Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu and his manager want to surpass Fabio Quartararo and become the benchmark on Yamaha’s MotoGP bike in 2026, according to Dennis Noyes. Quartararo was in a league of his own on the M1 last season.
The 2021 world champion scored 201 points in the final year with the inline four engine, and the other three riders only managed 190 combined. But Razgatlioglu, a three-time World Superbikes title-winner, will arguably pose a tougher test once fully adapted.
Quartararo was once again Yamaha’s lead rider at the season opener in Thailand but they all finished between 14th and 18th. Razgatlioglu was half a second slower than the Frenchman in qualifying and finished just over eight seconds behind in the main race.
Predict the order of the Yamaha riders in the 2026 MotoGP standings
Toprak Razgatlioglu and Kenan Sofuoglu want to be the fastest Yamaha this year
Writing on X, motorcycle racer-turned-journalist Noyes said that Toprak and his manager, Kenan Sofuoglu, want to be ‘Yamaha’s fastest rider’ by the end of 2026. He suspects that team management share the same desire.
Quartararo has been Yamaha’s poster boy in recent years but it is now seen as inevitable that he will defect to Honda for the 2027 season. There are signs that the divorce will be acrimonious.
- READ MORE: Yamaha feared ‘a big mess’ if Fabio Quartararo spoke to the media after Thailand Grand Prix
Razgatlioglu is expected to stay at Pramac for another year rather than move up to the factory team. Jorge Martin will replace Quartararo as the star rider in Yamaha blue.
Still, it will be a PR victory for Paolo Pavesio if Razgatlioglu can dislodge Quartararo before the latter departs, as if one superstar was giving way to another with an even higher ceiling.
Alex Rins is likely to follow him out of the door, while Jack Miller is proving his worth as a de facto development rider for Pramac.
Toprak Razgatlioglu gets access to extra MotoGP test in Jerez
Aprilia, KTM and Yamaha are testing in Jerez this week. As reported by Motorsport Espana, the three manufacturers have access to both the 2026 Michelin tyres and Pirelli’s 2027 prototype.
Because Yamaha are still in the bottom concessions tier, their full-time riders are eligible for the test. It’s said that Razgatlioglu has been on track with the Michelin rubber.
Some riders will be blocked from 2027 testing as they close in on joining another team. For instance, there’s little incentive for Yamaha to let Quartararo sample next year’s bike because he could pass on secrets to Honda.
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