Honda’s Luca Marini does not have high hopes for new Pramac Yamaha rider Torak Razgatlioglu’s rookie MotoGP season as 2026 could be a “transition” year.
Razgatlioglu MotoGP made its debut Pramak At last Sunday’s Thailand Grand Prix, he was the third of four Yamaha riders in the race, finishing P17. Only his Pramac teammate Jack Miller in P18 finished after the 29-year-old’s V4 race. Yamaha YZR-M1 in Buriram.
Yamaha eventually lured Razgatlioglu away from the World Superbike Championship, after offering the Turkish star a two-year factory MotoGP contract to ride for their satellite team Pramak. Razgatlioglu retired from the production bike series after taking his third WSBK title.
Christmas Marini Razgatlioglu believes he should wait until 2027. MotoGP season For a chance to be competitive in the prototype class. MotoGP will complete its handbook next year by banning 850cc engines, more aerodynamic restrictions and ride height equipment.
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Luca Marini Torak Razgatlioglu thinks Pirelli should wait until MotoGP to ‘have fun’
Neil Hodgson noticed that Razgatlioglu did not feel comfortable on the Yamaha bike After pre-season testing and his first race weekend as a MotoGP rider in Thailand. Razgatlioglu will have to adapt to a very different riding position, different tires and Yamaha’s new V4.
Read more: Everything you need to know about Toprak Razgatlioglu from net worth to nickname
Marini believes. Pirelli Replacement Michelin MotoGP’s sole tire supplier in 2027 could play to Razgatlioglu’s advantage. The 29-year-old has experience with Pirelli after eight years in WSBK, but has switched to MotoGP with no racing experience using Michelin.
“He did very well coming to MotoGP,” Marini was quoted as saying. GPON. “He showed incredible strength in the Superbike, he won in a fantastic way.
“This year will be a transition – MotoGP is very different. Next year with a change of tires, he can be competitive again and have fun.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP debut in Thailand shows encouraging signs for 2026
Has Toprak Razgatlioglu made a mistake in moving to MotoGP in 2026?
The suggestion that Marini Razgatlioglu may have to wait until the 2027 regulations to have fun in MotoGP as he struggles to adapt to the Yamaha M1 after leaving WSBK is a comment the Pramac Racing himself said he was “a bit angry” during testing at Sepang.
Yamaha Managing Director Paolo Pavesio enjoys Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP debut in Thailand. But he was not far behind career stars Fabio Quatararo and Alex Rins when he finished last week’s Grand Prix. Quatararo was the top Yamaha rider at Buriram, but only in P14.
Razgatlioglu finished 8.371s behind Quatarraro and 6.239s shy of Rins in P15, while Miller finished 8.654s ahead of his Pramac teammate. Miller dropped to P18 in Buriram after suffering excessive rear tire wear during the race.
Razgatlioglu was encouraged from the start that the Sprint Race 2026 in Buriram could still be a positive year as he adapted to the Yamaha M1. Razgatlioglu was fighting to become the top Yamaha in the Buriram Sprint. But he fell with two laps to go.
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