For Toprak Razgatlioglu, his promotion to MotoGP is a long-cherished dream come true – but despite all the anticipation, the Pramac rider remains realistic.
A historic moment for Turkish motorsport and for Toprak Razgatlioglu himself: The three-time Superbike World Champion was officially presented as a MotoGP rider for Pramac-Yamaha for the 2026 season on Tuesday.
This step fulfills a long-cherished dream for the 29-year-old and at the same time marks the beginning of one of the most exciting chapters in his successful career.
“The dream has finally come true”
Razgatlioglu was understandably emotional during his presentation. He emphasized that it was “a very special moment” for him, not only personally, but also for his home country: “The dream has finally come true.”
Standing in the leather of a MotoGP team for the first time and seeing the final design of the motorcycle was also a highlight for him. “I had this really big dream of MotoGP and now I’m finally here,” said the Turkish rider happily.
The move to Pramac-Yamaha was the right decision for him, “because the team and everyone here are really very welcoming.” He felt at home right away. His promise to Pramac and the fans is therefore clear: “I will give my best every race weekend.”
First impressions of the MotoGP Yamaha
Even before the official presentation, Razgatlioglu was able to test the new Yamaha M1 with a V4 engine. His impressions were overwhelmingly positive.
However, he explained that the difference to the Superbike World Championship is enormous. “It’s a completely different motorcycle. The acceleration in particular is incredible. And it’s really fast on the straights. I’ll need time to get used to the bike and still have a lot to learn,“ said the rookie.
The tires in particular posed a major challenge, as he still had to feel and get to know their limits. However, he was encouraged by the extensive test schedule: ”We have a six-day test in Malaysia. And I hope we find a way to understand the bike and adapt.“ Basically, he thinks the team is ready for 2026, even if it will be ”a tough season“ for him personally. That’s because the switch from the Superbike World Championship to MotoGP is extremely demanding. ”Everything feels different, but I’ll do my best.”
Focus on Malaysia and learning process
Razgatlioglu’s hopes lie with the aforementioned Malaysia test. He expects to see significant progress there, not least because Yamaha will be bringing new components.
At the same time, he emphasized: “This is my first year and we have to try out a lot of things, because when I ride Superbike, everything is easy, but MotoGP is completely different, especially the tires. But we have time, and I will test everything and try to find the way to ride fast.”
