Toprak Razgatlioglu, from master to rookie: first impressions on the Yamaha M1

Razgatlioglu has spoken for the first time about his debut on the Prima Pramac team’s Yamaha M1.

At the 2025 FIM Awards, Toprak Razgatlioglu was a must-attend, having claimed the Superbike World Championship again this year. Two years on the BMW M 1000 RR, two riders’ titles brought home—the first for the German manufacturer in the category. He made history after already bringing the world title back to Yamaha in 2021: the Iwata factory hadn’t won it since 2009, when rookie Ben Spies prevailed. Now the Turk is focused on the next step of his career: MotoGP.

In November he completed his first tests with the Prima Pramac Racing Yamaha M1. He had already tested the Japanese prototype in 2022 and 2023, but compared to then things have changed and the big news is the use of a V4 engine instead of an inline-four. After an initial shakedown at Aragon, he also rode in Valencia alongside almost the rest of the MotoGP grid, which he’ll face in 2026. He did not do badly at all.

Razgatlioglu was determined to test himself in MotoGP, even though he’s no longer very young (29) and is taking a risk by riding for a manufacturer that has faced difficulties in recent years. It would have been more comfortable to stay in World Superbike, where he was an absolute star. But he likes challenges and believes in himself. Even though he has to tweak his riding style and adapt to many new things, he’s not worried at all.

Interviewed by Speedweek, the Turkish rider spoke about the major change he faced during last month’s tests with the Yamaha M1: "Everything on the bike is different from the superbike, but the biggest difference is the riding position. That’s very important for me. We mainly used the first day to find my position on the bike. The feeling with the front wheel and the brakes: there’s still room for improvement. We only had one bike available and some slightly different parts on the first day, but there will be updates soon. Yamaha will bring modified clip-ons, a bit higher. Then there are the other things: the brakes, the tires, the acceleration. In short, everything is different."

Even though he still has a lot of work to do, Toprak had a fairly positive feeling riding the Iwata prototype: "The feeling was anything but negative, even if I didn’t push much at the beginning. So far I’ve only ridden the new V4, so I have no comparisons. On the straights the MotoGP bike is very, very fast. I wasn’t very fast on the first day, but I was on the second."

There are a great many Razgatlioglu fans in Turkey, and for the World Superbike calendar there had already been talk of adding a round at Istanbul Park (featured only in 2013), which didn’t materialize. It could happen in MotoGP, which raced there between 2005 and 2007: "We’ve started talking about it for 2027. Maybe MotoGP will race at Istanbul Park again. There’s new asphalt, everything is ready. It would be nice for me, but maybe not in my first year. Preferably in 2027, when I might start getting on the podium. It’s my home race and I absolutely have to take a podium there."

There is no Turkish Grand Prix planned for 2026, so at most it could happen in 2027, a year in which MotoGP will have new technical regulations and a new sole tire supplier (Pirelli). Toprak will have more experience in the championship and might be more competitive.

Before thinking too far ahead, there’s 2026 to focus on. From January 29 to 31 he’ll be in Sepang for the MotoGP shakedown; Yamaha still has Grade D concessions and will therefore be able to field its full-time riders ahead of the collective test (February 3–4–5), also scheduled in Malaysia. On February 21–22 the action will move to Buriram, which will also host the first Grand Prix of the 2026 calendar (February 27–March 1). The three-time Superbike world champion wants to arrive in the best possible condition for his first race weekend in the top class.

YouTube Channel: CorsedimotoTV