Toprak Razgatlioglu takes stock after the first half of his debut MotoGP season and makes no secret of where the biggest problem lies
Toprak Razgatlioglu looks back on the first half of his debut MotoGP season with mixed feelings. The three-time Superbike World Champion, who made the leap to Pramac-Yamaha in the premier class in 2026, sees clear progress but also a major weak point that persists.
From the 29-year-old’s perspective, that weak point remains Friday practice, which still regularly sets the stage for a rather difficult race weekend for the Turkish rider.
“The only reason I’m happy is because we’re always improving in the race,” Razgatlioglu explains regarding the first half of his season. “Our pace is getting better, and I’m riding the races much better now. But on Friday, we’re just not there. We do make a strong comeback in the race, but by then it’s too late.”
Razgatlioglu: “That gives me motivation”
He sees this as the key to the rest of the season. The race pace is now there, but the deficit from the first practice sessions regularly costs the team valuable time. “We have the speed and we have the pace. But on Friday, we’re just not quite there yet.”
“If we could start strong on Friday,” explains Razgatlioglu, “we could achieve significantly better results. I know that, and that’s exactly what motivates me.”
The Pramac rider emphasizes that progress doesn’t depend solely on his own adaptation. Yamaha is also working intensively to further develop the bike. In his view, a more competitive base would make getting off to a good start each weekend considerably easier.
“If I improve and, at the same time, everyone on the bike side keeps working as hard as they have been, the bike will help me more and more. If we start Friday strong, the rest will be much easier. Because I always improve during the race anyway.”
Razgatlioglu can also see from the data analyses that this progress is already evident. Nevertheless, Friday remains the biggest cause for concern. “Before the race, we’re simply not where we need to be. That makes it very difficult.”
“I’m happy because I can see in the data that we’re making progress. But we’re still not there on Fridays. That’s exactly where we need to start stronger,” said the Turkish rider.
The Difference from the Superbike World Championship
When asked whether Fridays in MotoGP are generally more difficult than in the Superbike World Championship, Razgatlioglu points above all to the completely different workflows and technical requirements. “The biggest difference is the motorcycle and the tires. Everything is different from the Superbike World Championship,” he explains.
After many years in the production-based World Championship, he had developed set routines there: “In the Superbike World Championship, I’d often go out alone on Friday, do eight, nine, or ten laps, and sometimes run a race simulation right away in the first free practice session. Everything was simply under control there.”
In MotoGP, it’s different. The more complex prototypes, the Michelin tires, and the much tighter competition have made preparation significantly more challenging. Consequently, he has to get used to a completely new working environment.
Despite all the difficulties, Razgatlioglu believes his development is on the right track. He’s getting closer to the desired level step by step and feels small improvements every race weekend. For 2027, his second season in the premier class, he therefore expects a significant leap forward.
“I’m not quite where I want to be yet, but I’m getting closer step by step. A lot will change next year—I’m convinced of that,” emphasizes the Pramac rider.
“This year is going well because I’m getting a little bit better every race weekend. But we absolutely have to improve on Fridays. If we can do that, everything will change for the better. That’s my hope. We’ll see.”
