Toprak Razgatlioglu makes Pramac Yamaha smile: the verdict from the Valencia test

Spotlight on Razgatlioglu in the MotoGP test at Valencia: the Superbike champion didn’t do badly.

53 laps, 18th fastest time, 1.294s off leader Raul Fernandez and 740 thousandths from Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha’s top rider. That’s Toprak Razgatlioglu’s tally from the MotoGP test day in Valencia. After the shakedown in Aragon at the start of last week, the Prima Pramac rider faced the rest of the grid for the first time. Right now, he just needs to rack up miles, trying to adapt to the M1 V4 and the Michelin tires. Big expectations aren’t realistic.

The three-time Superbike World Champion can’t speak, as he’s still under contract with BMW, but team manager Gino Borsoi did: “Obviously, Toprak couldn’t give a definitive opinion,” reports Motosan, “since he has hardly ever ridden a MotoGP bike, but he did very well and was very precise about the bike’s dynamics. He offered a very interesting perspective and I think he was very fast.”

Borsoi believes Razgatlioglu exceeded expectations in the Valencia MotoGP test and praised his approach: “In my opinion, yes. Looking at the different sectors of the circuit, he didn’t manage a perfect lap, because he’s less familiar with the bike and did fewer laps. Bulega also comes from Superbike, but he had the whole weekend to work, plus the test. Also, we’ve started this new project, which still has a lot to offer and a lot of work to do. In short, Toprak’s test was very positive and I’m very happy. He gave good feedback and, as a person, he’s easy to work with.”

Over the years in SBK he stood out for many qualities, and one of them is certainly braking, but now Toprak has to make some adjustments to his riding style. The Prima Pramac Yamaha team manager put it this way: “As you’ve seen, his braking is incredible; he still has to adapt to these brakes and this front tire. At first, he braked very hard, but little by little he realized that the powerful braking he used in Superbike isn’t as effective here. He needs to try to adapt and improve. He did it fairly quickly, even though he still has a lot to learn. He’s a chameleonic rider who quickly adapts to what he needs to do.”

Borsoi has great confidence in the Turkish rider and is convinced he’ll adapt well to a completely new world like MotoGP: “When a rider brakes hard, it’s already a huge advantage. Convincing someone who brakes that hard to brake a little less is easier than the opposite. He just needs to adapt, but he has the right traits to be fast in MotoGP. Clearly, he had some difficulties with everything, both with the tires and with MotoGP in general. He still has things to learn, but he’s very smart, he’s good, and he didn’t make mistakes. He always pushed the bike almost to the limit without overdoing it, and he also helped us understand some aspects we’ll work on tomorrow (today, ed.).”

Today Yamaha is still on track in Valencia and it will be another important day that can help Razgatlioglu get familiar with the Yamaha M1 and the Michelin tires. Considering that the Iwata manufacturer will still be in MotoGP’s concession Group D, with “free” testing and the possibility to use factory riders, he’ll have the chance to gain experience and make progress. He’ll need to make the most of every opportunity on track.

It’s impossible right now to say whether the three-time Superbike world champion will prove up to the top class; he needs time and we must avoid hasty judgments. There are doubts, but we feel they’re more tied to Yamaha than to Toprak. The Turk has immense talent and if there’s an SBK rider who can be competitive in MotoGP, it’s him, but having a competitive bike is crucial. The Iwata manufacturer has struggled in recent years, and it will be interesting to see whether, with the V4 project and work on other aspects, it can return to top levels.