Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu sounded a little downbeat after MotoGP’s Sepang test. Yamaha were beset by engine problems, but the new Pramac signing wasn’t happy with his own performance.
Razgatlioglu followed teammate Jack Miller on day three and found that he was losing time through the long, sweeping corners. He still hasn’t worked out how to approach them.
The Turkish rider finished 19th in the timings, nearly two seconds off the pace, although his lap time is more respectable than it appears because Yamaha turned down their engines out of caution.
Has Toprak moved to MotoGP too LATE?
Still, Razgatlioglu is used to winning races and championships, having seen off Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega to win his third World Superbikes crown last year.
Nicolo Bulega’s ‘precise riding style’ suits MotoGP
Bulega actually made his MotoGP debut before Razgatlioglu, deputising for an injured Marc Marquez for the final two rounds of the 2025 season. The Italian commendably scored points at both races.
Speaking in Malaysia, Razgatlioglu suggested that Bulega’s ‘riding style’ is far better suited to a MotoGP bike than his own.
Having become a Desmosedici test rider, Bulega has been linked with a MotoGP move for 2027, most likely to a Ducati satellite team.
Do you agree with Toprak Razgatlioglu that Nicolo Bulega deserves a MotoGP ride?
“I think if he came here, he could ride much better than me, because he has a precise riding style and is very strong in wide corners,” said Razgatlioglu, via GPOne.
“The fact is that Superbike riding involves these aspects: you stop the bike, take a V-shaped trajectory, and accelerate.
“It works there, but in MotoGP you have to completely change your style. Even Jonathan Rea did the same when he came here.”
What does Nicolo Bulega think about Toprak Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP chances?
Bulega thinks Razgatlioglu will have ‘no problem’ reaching the front of MotoGP, provided his Yamaha bike is competitive. Right now, that’s a big question mark.
The Japanese manufacturer were braced for a difficult start to the season but their safety-related absence from day two of testing still shocked the paddock.
One already suspects that everything is geared towards 2027 for Razgatlioglu. He will be able to race with more familiar Pirelli tyres on a fully-developed Yamaha V4.
If he wants to win a title, Razgatlioglu will probably have to beat Marc Marquez, a challenge far greater than anything he faced in Superbikes.
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