“Problem” spotted, Toprak Razgatlioglu “won’t stick around” in MotoGP if…

A series of issues with Toprak Razgatlioglu’s switch to MotoGP have been identified.

Razgatlioglu has signed for Pramac Racing for 2026, meaning he will jump from the World Superbike Championship to MotoGP.

Feted for his skill using Pirelli tyres in WorldSBK, Razgatlioglu will make the move into the premier class which will use Michelins next year, before changing to Pirelli in 2027.

The tyre adaptation is not the only problem posed by Razgatlioglu joining MotoGP.

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Lewis Duncan said on the Crash MotoGP podcast: “The question to ask is: why can’t we have two series independent of each other with their own superstars?

“Why is it a bad thing for a rider to be a great Superbikes rider?

“Toprak Razgatioglu is a star. Him vs Nicolo Bulega has been great - remove one aspect and you’ve just Ducati dominating next year. Ducati are also looking to bring Bulega into MotoGP in 2027, leaving Superbikes with no draws.

“Next year isn’t the year for results for Toprak? Okay, but how can he test and develop a bike on Pirelli tyres when he isn’t able to ride at the limit of the [2026 bike on Michelins]?

“All the development work, really, will be done by Fabio and whoever stays. The people who can push the Yamaha to its limit.

“People don’t expect him to ride to his limit on Michelin tyres. “Why is that different on Pirellis? The way Toprak rides Pirellis, I am not sure it’s a good road for Yamaha to go down. They risk only one rider being able to ride the Pirellis in a certain way.

“Sorry to be a party pooper but I’m not that excited about it - he’s a great talent but he’s a great Superbikes talent, he’s the reason you want to watch Superbikes."

'If Toprak doesn't perform' problem posed

“If Toprak doesn’t perform in the second year when he’s supposed to be strong on the Pirellis, that is it for MotoGP. He won’t stick around for long," Lewis Duncan continued.

“If the Michelins don’t fit his riding style then the risk of crashing, and injuring himself? The whole project is a bust, anyway. That would be a real shame but it’s something that can happen.

“There are too many things here to make me confidently say ‘Toprak will be a great MotoGP rider’.

“There are a lot of great MotoGP riders on the grid now that he’s got to be on a par with.

“Marc Marquez, Pecco Bagnaia, Alex Marquez, Fabio Quartararo… would Toprak be as good as those guys? I don’t know. We don’t know.

“I hope it does work out. I want it to work out. I think it’s great to have more nationalities on the grid and I hope it leads to a Turkish Grand Prix.

“But there are a lot of problems with this…”

Pramac must now decide how to complete their rider line-up in 2026.

Current riders Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira will be threatened by the arrival of Razgatlioglu.

The Turkish rider is also reuniting with Yamaha, with whom he won his first WorldSBK title.