Toprak Razgatlioglu dreams of the big challenge: "I want to battle with Marc Marquez

Razgatlioglu confident about his MotoGP challenge, the many changes he has to face don’t worry him: will he succeed there too?

One of the hot topics in MotoGP in 2026 will certainly be the debut of Toprak Razgatlioglu, who after three World Superbike titles has decided to make the big leap to the top class. He’s chosen to bet on himself and on the Yamaha project, taking a considerable risk. The M1 was the least competitive bike of 2025 and next year it will hit the track with a brand-new V4 engine. The positive news is that the Iwata manufacturer will continue to enjoy the grade D concessions, so it will be able to test and develop with a certain degree of freedom.

Even though he knows he has a lot to learn, the Turkish rider is convinced he’ll be a protagonist in MotoGP: "The first year will be a year of learning. Then - he told Marca - with the new tires and new regulations, I feel I’ll be very successful in 2027. But before then, if I can grab some good positions, or a podium if possible, I’ll be very happy. I believe Yamaha will be even stronger in 2027 and that together we can be very successful."

Fabio Quartararo is the benchmark at Yamaha, the one who has made the difference over all his brand mates in recent years. Razgatlioglu hopes to get close to him, although at the moment he’s more focused on his own work than on what other riders are doing: "Fabio is a good guy, I like him. We have a Yamaha, but I’m not focused on Fabio, I’m focused only on enjoying the bike, on riding it. That’s my challenge. If I start having fun, success will come. First of all, I have to find a good setup, adapt to the bike, to the tires. It will be my first year and I don’t want to set too many goals, but we all have goals."

At the FIM Awards event he spoke quite a bit with Marc Marquez, the 2025 MotoGP champion and a rider he greatly admires: "I hope I can fight with him in some races this season - Toprak admits - that’s my goal. But in 2027 my biggest challenge will be to battle with him. For me, he has incredible talent, he’s a MotoGP legend. He also showed that you can come back strong, as he did this year. I’m very happy for him. And for his family too, because I know what they went through after the injury, struggling in every race with Honda. Now, finally, they’re smiling again. We’re not exactly close friends, but we’ve always stayed in touch."

It will take a lot of work from him and from Yamaha to think about challenging Marquez, who will still be with Ducati in 2026 and whose plans for 2027 are not yet known. While Razgatlioglu already has a contract with the Iwata manufacturer, the Spaniard doesn’t know whether he’ll continue his adventure with the Borgo Panigale team or make a different choice. A return to Honda seems the most likely alternative.