Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati test rider Michele Pirro says Pramac Yamaha ace Toprak Razgatlioglu’s difficult start in MotoGP “makes me smile”, as it proves how tough learning new tyres can be.
Razgatlioglu has made the transition from the World Superbike Championship to MotoGP in 2026 on the back of lifting his third title in the production bike category. But the 29-year-old is yet to score a point in the prototype bike class after the first rounds in Thailand and Brazil.
The best that Razgatlioglu has so far managed with the V4 Yamaha YZR-M1 is P17, which he secured in the Thailand Grand Prix and Brazilian Grand Prix. He crashed out on debut in the Buriram Sprint but impressed before falling while P15, and sealed P18 in the Goiania Sprint.
Yamaha and Pramac always knew that the 2026 season would be hard for Razgatlioglu. The Turkish ace is adjusting from what he knew in World Superbikes to a very different bike, with ride height devices and more aerodynamics along with Michelin tyres instead of Pirelli tyres.
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Michele Pirro feels Toprak Razgatlioglu’s tough start shows how hard learning new MotoGP bikes is
Razgatlioglu found it “impossible” to ride Yamaha’s bike in Brazil, as he struggled more than ever with the front brake in the Sprint Race. Only Pramac teammate Jack Miller finished the Sprint behind Razgatlioglu, who trailed Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo in P6 by 15.316s seconds.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Toprak Razgatlioglu from net worth to nickname
Ducati test rider Pirro does not doubt that Razgatlioglu will eventually improve over time, as he gets more and more comfortable with the Yamaha M1 and Michelin tyres. But seeing the Alanya native struggle makes Pirro “smile”, as it shows how hard learning a new bike can be.
Pirro told Moto.it: “It makes me smile because, well, I’m a bit older now, but I think I’ve adapted in the past, having always changed tyres and bikes and having raced in MotoGP with Bridgestone, Pirelli, Michelin and Dunlop. It’s not easy.
“It’s not easy, because when you’re seven to eight tenths off the pace in MotoGP, you’re practically last now. If you lose seven to eight tenths of a second, you’re last, which means half a tenth per corner. It’s not easy, even for a champion like him.
“I’m sure he’ll have the chance to close the gap, but we need to give him time. So, like everything else, it takes time and fine-tuning those details that are needed.
“Obviously, if you’re five seconds off, it’s much easier. When you’re half a tenth off per corner, fine-tuning isn’t easy.”
Prove me wrong: Toprak Razgatlioglu will be faster than Fabio Quartararo by the end of 2026
Razgatlioglu is learning more about the Yamaha M1 with every session that the Pramac ace spends on a circuit, but it could take him time to feel at home in MotoGP. Honda racer Luca Marini thinks Razgatlioglu might not “have fun” in MotoGP until 2027 due to the challenge.
This year is the final campaign with 1,000cc bikes, with MotoGP introducing 850cc engines, a ban on ride height devices and Pirelli tyres in 2027. But Razgatlioglu wants to use 2026 as an opportunity to learn, with many of the circuits on the MotoGP calendar also new to him.
Razgatlioglu admits that Quartararo is better than him under acceleration after following the factory Yamaha rider and 2021 MotoGP champion during the Brazilian GP. Quartararo failed to capitalise on qualifying in P4, and Alex Rins was the top Yamaha in the Brazilian GP in P14.
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