Toprak Razgatlioglu wins over the MotoGP crowd: now let the track do the talking

In its five-year business plan for MotoGP, Liberty Media has stated in black and white its firm intention to make riders “larger than life” personalities. Telling their stories, on and off the track, as evidenced by a series of recent dedicated documentaries (Marc Marquez, but also Jorge Martin). Toprak Razgatlioglu is perfect in this regard. People love the way he rides, he covers important markets, and he has a lot to say in his private life. He jumps off the screen across the board and seems capable of doing it all. That’s why the three-time Superbike World Champion has already conquered MotoGP on the media front, while awaiting the stopwatch’s verdict.

Anticipation like this for a MotoGP rookie hasn’t been seen since Marc Marquez’s 2013 debut. The Turkish rider is known by everyone, even those who don’t usually follow Superbike. He appeals to motorcyclists, enthusiasts, and the new “social” audience. His stoppies, his acrobatics, his expressions generate views on social media. It’s no coincidence that Yamaha has already sent him to Jakarta for a series of promotional events and, first of all, handed him an R25: take it and do what you want. Stunt-riding antics of all kinds, with photos and videos that went around the world.

Razgatlioglu commercially covers the entire Muslim world, spanning from Turkey to Germany. Just look at how many of his compatriots watched the Prima Pramac Yamaha presentation via live stream: Turkish was the native language. A large, passionate, at times boisterous audience, but crucial in Liberty Media’s future plans.

In fact, there are only two “problems” for Toprak Razgatlioglu. His surname, unpronounceable for most, to the point that Dorna wisely kicked things off by publishing a “tutorial” video with the man himself explaining how to correctly pronounce “Raz-ga-tlio-glu” (even if, in Turkish, it should be said differently, but he’s fine with it). More importantly, the media buzz must be matched by results on track. Because a competitive Toprak is one thing; a Toprak in eighteenth place is another. He himself, a smart, level-headed guy like few others, immediately poured cold water on the hype by deferring everything to 2027. Hoping that, while waiting to see a special talent emerge, no one in the media ends up burning him out in 2026, when, understandably, the challenges will be many.