‘I Need to Crash to Find the Limit’: Toprak Razgatlioglu Opens Up on Emotional MotoGP Learning Curve

Toprak Razgatlioglu admits to struggling with pace and front tire trust in his first MotoGP pre-season with Yamaha. Read the emotional interview from Buriram.

By: AXL Media

Published: Feb 26, 2026, 10:07 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Motorsport.com

The Steepest Hill in Motorsport

The jump from World Superbikes (WSBK) to MotoGP is famously difficult, but for Toprak Razgatlioglu, it has become a mental and physical battle. On February 23, 2026, the 29-year-old Pramac Yamaha rider finished the Buriram pre-season test in 21st place out of 22 riders. For a man accustomed to winning multiple world titles, being two seconds off the pace is a bitter pill to swallow. "I’m always thinking corner by corner, trying to do my best, but lap time is not coming, and I’m always getting sad," Razgatlioglu confessed.

The Michelin Front Tire Mystery

The primary hurdle for Razgatlioglu isn't the power of the bike, but the feedback from the Michelin tires. Coming from the Pirelli rubber used in WSBK, the Turkish rider has struggled to find the "limit" of the front end. In MotoGP, riders must carry extreme lean angles and trust the front tire to stick, a sensation that Razgatlioglu says feels alien to him. "When the bike starts turning, I’m leaning, but I’m already waiting to lose the front tire," he explained. He even suggested that he might "need to crash" just to understand where the absolute limit of the equipment lies.

Support from a Champion

Recognizing the visible frustration in the Pramac garage, Yamaha factory star Fabio Quartararo paid Razgatlioglu a special visit during the final day of testing. The 2021 World Champion’s message was simple: stay calm. Quartararo acknowledged that the all-new V4 M1 is difficult even for experienced riders, let alone a rookie. While Yamaha is making progress, the bike remains unreliable and tricky to ride, a combination that has only compounded Razgatlioglu’s "baptism by fire."