During the first MotoGP test of the year in Valencia, on the Tuesday following the Grand Prix, all eyes of fans and managers were on the two rookies in the category: Moto2 World Champion Diogo Moreira and three-time Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu.
At the end of the day, the two riders weren't too far from each other compared to the Turkish rider, 18th (1'30.667), and the Brazilian rider, 21st (1'31.197): just over five tenths, which could be explained by the greater familiarity that the more experienced Toprak had, since it wasn't his first time riding the M1. There's no doubt, however, that the former BMW rider catalyzed the most attention thanks to his switch to Pramac.
Jack Miller, his new teammate on the Pramac team, is convinced that Toprak Razgatlioglu's "completely different riding style" can "enhance Yamaha's strengths" in 2026.
Although no striking results are expected for 2025, his arrival was primarly thought of with a view towards the development of the Yamaha 2027, designed to work mount Pirelli tires. Despite the difficult adjustment required from only twelve months with Michelin, Miller is convinced that the Turkish rider will be able to "quickly become familiar with it."
"He's a world-class rider. I think he'll adapt pretty quickly," Miller said during the Valencia tests. " He has a lot of experience with different manufacturers, even if in the Superbike. But, in the end, a bike always has two wheels and a throttle. I'm sure he'll be able to get everything right quickly."
Miller also emphasized how the data collected by Razgatlioglu may prove valuable for the entire Yamaha project as early as 2026.
"It comes from another riding style, from Pirelli," the Australian explained. "There are so many ways to make these bikes perform. This year, I learned from Quartararo's data, and he learned from mine.I think we helped each other a lot. With a rider like Toprak, with another completely different style, we'll have new kinds of information. We'll be able to see what he does with the bike at certain points and how he does it. All this will benefit Yamaha."