Neil Hodgson has warned Torak Razgatlioglu that 2026 will be a psychologically ‘difficult’ year at Pramak Yama. Razgatlioglu has replaced the top World Superbike rider at BMW for a team that finished bottom of the MotoGP championship last year.
After Seppang, it is clear that they are the two. Yamaha teams are having a tough season.. The V4 is still underpowered and unreliable, putting the Japanese manufacturer at the back of the grid, more buoyant than last year (at least for now).
Individually, Razgatlioglu was not happy with the performance In Malaysia. He is finding it harder to adapt to the MotoGP bike than he expected.
Pramak earlier asked Razgatlioglu to put the brakes on. To improve the corner exits. In consultation with the engineers, he decided to return to the aero he used in the Valencia test last November.
Neil Hodgson expects Torak Razgatlioglu to fight for the 15th time at Pramak.
Speaking on Get off the gas podcast, Hodgson predicted that Razgatlioglu would struggle to score points on most race weekends in 2026.
He believes that the Turkish superstar is already at a 0.7 second deficit due to the weaknesses of the Yamaha package.
Razgatlioglu’s teammate Jack Miller finished 17th in the championship last year, while Alex Rins and Miguel Oliveira finished 19th and 20th. Fabio Quatararo was in a league of his own at 9.
Hodgson said: “Where do you expect him to finish? I ask about it. When I say 15th, everyone has such a shock.
“Because you’re on your Yamaha, who’s going to beat him by .7 seconds?”
Torak Razgatlioglu says he should not ‘get down on himself’ during his rookie MotoGP season
Hodgson in 2010 The Briton finished 17th with only three top 10 finishes before retiring.
Razgatlioglu He was a ‘star’ and a ‘hero’ in World Superbikes but now he can be a lowly midfield rider, at least in his rookie season.
Hodgson doesn’t want the 29-year-old’s ‘fantastic’ talent to go to waste, but warns he must be prepared to suffer in the coming months.
He said: “When everybody’s patting you on the back, and you’re the guy, Toprak’s unbelievable, he’s a star, he’s the show, once you lose that and he’s going to lose it this year, there’s no two ways, that’s not going to be a hero. He’s riding at the limit, he’s fighting for the 15th time.”
“You know what happens? You hate it. You hate every part. The problem with MotoGP, even more, is 22 laps, never ending.”
“The publicity that comes with being a manufacturer in MotoGP is 10 times that of World Superbikes. If you don’t get that endorphin release, if you can’t do that on the back, if you’re not the hero, it’s bloody. It’s tiring.
This is the bit I hope he doesn’t get down on himself and I hope he digs it and Yamaha improves their package and builds a bike for him.
“What I’ve seen with him as a rider is amazing. He’s very talented, but he needs to get through this. He’s got a tough year ahead of him.”
