Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu has had high expectations placed on him during his rookie MotoGP season, and Chaz Davies is backing him to be the top Yamaha rider in 2026.
With a new bike, tyres and paddock to get used to, combined with Yamaha struggling with the V4 engine, the Turkish rider faced a tough start to life in MotoGP. However, Razgatlioglu is slowly making strong progress.
What do you rate Toprak Razgatlioglu’s first three MotoGP races out of 10?
Initially, he expressed frustration over his pace and not being able to adapt properly to the bike. Razgatlioglu could not even look at the timesheets as he fell towards the back, but he has been making steady improvements, culminating in his first point at COTA.
Pramac teammate Jack Miller has been helping Razgatlioglu ‘a lot’ during his debut season, and that advice paid off in Austin. The three-time WSBK champion was the top Yamaha rider, finishing P15, and Davies is betting on him staying up there.
Chaz Davies reveals his bet that Toprak Razgatlioglu will be Yamaha’s ‘reference rider’ in 2026
Fabio Quartararo remains the reference at Yamaha, but has only managed to score six points thus far in 2026 as he cannot extract any top performance from the M1. Razgatlioglu beat the Frenchman for the first time at COTA.
Manager Kenan Sufuoglu wants Razgatlioglu to be faster than Quartararo by the end of 2026. Former Ducati MotoGP and WSBK rider Davies has revealed that he has the same bet, but he has given the Pramac rider ‘half the season’.
He said on the Paddock Pass Podcast: “I mean, I made quite a bold statement last year. I kind of gave Toprak half the season to become, not always, but generally, the reference Yamaha rider, and that’s with Michelin tyres and everything else. That was my bet.
Prove me wrong: Toprak Razgatlioglu will be faster than Fabio Quartararo by the end of 2026
“I mean, I don’t mind going public with it because I’ve said it to a few people, that’s where I regard him. Fabio Quartararo is an incredible rider, as is anybody else on that grid in MotoGP, but so is Toprak and I think he will figure it out.
“And he already has to a degree been figuring it out. Yes, they’re struggling because the Yamaha is struggling at the minute, but I think all he has to measure himself against is the other Yamahas, he’s doing that.
“It’s going to take some time to really be consistently the quickest Yamaha, or even, when he’s learning different circuits and whatever, but I do believe that next year you’ll see the best of Toprak with tyres, or let’s say DNA of the tyres that he’s familiar with.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Toprak Razgatlioglu from net worth to nickname
Yamaha were left stunned by Toprak Razgatlioglu beating Fabio Quartararo in Austin
Quartararo was impressed by Razgatlioglu in COTA, noting that he used a more ‘Superbike’ riding style. The Turkish rider has been trying to incorporate his tricks in WSBK into MotoGP, and he seems to have found the right balance.
Andrea Dovizioso was stunned by Razgatlioglu beating Quartararo in Austin, admitting that Yamaha was taken aback by the Pramac star. It has been an encouraging start to life in MotoGP, but it is still early days.
Former WSBK rival Jonathan Rea is still worried about Razgatlioglu, as he is not fighting at the top with Pramac like he used to in Superbikes. ‘Mental management’ will be critical for the 29-year-old as he works towards the front again.
With a new set of regulations coming to MotoGP in 2027, including Pirelli tyres, Razgatlioglu could be best positioned to make a huge leap and become competitive.
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