Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu is hoping to achieve a MotoGP career first at the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix, with the race weekend taking place at a circuit that he holds in very high regard.
Despite Balaton Park being at the bottom of the pile for the majority of MotoGP riders, Toprak Razgatlioglu is a big fan of the Hungarian tarmac.
Which bike would Toprak be fastest on at Balaton Park, his 2025 BMW Superbike or Yamaha’s 2026 MotoGP V4?
During his 2025 title-winning campaign in the World Superbikes category, the Turkish rider occupied the top step of the podium across all three races in the midst of a dominant streak that saw him win 13 races in a row.
However, his rookie campaign with Pramac Yamaha promises to be a different story, due to the sub-par performance of the Japanese brand’s current prototype. Still, Razgatlioglu is hoping to secure a career-best result.
Toprak Razgatlioglu targets a ‘top 10’ finish at one of his favourite circuits
During his pre-event comments to MotoGP, Razgatlioglu was asked whether his beloved fans can expect to see him in the mix due to his previous record at the Balatonfokajar-based circuit.
“I love this track, I really like it,” he replied. “It’s very small, and maybe the other riders don’t like it, but I really like the stop and go [circuits], especially the chicanes. With the Superbike, everything was perfect.
What are your thoughts on the Hungaroring hosting the Hungarian Grand Prix next year?
Francesco Bagnaia has hinted that Balaton Park will be dropped from the calendar after 2026
“I really enjoyed it, but with MotoGP, we will see, it’s a little bit more difficult, also the tyres. But I will try my best, you know, in Mugello, we improved a lot, especially the last day. If we start at that level on Friday, it would be much better because I’m always struggling on Friday.”
Due to the stop-and-go nature of Balaton Park, the power that is emitted from each bike’s engine isn’t as crucial as some of the other circuits on the calendar, such as Mugello. As such, Yamaha may not be at as much of a disadvantage to their rivals in Hungary.
Razgatlioglu continued with, “All of Yamaha’s riders are trying their best, pushing more than 100%, because everyone is trying to finish with the best results.
“My target? I hope to see the top 10. This is my biggest target this weekend. If we see the top 10, that will be incredible for me. But we will see.”
- READ MORE: Toprak Razgatlioglu was ‘so satisfied’ with Pramac’s significant change to his bike at Italian GP
Francesco Bagnaia let ‘slip’ that MotoGP will be scrapping Balaton Park for 2027
Despite the current site of the Hungarian Grand Prix being a personal favourite of Razgatlioglu’s, the upcoming iteration of the event may be his only chance at being able to race prototype machinery around it.
That’s because, during his pre-event comments to the press, Francesco Bagnaia hinted that Balaton Park wouldn’t be on the calendar next year, saying via Motorpasion Moto, “They didn’t change anything because this is a temporary circuit.
“Next year we’ll be going to another one. So it was difficult to modify the layout.” The comments were in response to the swathe of safety concerns that were raised at the inaugural running of the Hungarian Grand Prix at Balaton Park last year.
The report also highlighted how MotoGP did not want the ‘secret’ made public just yet, with Bagnaia letting it ‘slip’ before an official announcement was made. Officials from the sport are yet to make a statement on the Italian’s comments.
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