It had never happened to him before": Toprak Razgatlioglu is struggling and waiting for 2027

A truly complicated debut season in MotoGP for the three-time WorldSBK champion, but there’s confidence for 2027: Puccetti, one of the people who knows him best, told us about it.

It was unthinkable that Toprak Razgatlioglu would be competitive in 2026 with a Yamaha M1 that is proving to be the worst bike on the MotoGP grid. Over his years in World Superbike he showed immense talent, and it’s understandable that he decided to test himself in the top class, but with a technical package like Iwata’s it’s truly difficult to show one’s real potential. Even a phenomenon like Fabio Quartararo struggles, though at times he manages some exploits that are half-miraculous.

And if Quartararo is struggling, all the more so is someone making his MotoGP debut with so much to learn. Surely the Turkish rider hoped to be in a better technical situation: he had anticipated that 2026 wouldn’t be easy, but at the same time he trusted he’d have a few chances to prove he’s worthy of the premier class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. If nothing changes in the second half of the championship, he’ll have to wait for 2027.

Next year is one Razgatlioglu awaits eagerly. There will be new technical regulations and a new tire supplier (Pirelli), so it will be something of a reset, and the Turk could have the chance he’s hoping for to show he can be competitive in MotoGP too.

In Brno there was an initial test with prototypes using 850cc engines and Pirelli tires, and his impressions were positive. Clearly, it’s too early to get excited about 2027, but at least he had some encouraging first sensations.

Manuel Puccetti knows Toprak very well, having had him in his team from 2015 to 2019. He oversaw his rise from the European Superstock 600 to Superstock 1000 and finally brought him into World Superbike. Even after the Turk changed colors, they continued a close friendship as well as a professional relationship. In 2025 the Puccetti Racing Management was founded, a company created in collaboration with Kenan Sofuoglu to manage Turkish riders competing in international series.

Puccetti spoke to Corsedimoto about Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP season, acknowledging the obvious difficulties, which went beyond expectations: "Toprak found himself with a debut as expected, meaning not simple: he doesn’t have a competitive bike, he has to adapt to new tires, and he’s racing in a championship that is totally new to him. There’s a mix of difficulties that don’t allow him to show his potential. We knew it would be complicated; perhaps we imagined it would be a bit less so. But now there’s no point in feeling sorry for ourselves, this is the situation."

The team principal of the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team also reiterates that 2027 is the year when we could see a turning point, with more favorable conditions for the Turkish rider: "We have to wait for 2027; with the new regulations and the new Pirelli tires he could have fewer problems. He was pleased with the test at Brno and is confident looking ahead. Obviously, considering how 2026 is going and that it was only an initial test, he prefers not to go too far out on a limb. Still, he’s looking to 2027 with a smile."

The MotoGP experience is very difficult also from a mental standpoint, because Razgatlioglu was used to constantly fighting for wins in Superbike, and now he finds himself struggling to score points: "It’s not easy," Puccetti underscores, "because he had never experienced a situation like this before. He was used to finishing first, second, or at worst third. He comes from Kenan Sofuoglu’s school, which teaches its riders that finishing second is the same as finishing last. Unfortunately, now Toprak is in the last positions, so it’s tough to swallow. Let’s hope there can be steps forward."