Marquez: “It will be nice to see a champion as solid as clay among us”

Our two-time World Superbike Champion representative Toprak Razgatlıoğlu's move to MotoGP in the 2026 season continues to have a great impact in the world of motorsports.

With the agreement officially announced by Yamaha last week, Toprak will join the MotoGP grid in the factory-backed Pramac Yamaha team next season.

Marc Marquez, Ducati Team

Photo: Burak Akbulut - Anatolia - Getty Images

MotoGP championship leader and eight-time champion Marc Marquez responded to a question on the subject as follows: “Of course, it is great to see a champion like Toprak here. He has an aggressive riding style in Superbike, based on the front wheel, and he looks very strong.”

“It will be interesting to watch this different riding style in MotoGP. Also, having a rider from a new nationality on the grid is positive for the championship.”

Marquez’s teammate Pecco Bagnaia also thinks Toprak’s transition is timely, but said it won’t be easy to get used to MotoGP: “I think it’s the right time in his career to get into MotoGP. But everything in MotoGP is different from Superbike; the tyres, the hardness of the bikes… The first season will be an adaptation process. If he can adapt his braking and riding style to MotoGP, he will be competitive.”

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo: Mirco Lazzari GP - Getty Images

Our national rider will compete on Michelin tyres in the transition to MotoGP, but Yamaha is expected to benefit from this transition as Pirelli becomes the official tyre supplier in 2027.

Although Michelin tires are not thought to be suitable for Toprak's aggressive braking style, KTM's young star Pedro Acosta believes Toprak will adapt quickly: "Just look at his pace in Misano. Things may be easy or difficult at the beginning, but eventually he will reach that speed."