Toprak Razgatlioglu arrived in Donington to relaunch his WSBK season which does not currently put him in an ideal position to retain his world crown. The Yamaha official has, a priori, nothing more to think about since the MotoGP rider market closed in front of him with the reduction to two M1s, instead of four, of the workforce of the Iwata brand in Grand Prix. But the rumor of an arrival in 2023 does not die…
And this noise continues to haunt the corridors of the paddock all the more Toprak Razgatlioglu is not himself very clear on the subject. Before getting on your R1 to tackle the route of Donington Park, the Turk returned to his test day in Aragon with the M1: “ it's a completely different bike from the ones I'm used to, but I like it. Braking and shifting are incredible ».
Then he continued: “ but the speed didn't impress me because there are a lot of electronics. I don't feel the power, but obviously it's very fast. I only rode two, three hours, then the rain came, but I am very happy with this gift that Yamaha gave me ". And he ends: “ my future ? We'll see ". The protégé of Kenan Sofuoglu therefore leaves the door open to change.
"It would be a good message if Yamaha organized further tests for Toprak Razgatlioglu"
A statement that is cause for concern Franco Morbidelli who certainly has a contract until 2023 with Yamaha , but given his results, his employer could well redirect him to the R1. Would we move towards an exchange between the two pilots? The pilot Yamaha in Endurance for the YART which is Niccolò Canepa mentioned this on GP One on the subject : " Over the years we have seen all kinds of things. Just remember Maverick Viñales who had already won with Yamaha in mid-2021 and then decided to leave. Anything can happen, but I see it as difficult. At Yamaha, like me, everyone wants Franco Morbidelli to prove his worth by returning to going fast like he did in 2020, but on the other hand, anything can happen. For now, I don't see it as a viable scenario ».
The Italian still gives an indication if the situation evolved in a certain way for the Turk: “ a second test would be a nice message. A big show of interest in Toprak. I think if Toprak were to then continue to go fast, it would be completely normal for Yamaha to think of him for the future in MotoGP. He won a long-missing SBK world championship for Iwata, and he is an exceptional person, as well as an exceptional rider. It wouldn't be easy to let him test a lot, but it would be a good message if Yamaha organized more tests for him ". To be continued and this situation gives reason to Franco Morbidelli who has already warned that “ anyone who looks to the future calmly is stupid »...
