Toprak Razgatlıoğlu is not arriving in MotoGP to make up the numbers – he is arriving with a long game.
The three-time World Superbike champion says his debut season in 2026 will be about adaptation rather than instant glory, with his true ambitions aligned with MotoGP’s regulation reset in 2027, when he hopes to challenge Ducati star and reigning champion Marc Marquez head-on.
Razgatlıoğlu, 29, will join the Prima Pramac Yamaha team next year after clinching his third World Superbike title in October, closing a remarkable chapter in production-based racing.
The move has been years in the making, but the Turkish rider is under no illusions about the scale of the step up – especially aboard a Yamaha package that has been outgunned by Ducati in recent seasons.
"The first year will be a learning year,” Razgatlıoğlu told Spanish newspaper MARCA. "After that, with the new tyres and new rules, I feel there will be a lot of success in 2027.”
He tempered expectations for immediate results but did not shy away from his ultimate target.
"If I can get some good positions, or podiums if possible, I will be very happy,” he said. "I hope to fight with him (Marquez) in some races, but in 2027 my biggest challenge will be fighting with him.”
Career built on disruption
Razgatlıoğlu’s reputation was forged by doing what few riders could: breaking dynasties.
His 2021 World Superbike title with Yamaha ended Jonathan Rea’s six-year reign, achieved through fearless late braking and an uncanny ability to extract grip where others found limits.
His switch to BMW only strengthened his legend.
After delivering a breakthrough title in 2024, he doubled down in 2025, fending off Ducati challenger Nicolo Bulega and sealing the crown before the season finale.
The run cemented him as one of the most naturally gifted riders of his generation – and a rare talent capable of transforming a manufacturer’s fortunes.
MotoGP interest followed for years, but Razgatlıoğlu repeatedly resisted, unwilling to gamble his prime without a credible pathway. Yamaha’s renewed technical push and Pramac’s factory-backed role finally provided that opening.
Yamaha challenge
Razgatlıoğlu will inherit a Yamaha project in transition.
Once the benchmark of the grid, Yamaha has been chasing Ducati’s aerodynamic and mechanical advantages, with Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins struggling to turn speed into sustained results.
Pramac’s move from Ducati to Yamaha marks a pivotal shift, giving the Japanese manufacturer an expanded development base and a proven race-winning satellite structure.
Razgatlıoğlu’s early tests have already underlined both promise and challenge – adapting from heavier Superbikes to MotoGP prototypes defined by carbon brakes, extreme aerodynamics and unforgiving Michelin tires.
Learning tire management, electronic maps and the relentless intensity of MotoGP weekends will define his rookie season.
Why 2027 is the real target
Razgatlıoğlu’s confidence is rooted in timing.
MotoGP’s 2027 regulation overhaul is expected to fundamentally reshape the grid: smaller engines, tighter aerodynamic limits, the removal of ride-height devices and revised tire constructions.
The aim is clear – reduce speed, increase safety and pull manufacturers closer together.
For a rider whose strengths lie in braking, balance and corner speed, the changes could neutralize Ducati’s power-driven edge and reward adaptability over brute force.
Yamaha, along with Honda, stands to gain – and Razgatlıoğlu believes he can be at the sharp end when the reset arrives.
Marquez challenge
Marquez remains the sport’s defining figure.
His 2025 title with Ducati reaffirmed his ability to dominate with the right tools, blending aggression with experience in a way few can match.
Razgatlıoğlu knows the comparison is unavoidable – and welcomes it.
He is not promising miracles in 2026. Instead, he is laying out a trajectory: learn first, survive second, then attack.
If MotoGP’s next era delivers the close racing it promises, the idea of Razgatlıoğlu throwing his Yamaha down the inside of Marquez may no longer feel like ambition – but inevitability.