World Superbike star Toprak Razgatlioglu sings on Turkish talent show

Three-time World Superbike champion and incoming Pramac MotoGP rider Toprak Razgatlioglu made a surprise appearance as a performer on a Turkish talent show.

The 29-year-old will make his long-awaited MotoGP debut this season with Pramac Yamaha, after a bombshell signing last summer.

He comes to MotoGP as a three-time World Superbike champion, having taken a third title last year in a tense battle with Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega across the campaign.

Toprak Razgatlioglu made his public test debut on a MotoGP bike at the post-season Valencia test in November, where he impressed on the Yamaha M1 with a lap just 1.3s off the best pace.

Ahead of his debut in team colours on 13 January in Siena at the Pramac team launch, Razgatlioglu guested on O Ses Turkiye.

The Turkish version of talent show The Voice, Razgatlioglu sang solo on stage, admitting it was a more nerve-wracking experience than racing.

“Honestly, I’m not that stressed during races,” he said.

“I don’t feel that much pressure. Maybe it’s because I’m doing the sport I love.

“If you told me to get on a motorcycle now, I could ride and race without any problems.

“But this [singing to an audience]… it’s really difficult. Even footballers say it: they’re a hundred times more stressed here than on the pitch.”

During his appearance, Razgatlioglu also said: “By 2026, of course, everyone has dreams.

“I hope it will be a year in which everyone can achieve their goals and fulfil their dreams, because we all have them.

“I, too, continue to dream of becoming world champion again. So, I hope it will be a good year for everyone.”

Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP debut in 2026 is highly anticipated, though he will face a steep learning curve of adapting to current 1000cc machinery on Michelin tyres while developing the 850cc 2027 bike on Pirellis.

He isn’t the only two-wheel star to have appeared on singing talent shows in recent years.

Three-time MotoGP world champion Jorge Lorenzo was a contestant on the Spanish version of The Masked Singer.

Lorenzo was a finalist on the show in 2020, singing songs from J Balvin and Dire Straits dressed as a giant raven.