Marco Bezzecchi
Andrea Dovizioso was not surprised to see Pramac Yamaha rider Toprak Razgatlioglu “really struggle” at the 2026 MotoGP German Grand Prix, but his misery will pay off.
Razgatlioglu endured a torrid time at the Sachsenring last weekend, as he made his first trip to the track located near an industrial estate in Saxony since the 2014 Red Bull Rookies Cup. The German GP was even arguably his worst weekend thus far in his rookie MotoGP season.
While Razgatlioglu brought his V4 Yamaha YZR-M1 home in the points, he was the final rider to take the chequered flag in the German GP in P15. The Pramac ace was also 6.611 seconds adrift of the field in last place, and he even had a fight with LCR stand-in rider Cal Crutchlow.
What grade would you give Toprak Razgatlioglu after the first half of his rookie season?
Andrea Dovizioso feels Toprak Razgatlioglu’s German GP struggles will ‘serve him well’
Crutchlow overtook Razgatlioglu during the German GP, despite the Briton having frequently been the slowest rider in the field since he made a surprise return to stand in for the injured Johann Zarco at LCR. The 40-year-old may have also beaten Razgatlioglu in the German GP, but he crashed out on Lap 21 of 30 – becoming one of the five riders to retire from the race.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Toprak Razgatlioglu from net worth to nickname
Razgatlioglu even branded the German GP a “lost weekend” after the race, and he admitted that it was “very difficult” to stay with Crutchlow until the Briton’s tyres started to wear. But Dovizioso believes the pain that Razgatlioglu endured will help him at the 2027 German GP.
“Yes, they are improving,” Dovizioso stated about Yamaha’s development during a video on his YouTube channel. “It’s just that it’s hard to see because they are rarely on camera – and rightly so, because we’re not at the front, and that’s normal.
“So, when there are small improvements, they’re hard to see and interpret. We’re still not where we would like to be. That’s clear. But still, at least in the Japanese championship, it’s important to try to stay ahead.
“It wasn’t a spectacular weekend. Fabio [Quartararo] managed to do quite well given the circumstances. Toprak did particularly poorly, but to be honest, on paper, I expected that because he’s a heavy-braking rider.
“The Sachsenring is all about corner speed with zero grip, because at the Sachsenring, you never have any grip due to the tyres they bring and the layout of the track.
“So, he really struggled. But this is always part of adapting to MotoGP – a track he doesn’t know, situations he doesn’t know – and all of this will serve him well next year.”
Here’s how the teammate battles look halfway through the MotoGP season. What stands out? 🆚
The table shows the points scored by each rider
Such were his woes at the Sachsenring that Razgatlioglu admitted that Michelin’s tyres have “destroyed my motivation”, as he struggled to adapt to the compounds that were offered in Germany. He feels he constantly faces moving goalposts due to the way the tyres change.
What Razgatlioglu learned about Michelin’s tyres will not help him much when MotoGP hits the Sachsenring again in 2027, given that Pirelli will become the sole tyre provider next year. But as Dovizioso notes, every struggle is a chance for Razgatlioglu to learn in his rookie term.
Dovizioso’s comments are even exactly what Razgatlioglu will want to hear after a miserable German GP, for which he also qualified in P18, despite Pramac teammate Jack Miller getting into Q2. Factory Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo also qualified P6 and finished the race in P7.
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