WorldSBK leader Toprak Razgatlioglu renewed at the beginning of July for two more years with Yamaha and plans to continue in the series-derived motorcycle championship until at least 2023 . However, it is not ruled out that he will move to MotoGP sooner. Now it has become known that the exceptional Turkish rider will test the Yamaha M1 for the first time at the end of the year.
In Jonathan Rea’s latest video on his YouTube channel, a conversation between the Kawasaki rider and Razgatlioglu is shown talking about a possible MotoGP test. The Ottoman confirms to the British that he would like to try the M1: “Yes, this year I will try it. Maybe I won’t like it.”
Razgatlioglu’s agent, Kenan Sofuoglu , has already raised concerns that the Ottoman’s style may not suit MotoGP as well as it does Superbikes. Rea advises his rival in the championship not to wait too long: “I wanted to go to MotoGP, but I never had the opportunity. If you have a chance, you have to go. Believe me, because if not one day you will be 30 years old and nobody will love you” .
Toprak Razgatlioglu, PATA Yamaha WorldSBK, Andrea Dosoli
“If there is a chance to make an impression of MotoGP then we will do it,” Yamaha WorldSBK project manager Andrea Dosoli told Motorsport.com. “That way we would also be better prepared if they need a replacement driver in the future.”
“We have a close relationship with the MotoGP project. When they needed a substitute rider, we offered ours. By doing so, we offered them the possibility of discovering new opportunities. At the moment, nothing is confirmed. But we would like to have a collaboration even closer in the future”, adds Dosoli.
The Yamaha manager is not concerned that Razgatlioglu’s aggressive riding style is not suited to MotoGP. “A talented rider can adapt to any type of bike. A talented rider knows how to get the most out of each bike, whatever the category,” says Dosoli.
(Click on this link or on the image to see photos of WorldSBK in Jerez 2021)
