Toprak Razgatlioglu, the reigning World Superbike (WorldSBK) champion, is set to make a significant transition from WorldSBK to MotoGP in the 2026 season, joining the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP team. Razgatlioglu, who clinched his third WorldSBK title in 2024 and currently leads the 2025 championship, will swap his BMW for a Yamaha machine as he steps into the premier motorcycle racing class.
Though traditionally rookies debut on their new MotoGP bike during the postseason Valencia test in mid-November, Razgatlioglu is expected to get an earlier start. Reports indicate that he could test Yamaha’s MotoGP bike as soon as November 2025, shortly after the WorldSBK season concludes on October 19 at Jerez. This early testing opportunity is facilitated by BMW‘s goodwill, as they have no intent to block Razgatlioglu’s early MotoGP integration since he will no longer compete for their team in 2026.
Yamaha has expressed that the test will likely happen “right after the Superbike season,” giving Razgatlioglu valuable extra time to adapt to the Yamahas M1 prototype bike, which presents a significant step up from the production-based Superbikes. This head start is seen as crucial to helping him adjust to the new tyres, bike dynamics, and the race environment of MotoGP ahead of his full-time debut.
Yamaha’s managing director Paolo Pavesio acknowledged the importance of this arrangement and praised BMW’s cooperative stance. He also highlighted that Razgatlioglu’s earlier MotoGP tests in 2023 had shown promise but also room for improvement due to Yamaha’s challenges in 2022–2024. The renewed collaboration aims at maximizing Razgatlioglu’s success potential by providing him time to learn and develop within a factory-supported team structure.
Razgatlioglu’s 2026 contract with Prima Pramac Yamaha offers him a full factory-supported ride with strong technical backing, yet a slightly less pressured environment compared to the factory Yamaha team, potentially easing his transition. His teammate for 2026 has not been confirmed yet.
