Toprak Razgatlioglu gets a Superbike feeling: a 2027 turning point is possible

The three-time Superbike World Champion spoke about his test with a 2027 prototype and Pirelli tires at Brno: still a lot of work to do, but encouraging feelings.

Learn and endure. That’s what Toprak Razgatlioglu must do in his first MotoGP year with a non-competitive Yamaha M1 and Michelin tires that are anything but easy to exploit for a rider coming from Superbike. Despite a tough situation, he has to try to improve as much as possible with the bike he has today and patiently wait for 2027, the year of the new technical regulations and the arrival of the new tire supplier (Pirelli).

The Prima Pramac Yamaha rider has always said that 2026 would be a learning year to get used to MotoGP and prepare for 2027, when he expects to finally show his true potential. He hopes Yamaha will put a much more competitive bike on track and that he’ll feel much more at ease with Pirelli tires.

After the Czech Republic Grand Prix, there was a test at Brno in which manufacturers were allowed to use official riders to try bikes with 850cc engines and Pirelli tires. The three-time Superbike world champion was there and his final takeaway was positive: “I’m happy after the test. We’re not 100% ready yet with the new bike,” reports Motosan, “but we’ve already tested the 850 and the new tires. I’m very positive. Under braking I’m not completely comfortable yet, but I have much more confidence. With every session I do, I feel better on the bike, especially with the front. You don’t have to think about braking anymore, you just go.”

Razgatlioglu confirmed that with the new Pirelli tires he has sensations quite similar to those he had in SBK, where Pirelli will be replaced by Michelin in 2027: “At the rear, yes, we have a ton of grip at the back. We need to improve some things, but the grip is incredible. And at the front too, the feeling is the same as I had in Superbike.”

It’s too early to get carried away—it was only a test—but for Toprak it’s crucial to have found a more natural feeling with the tires. Clearly, there are still many miles to cover and a lot of work to do before being ready for the 2027 MotoGP season.

The Turkish rider also had the chance to explain what it felt like to ride a prototype with less power than what he got used to in 2026: “After riding a 1000cc, the 850 feels very slow. You have to adapt. After entering the corner, when you shift to third or fourth gear, it feels like nothing is happening. It’s a strange sensation. With less power we should have higher corner speed, but for now we’ve only tested for one day. We need to work a lot more.”

The next test will be on Monday, September 21 at Spielberg, after the Austrian Grand Prix. The last one of 2026 will be in Valencia on Tuesday, December 1, after the final grand prix of the MotoGP championship. This weekend the focus is on the GP at Assen, the tenth round of the 2026 calendar. We’ll see if Yamaha struggles less compared to the very difficult weekend at Brno.