SBK, Razgatlioglu reveals, "I didn't want to complete the test in Jerez with the Yamaha M1"

Having the opportunity to race in MotoGP has always been one of the big dreams of Toprak Ratgatlioglu, who still has not shelved his ambition to one day land in the premier class. It's a desire that he might be able to crown in 2026 with the colors of BMW, but which seemed to be close to materializing already after the two-day test in Jerez sustained by the Turk in April last year, riding the Yamaha YZR-M1.

It was a test with a very different purpose than the one faced by the 2021 SBK World Champion in June 2022, when he first tested the M1 at Motorland Aragon as a prize for winning the production-based title. As is well known, however, the Andalusian two-day test did not go according to Razgatlioglu's plans, and instead of opening wide the doors for him to join the Monster Energy Yamaha team as Franco Morbidelli's replacement, it decreed the end of his relationship with a Yamaha that appeared disinclined to fulfill his wishes. So much so that Toprak revealed a year later that he even considered quitting the test a day early.

"Even before the test we were already discussing the position on the bike. Usually in Yamaha there are three different seats, but when I arrived for the test the bike was the same as before. I just did my laps. I didn't even have a lot of tyres available," the 27-year-old recounted, as reported by our colleagues at Motorsport-Total.com.

It was a situation that inconvenienced the Turk in no small way, leading him to confront his manager Kenan Sofuoglu soon after finishing the first day on the track. "I had no intention of continuing to ride after the first day ," he admitted, "I talked to Kenan: he told me I should show respect to Yamaha.

Although he honored the opportunity given to him by Yamaha by completing the two-day test, Razgatlioglu became convinced during the test that there was no longer a place for him in the ranks of the Iwata manufacturer.

"Yamaha had no intention of letting me join MotoGP.They did not want the new contract and so we started talking to BMW," he explained, "I signed with BMW and now I am very happy. It was a new challenge for me and I am more motivated than before."