Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu added to his struggles during an already difficult rookie MotoGP campaign with Pramac Yamaha after he crashed out of Q1 at the Catalan Grand Prix.
The Turkish rider looked to have locked the front wheel of his Yamaha M1 prototype at turn five. It effectively ended his qualifying session at the Catalan Grand Prix, and he will start both races this weekend from the very back of the grid.
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Razgatlioglu’s struggles were anticipated in pre-season, given the mammoth task that adapting to Grand Prix machinery poses to riders coming from the production motorcycles category in World Superbikes.
However, it was also suggested that Razgatlioglu may begin to show his true colours on two wheels once the MotoGP schedule reached the European leg of the season. WSBK boasts a multitude of European circuits on its calendar, so he already has ample experience at them.
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Toprak Razgatlioglu has struggled in MotoGP with circuits at which he was successful in WSBK
That said, the opposite has seemingly happened for Razgatlioglu in 2026. With the Catalan Grand Prix marking the sixth round of the year, he has raced four brand-new circuits, which have all produced better performances than the two he was already comfortable at.
His best result of the season so far came last time out at Le Mans. He secured P13 at the chequered flag in France, despite noting that he had previously only raced at the circuit on the MotoGP video game.
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He already has three World Superbike crowns
At the preceding event in Spain, Razgatlioglu languished at the back of the pack as he brought home a P19, his worst result to date. In World Superbikes, however, it was one of his most consistent venues.
The Turkish rider secured 11 podiums, including one race win, at the Circuito de Jerez in the WSBK category, but that form was nowhere to be seen last month.
Again, this weekend in Barcelona is another circuit that Razgatlioglu excelled at in WSBK. He previously scored nine podiums, including two wins, at the Montmelo-based circuit, but his latest woes in MotoGP suggest he’s in for another tough Sprint and Grand Prix.
It’s clear that Razgatlioglu is leaning on his WSBK experience at these circuits upon his arrival to them in MotoGP, which, so far, isn’t doing him any favours at all.
Of course, Yamaha’s sub-par M1 prototype hasn’t helped him in the slightest, but he simply must approach every race weekend as a brand-new circuit, given his inexperience on MotoGP machinery, to be able to find his rhythm in the premier class.
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