“Pure magic” - Toprak Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP riding style explained

Alberto Giribuola, Toprak Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP crew chief, says the Pramac Yamaha rider “sometimes works pure magic” in certain sections of a track.

The three-time World Superbike champion is in the middle of a tough adaptation to MotoGP, as he tries to adapt his riding style to Michelin’s tyres.

Toprak Razgatlioglu is expected to make a significant step in 2027 when MotoGP switches to Pirelli tyres, which he raced in World Superbikes.

Though the Pramac rider is yet to crack the top 10 in a race in 2026, there have been flashes of speed from him, including an 11th-place finish in Hungary.

“Even we get scared…”

Alberto Giribuola, who previously acted as Andrea Dovizioso’s crew chief, sees some similarities between the 15-time MotoGP race winner and Razgatlioglu.

However, Giribuola notes that Razgatlioglu has something extra in high-speed corners which even the team gets “scared” about when watching him.

“He’s part of the group of riders who brake late, so like Dovi, he’s a late-braker,” Giribuola told GPOne.

“However, Dovi was much more sector-specific—for example, while he’s truly a late-braker, he really struggles at certain high-speed sections, like Phillip Island.

“Toprak, on the other hand, even on fast sections, sometimes works pure magic; he enters certain corners so aggressively that even we get scared, so he’s a hard-braker but with flashes of brilliance in other areas too, perhaps more well-rounded in some respects.

“Another incredible trait he has is that if he follows someone else, he can immediately keep up and do the same things even if he’s never done them before.

“So, he has this ability to adapt and observe.

“Simply by having a reference point, he can make a huge difference, whereas other riders often can’t keep up with someone faster than themselves.”

Razgatlioglu will stay with the Pramac Yamaha squad next season, having signed a multi-year deal with the Japanese brand.

He is due to be joined by Moto2 frontrunner Izan Guevara.

At the factory Yamaha team, Jorge Martin and Ai Ogura will replace Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins.

Quartararo is moving to Honda, while Rins is pursuing options in World Superbikes for 2027.