Marco Bezzecchi
Nicolo Bulega has defended former World Superbikes rival Toprak Razgatlioglu, pointing out the ‘fundamental’ problem he faces with MotoGP tyres.
Razgatlioglu scored his best result as a MotoGP rider with P11 in Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix, but he still hasn’t cracked the top 10 and has only made one Q2 appearance.
The Turkish rider saw off Bulega in a battle for the 2025 WSBK title, winning his third overall. In his absence, the Ducati rider is crushing the competition.
Nicolo Bulega makes 2027 Toprak Razgatlioglu prediction amid difficult rookie campaign
Asked about Razgatlioglu in an interview with Speedweek, Bulega was quick to point out the limitations of his machinery. Even lead Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo sits 15th in the championship with just 37 points.
Razgatlioglu has accumulated nine so far, which puts him just behind factory rider Alex Rins (12) and Pramac teammate Jack Miller (11).
What could Toprak Razgatlioglu do on a Ducati bike right now?
He played down Iker Lecuona's impressive performance for Gresini in Hungary
Bulega, who is a Ducati test rider for Ducati’s MotoGP project, suspects that Razgatlioglu’s motivation has suffered this year after trading a title-winning bike for the slowest machinery on the grid.
He also says the switch to Michelin has complicated the adaptation phase. Crucially, he will return to more familiar Pirelli rubber in 2027, allowing him to return to his ‘normal’ riding style.
“Yamaha isn’t at the top level,” said Bulega. “They’re in last place in MotoGP with their bike. And even a champion like Fabio Quartararo is struggling. Sometimes he’s near the front, but then he always falls behind. Even an incredible rider like him, who’s already in his eighth season with Yamaha, is faltering.
“Toprak is in his first season with Yamaha, and with Michelin tyres, which – believe me – are fundamentally different from Pirelli. The riding style you need for them is the complete opposite.
- READ MORE: Yamaha have an obvious attitude problem with Toprak Razgatlioglu despite best MotoGP result
“Sometimes Toprak is ahead of other Yamaha riders. With the exception of Quartararo, he’s not far off them. And they all have a lot of MotoGP experience. He’s only been using this bike for six months, so in my opinion, he’s not doing badly.
“But it’s also clear: when you have to start from as far back as he did, the motivation isn’t great. Especially for someone who was used to winning races in the Superbike World Championship.
“Next year he’ll have Pirelli tyres again, then he can better utilise his normal riding style. And maybe Yamaha will build a more powerful bike. If they succeed, then he can ride much further forward – I’m sure of it.”
It has recently been reported that Bulega will move to MotoGP with VR46 next year, which would see him reignite his rivalry with Razgatlioglu.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
