Marco Bezzecchi
Neil Hodgson has warned Toprak Razgatlioglu that he’s in for a psychologically ‘tough’ year at Pramac Yamaha in 2026. Razgatlioglu has swapped a top World Superbikes ride at BMW for the team who finished bottom of last year’s MotoGP championship.
It’s clear after the Sepang tests that the two Yamaha teams are facing a difficult season. The V4 is still underpowered and unreliable, placing the Japanese manufacturer at the back of the grid, even further adrift than they were last year (for now at least).
At the individual level, Razgatlioglu was unhappy with his performance in Malaysia. He’s finding the adaptation to a MotoGP bike more difficult than he anticipated.
Has Toprak Razgatlioglu made a mistake moving to MotoGP in 2026?
Pramac have asked Razgatlioglu to brake earlier to improve his corner exits. He has also decided, in consultation with his engineers, to revert to the aero he used at last November’s Valencia test.
Neil Hodgson expects Toprak Razgatlioglu to fight for 15th at Pramac
Speaking on the Gas it Out podcast, Hodgson predicted that Razgatlioglu would be fighting just to score a point at most race weekends in 2026.
He believes that the Turkish superstar is already at a 0.7-second disadvantage due to the weaknesses of the Yamaha package.
Jack Miller, Razgatlioglu’s teammate, finished 17th in the championship last year, with Alex Rins and Miguel Oliveira 19th and 20th. Fabio Quartararo was in a league of his own in 9th.
- READ MORE: Livio Suppo tells Toprak Razgatlioglu why it will be ‘impossible’ for him to be competitive in 2026
Hodgson said: “Where do you expect him to finish? I keep getting asked about it. When I say 15th, everyone has this look of shock.
“Who’s he going to beat, already giving up .7 of a second because you’re on the Yamaha?”
Toprak Razgatlioglu told he mustn’t ‘get down on himself’ during rookie MotoGP season
Hodgson won the World Superbikes title in 2003 and then moved to MotoGP the following year with Team d’Antin Ducati. The Briton only managed three top-10 finishes and placed 17th in the standings before leaving the class.
Razgatlioglu was the ‘star’ and the ‘hero’ in World Superbikes but he could now become a lower midfield rider, at least during his rookie season.
Where do you think Toprak Razgatlioglu will finish on his MotoGP debut?
Hodgson doesn’t want the 29-year-old’s ‘phenomenal’ talent to go to waste, but cautioned that he must be ready to suffer in the coming months.
He said: “When everyone’s patting you on the back, and you are the man, Toprak’s incredible, he’s the star, he’s the show, once you lose that, and he’s going to lose that this year, there’s no two ways about it, he’s not going to be that hero. He’s going to be riding on his limit, battling for 15th.
“Do you know what happens? You hate it. You hate every part of it. The problem with MotoGP, even more so now, is that it’s 22 rounds. It’s never-ending.
“All the PR that comes with being with a manufacturer in MotoGP is 10 times compared to World Superbikes. When you’ve not got that endorphin release, when you’ve not got that pat on the back, when you’re not the hero, it’s bloody hard. It wears you down.
“This is the bit where I just hope he doesn’t get down on himself and I hope he digs in and I hope Yamaha improve their package and build a bike for him.
“What I’ve witnessed with him as a rider is phenomenal. He’s so talented, but he needs to get through this period. He’s got such a tough year ahead of him.”
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
