The results don't show it yet. Neither do the statistics. Yet, within the Pramac Yamaha garage, no one doubts for a second that Toprak Razgatlioglu possesses something that the other MotoGP riders don't.
The three-time Superbike world champion has struggled since the start of his rookie season in MotoGP. No top-10 finishes, and some particularly difficult weekends, such as the one on... Sachsenring and total Yamaha which doesn't yet allow him to fully express his talent. But in the Italian garage, the sentiment is unanimous: Soil It is a phenomenon. A phenomenon that is sometimes even… worrying.
Alberto Giribuola, his chief mechanic – who previously worked alongsideAndrea Dovizioso and D'Enea Bastianini – has also just made a particularly revealing confession about the Turk's capabilities.
Asked by GPone on his work with RazgatliogluGiribuola made no secret of his admiration for his new protégé's riding style. He's one of those riders who brakes late, so like Dovi, he brakes late. »
The comparison with Andrea Dovizioso is flattering. But it quickly stops there. Dovi was much more dependent on each sector. For example, although he was an excellent late braker, he really struggled in certain fast sections like Phillip Island »
Toprak, however, has an additional string to its bow. Toprak, on the other hand, sometimes works wonders, even in the fast sections. »
« Toprak Razgatlioglu takes certain corners with such aggression that even we are afraid »
Then he adds: “ He takes certain turns with such aggression that even we are afraid"A statement that speaks volumes when it comes from an engineer who has worked for years with some of the best drivers in the world."
Since his arrival in MotoGP, many have summarized Toprak Razgatlioglu to its incredible braking capacity inherited from Superbike. A clearly overly simplistic analysis. For Swivel, its pilot is much more complete than that. He's a driver who brakes hard, but he also demonstrates genius in other areas. Perhaps more well-rounded in some respects. »
What is particularly impressive PramacIt's his almost instantaneous learning ability. A quality rarely mentioned when talking about Turkish. Another of its incredible features is that, If he follows someone else, he can immediately keep up and do the same things, even if he has never done them beforeIn other words, Soil learns at the speed at which other pilots think.
This ability to observe is one of the rarest qualities in a top-level pilot. He has this ability to adapt and observe. Simply having a point of reference makes a huge difference to him"Giribuola even contrasts this quality with the usual behavior of MotoGP riders." Other drivers often struggle to keep up with someone faster than them.. »
This is undoubtedly one of the most valuable legacies from his years in Superbike. Soil He built much of his piloting skills by observing, analyzing, and then almost instantly reproducing what he judged to be effective.
It is easy today to look at the rankings of the championnat of the world and to conclude that the bet Toprak Razgatlioglu is a failure. Yet that would be a particularly superficial reading of the situation.
The raw performance is indeed not there yet. But when Gino Borsoi emphasizes his openness to criticism, thatAndrea Dovizioso actively participates in its development and thatAlberto Giribuola He speaks literally of "genius" and admits to being afraid when he watches his driver enter certain corners; one conclusion is inescapable. Pramac YamahaNo one works with a pilot who is considered a short-term investment.
Project Toprak Razgatlioglu This is not about the 2026 season. It is about the coming years of MotoGP and, above all, the technical revolution of the 850cc bikes that is coming in 2027.
Paradoxically, the current difficulties of the Turk might even be reassuring Yamaha They show that he is willing to deconstruct his driving style, to learn and suffer in order to understand a category that forgives nothing.
Le Toprak Razgatlioglu What the public sees today is probably not yet what engineers are talking about in their garages. And when a man like Alberto Giribuola While some of the Turkish rider's trajectories are causing concern among those who analyze his data daily, it's undoubtedly far too early to definitively judge his MotoGP career. Sometimes, results simply take a little longer to catch up with talent.
