Toprak Razgatlioglu will make his highly-anticipated debut in Grand Prix motorcycle racing at Pramac Racing this year, becoming the latest rider to make the transition from World Superbikes to MotoGP.
The Turkish rider enters the premier class as a three-time world champion in the production motorcycle racing category.
Razgatlioglu He rides on top Yamaha Machinery, ed. The same build that won his first WSBK title in 2021.
He joins an exceptional list of riders who have taken an unconventional route into the premier class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing and will no doubt attempt to change that.
Can Toprak Razgatlioglu repeat World Superbike success in MotoGP?
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5. Colin Edwards
Colin Edwards, known on the track as the ‘Texas Tornado’, moved to MotoGP after claiming two WSBK titles with Honda at the start of the new millennium.
Edwards has spent more than a decade of his active riding career in the premier class, but has never been able to replicate his race-winning form on a prototype bike.
Known as a teammate Valentino Rossi And a popular figure in the MotoGP paddock, the American-born rider has amassed a total of 12 podiums in 12 seasons.
His best result in a season came in his third MotoGP campaign in 2005, when factory Yamaha team-mate Rossi secured his fifth championship by finishing fourth in the riders’ standings.
4. Troy Bayliss
Troy Bayliss had the shortest MotoGP career of any rider on this list, but arguably the most storied.
He spent three seasons as a full-time rider in the premier class between 2003 and 2005, making a total of four podiums for the factory. Ducati group.
However, Bayliss’ MotoGP legacy was strengthened the following year after receiving a replacement ride for the Borgo Panigale at the end of the season.
Valencia, Bayliss led the entire Grand Prix. After finishing in second place the previous day.
The unprecedented feat is the only time a rider has won the event and is unlikely to be repeated in the future.
Bayliss was the first and only rider to win both World Superbikes and MotoGP races in the same calendar year.
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3. Ben Spies
Ben Spies, known as ‘The Elbow’ for his riding style in the MotoGP paddock, has secured a full-time ride in the premier class a year after delivering one of the most famous rookie campaigns in World Superbikes.
The Tennessee native joined Yamaha’s satellite outfit Tech3 Racing Team, and his impact in the premier class was immediate.
The Spies took pole position in their first home race in Indianapolis and took their second podium of the season. Rookie of the year campaign, before securing maiden victory at the Dutch TT the following season.
Unfortunately, constant injuries and mechanical odds would eventually halt his trajectory, leaving many to consider him one of the most naturally gifted riders of his generation.
2. Chris Vermeulen
Chris Vermeulen arrived at MotoGP with a fair degree of popularity, particularly in difficult weather conditions.
He made the full-time move to the Grand Prix format in 2006, joining the factory Suzuki outfit and finishing runner-up with Honda in WSBK the previous year.
His crowning achievement came in his second season in the premier class, and he did it in style.
While the rest of the grid was weakened by poor conditions at Le Mans, Vermeulen stepped up.
The race marked the first time in the 800cc MotoGP Formula era that riders changed bikes mid-race due to conditions, and Vermeulen held off everyone until P8 at the checkered flag to finish second with a 12-second lead.
It would prove to be the Australian rider’s only win in the category, but a memorable one nonetheless.
1. Cal Crutchlow
Among the riders who have gone from WSBK to MotoGP in the modern era; Cal Crutchlow It is the most successful.
In more than a decade of racing in the premier class, the Briton has scored three Grand Prix victories and 19 podiums.
In the year
Unfortunately, he gets punched by Maverick Vinales, who in turn, gets his first win in the division in his second season.
His tenure, spent largely with LCR Honda, was characterized by a fearless riding style that earned him the respect of a grid that included Marc Marquez, Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa.
