Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu’s performances as a MotoGP rookie have caught the eye of Pramac CEO Paolo Campinoti, who sees him as one of Yamaha’s ‘most important assets’.
Following his highly anticipated debut at the beginning of the 2026 term, Toprak Razgatlioglu has struggled to show his true skillset aboard Yamaha’s subpar M1 prototype.
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Thus, the Turkish star has largely remained towards the back of the grid during the majority of races this year. Saying that, he did secure a season-best result at the most recent French GP, where Razgatlioglu took the chequered flag in P13.
Fabio Quartararo, on the other hand, managed to claim an incredible P6 for Yamaha in his home race at Le Mans. Razgatlioglu is still trying to figure out how Quartararo is so fast on the same bike, and his work ethic has been noted for it.
Paolo Campinoti names Toprak Razgatlioglu as one of Yamaha’s ‘most important assets’
Speaking to Sky Italia over the race weekend at Le Mans, Pramac CEO Paolo Campinoti was asked to share his thoughts on Razgatlioglu’s personality inside the MotoGP paddock.
“Very likeable!” Campinoti answered, before adding, “But above all, he has a quality that’s hard to explain: he gives you the distinct feeling that you’re dealing with a champion, someone with that ‘special’ look in his eye, the eye of a very strong rider.
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“So I believe, I hope, that these qualities of his will come to the fore, because Toprak isn’t ‘ordinary’, he isn’t just one of the crowd.
“You can clearly see in him the desire to get stuck in and put himself out there, the champion’s instinct, that certain something you either have or don’t, which you can’t buy at the supermarket.”
The Italian was then asked if he thinks Razgatlioglu will be able to provide some success for the satellite outfit, to which he replied, “Yes, surely, I don’t know when, I hope soon. But he is probably one of the most important assets that we have to climb back up the slope.”
Paolo Campinoti also touched on the future of Pramac’s young rider Izan Guevara
Campinoti was also asked about the other riders within Pramac’s stable, namely Izan Guevara, a Moto2 rider who has been tipped to replace Jack Miller at the MotoGP team for next year.
The young Spaniard joined the Pramac family ahead of the 2025 term, and was the first member of the team’s new rider development programme.
On the topic, Campinoti said, “The work carried out with Guevara is starting to bear fruit. We hope to have a team in Moto2 with winning characteristics soon, because this is the true difference: we want to make young riders grow.
“With a structure of our own we can start earlier to train them, to enter into a relationship with them, to have ‘home-made’ riders, no longer taken by necessity from other situations.
“This type of management gives strength to the project. Having said that, having taken Guevara is positive because he is doing very well, and it is natural that if he continues like this his projection is in MotoGP.”
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