider was running a race simulation on used tyres. Yamaha intended to use the Italian’s run to understand ‘one of the main problems’ they have faced in recent terms.
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