WorldSBK fans among you would certainly be familiar with Toprak Razgatlioğlu. The relatively new racer in the global stage dazzles spectators with his flamboyant riding style – performing wheelies and stoppies on the track, while absolutely dominating the competition. The Turkish racer gained global fame after winning the WorldSBK title in 2021, and continues to be one of the best talents in the racing series.
Rumors of Razgatlioğlu moving up to MotoGP have been circulating for quite some time now, and the Turk's recent test aboard the Yamaha YZR-M1 MotoGP race bike only fuelled these suspicions even further. Over the course of two days, Razgatlioğlu got the rare opportunity to privately test the factory Yamaha M1 at none other than the Circuite de Jerez. Best of all, the weather cooperated, and track conditions were ideal, so Toprak was really able to stretch the bike's legs.
Alongside Toprak, some of the best and most renowned MotoGP test riders were also in attendance. Lorenzo Savadori, Dani Pedrosa, Jonas Folger, and Stefan Bradl were also there, and so, too, were machinery from the likes of Honda, KTM, and Aprilia. In total, Razgatlioğlu completed a total of 116 laps around the famed circuit, with his fastest time being 1:38.860 – seven-tenths of the fastest lap time set by Yamaha test rider Cal Crutchlow. The fastest lap time of the day, however, belonged to Dani Pedrosa, who was 1.4 seconds quicker than the Turkish WorldSBK racer.
Thanks for everything 😊 #YZRM1 #jereztest https://t.co/wf232B15f4
— Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (@toprak_tr54) April 11, 2023
In the MotoGP's official press statement, Toprak Razgatlioğlu stated: "These two days went very well. My priority was to cover as many laps as possible in order to better understand the behaviour of this bike, rather than pushing hard to set a time. But it was still very enjoyable." Now more than ever, fans are curious as to whether or not Razgatlioğlu will ever transition into the MotoGP. He certainly has the skills and charm to be one of the top racers in the premiere class, however, both Yamaha and Razgatlioğlu himself have been tight-lipped about the matter.
