Marco Bezzecchi
Carlo Pernat thinks there is “no way” that Toprak Razgatlioglu would have agreed to join Pramac in 2026 if he knew just how little faith Fabio Quartararo had in Yamaha.
Yamaha announced in June 2025 that Razgatlioglu had agreed to sign a two-year works deal with the Japanese constructor and would make his MotoGP debut with Pramac in 2026. The move marked his first foray into the prototype series, after dominating in World Superbikes.
Razgatlioglu and Yamaha thus always viewed 2026 as a learning opportunity, with the three-time WSBK champion having to adapt to 1,000cc MotoGP bikes with ride height devices and Michelin tyres in their last year of use before the arrival of 850cc engines and Pirelli in 2027.
But Razgatlioglu has endured a sobering start to his career in MotoGP, with the Turkish racer often cutting a rather dejected figure. Razgatlioglu admitted that he was “angry” to struggle so much in pre-season testing, and later said “I lost my motivation” after the Sprint in Brazil.
If Toprak Razgatlioglu wins a MotoGP title, where he would rank among the motorcycle racing greats?
He already has three World Superbike crowns
Carlo Pernat thinks Toprak Razgatlioglu would not have joined Yamaha if he knew what was in store
Yamaha managing director Paolo Pavesio claims Razgatlioglu hit “rock bottom” in Barcelona last time out, as well, as his struggles adapting to the YZR-M1 continued. He had a weekend to forget, as Razgatlioglu qualified in last place for the Catalan GP and then finished in P18.
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Given the start to the year that Razgatlioglu has endured, Pernat now doubts that he would have accepted Yamaha’s offer to move to MotoGP in 2026 if Quartararo had shared his true feelings about the Iwata natives’ V4 M1 project with the Alanya native before he signed up.
Pernat told MOW: “I think Razgatlioglu is regretting it. He would have made history there if he’d known that Quartararo wanted to leave because he no longer believed in the project.
“There’s no way he would have signed for MotoGP with Yamaha. Maybe he would have been better off waiting a year.”
It is now said that Quartararo agreed to join Honda for 2027 before he rode Yamaha’s 2026 bike, as he had already lost faith in the direction that the Iwata outfit’s project was heading amid the early development of their V4 engine. Yamaha ditched their inline four after 2025.
Francesco Guidotti expects to see the ‘real’ Toprak Razgatlioglu with Pirelli tyres in 2027
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Razgatlioglu sees his shortcomings in Quartararo’s data, as the 2021 MotoGP champion can especially extract more performance from the Yamaha M1 through the corners. The Turkish star admits he is still trying to ride the same way that won him three World Superbike titles.
Long-time MotoGP team manager Francesco Guidotti is not surprised to see Razgatlioglu’s early struggles on the M1, though. Instead, he thinks the 29-year-old is performing exactly how he expected given the learning curve between a World Superbike and a MotoGP bike.
So, while 2026 has been difficult to date for Razgatlioglu, Guidotti expects him to stay with Pramac for another season in 2027 and also begin showing his “real” self with Pirelli tyres. The challenge of learning the Michelin tyres was always seen as Razgatlioglu’s main hurdle.
Guidotti told Motosprint: “For Pramac, I’d say that Razgatlioglu will be confirmed, while the second rider is still to be decided.
“Toprak is performing as I expected, given that he’s having to adapt to a completely new environment and riding style. We will see the real Toprak next year with Pirelli tyres, given that he’ll be more at ease then.”
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