One of the most highly anticipated riders in MotoGP 2026 is definitely Toprak Razgatlioglu. Having archived his adventure in Superbike with BMW, the Turk has now managed to fulfill his lifelong dream by climbing aboard the M1 of the Pramac team.
The Turkish rider is well known to Alberto Vergani, and the manager from Milan wanted to make some remarks about the challenge that awaits him next year.
"For the others he could be a big headache at Yamaha - he began - Toprak is a champion, a crazy talent, and the results speak for him: he has won three World Championships with two different manufacturers. At Valencia I had a chance to talk to him and it was crazy."
About what?
"He is fully aware of what lies ahead of him, the difficulties he will encounter and how to handle them, considering his riding guile. As Marco Melandri also claimed, Toprak is endowed with a monstrous talent, which Mother Nature has given him. I would also like to say one thing that ties Toprak to another rider."
Which one?
"Casey Stoner once told me: when you have one bike, think only about that one and how to ride it the best you can, because the moment you look at the other one you lose energy and you've already lost at the start. That's where Toprak comes in, he said to me in Valencia: this year I went off track because of the chassis. The moment I stopped complaining and focused only on riding and what I could do with the BMW, I solved my problems. Hearing these words from him reminded me of Casey: for me Razgatlioglu is a Stoner 2 - Revenge."
What do you expect from him?
"For him the year 2026 will be a season waiting to be discovered, because the bikes, tyres and circuits will all be new. However, I believe in his talent and I am convinced that he will show everyone what he will be able to do, despite a Yamaha that is still not quite at the level of the competition."