Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP career has not got off to the ideal start as Yamaha have encountered numerous problems in testing.
The Turkish rider is looking to get as much mileage on his bike as possible as he adapts to MotoGP from World Superbikes. But his pre-season test at Sepang was brought to a halt on day one.
Yamaha suffered engine trouble after Fabio Quartararo broke his finger in a crash on Tuesday. His V4 stopped on track and the engineers had no answer for the problem.
How worrying are Yamaha’s safety issues with the V4?
Subsequently, the Iwata outfit suspended all activity on day two, with their six riders not leaving the garage. Paddock sources suggest Yamaha had the same problem in the shakedown at Sepang before the official test.
While the issue has now been resolved and Yamaha have returned to the track for day three, it is still not an ideal start for Razgatlioglu, especially when he is having issues of his own with the bike.
Pedro Acosta tells Toprak Razgatlioglu to ‘take it easy’ after Yamaha problems in Malaysia
Yamaha had to take off Razgatlioglu’s rear aero to meet bike height requirements. The bizarre situation was just one potential setback for the MotoGP rookie.
Razgatlioglu admits he is ‘stressed’ on the straights as he continues to learn his bike. Speaking on After The Flag on day two in Sepang, KTM rider Pedro Acosta offered his advice to the Pramac star, which would also prove useful for fellow rookie Diogo Moreira.
“Maybe take it easy, because it’s true that they were here at the shakedown, they come with a bit of an advantage for day one,” said Acosta.
“But what is difficult in Malaysia is to put everything together, to make a lap time, and here you have a lot of time and day three, the time attacks, everyone is pumped, and it’s not easy at all to put everything together like a rookie.
“And then they will arrive to test in Thailand and they will come without experience and we already have the experience, we are already in the rhythm, let’s say.
“Maybe my advice would be, they have to take it easy and don’t have a lot of pressure in the first days.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Toprak Razgatlioglu from net worth to nickname
What other advice have people given to Toprak Razgatlioglu ahead of 2026?
Pramac teammate Jack Miller laughed at Razgatlioglu’s seating position on the V4, stating that he rides the bike ‘like a chopper’. As it stands, he will not be able to use the aero as he stands at over 6ft tall.
The key will be for the three-time WSBK champion to get accustomed to the bike and feel comfortable ahead of his MotoGP debut in Thailand. Andrea Dovizioso is on hand to help Razgatlioglu during testing.
Podiums, wins, titles? What is Toprak’s CEILING in MotoGP? 🤔
The Turkish rider undoubtedly has talent, and many people are tipping him to be successful in MotoGP and fight towards the front.
But former WSBK rival Iker Lecuona has warned Razgatlioglu to be careful not to come to MotoGP with ‘too many expectations’. With Yamaha’s struggles, he knows full well that he could be in for a tough season.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
