Toprak Razgatlioglu expects a “difficult” challenge at Jerez, despite scoring his first MotoGP point at COTA as the top Yamaha rider.
Unlike Buriram, Goiania and COTA, the Spanish round will be the first MotoGP event of the season where Razgatlioglu has recent World Superbike experience.
The reigning WorldSBK champion also completed a private MotoGP test for Yamaha at the Spanish circuit in mid-March.
However, that only served to highlight how much he still needs to change his riding style around the tight, technical layout.
“We will see in Jerez, because Jerez is very difficult,” Razgatlioglu said before leaving COTA.
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“I did a test with the GP bike, but it’s a completely different riding style [to Superbike].
“You need to more keep the speed inside the corner.
“We will see on the Friday [practice]. I hope I’m able to adapt quickly to this style because still in the test I was riding like a Superbike style.
“Yamaha is also pushing hard to improve, but we will see when we are improving a lot.
“Maybe in the middle of the year, maybe the end, maybe next year, but we will see.”
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US MotoGP Race: Lap Times – Yamahas plus Marco Bezzecchi.
© Peter McLaren
Although Razgatlioglu claimed 15th place and the final point at COTA – passing a fading Fabio Quartararo in the process – all four Yamahas finished at the back of the field, more than 25 seconds behind race winner Marco Bezzecchi.
“I’ve finished in front of [Quartararo], but still, we are together. This is not nice because Yamaha are at the back,” Razgatlioglu said.
“Okay, I’m first Yamaha, but we lose 25 seconds. That’s why I’m not happy. I get one point, this is good, but not enough, talking for all the Yamahas.
“But we will see in the next races.”
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Unlike the huge 1.2km back straight at COTA, the underpowered M1 will only face a 600m straight at Jerez, where Razgatlioglu won the 2025 WorldSBK title in last year’s season finale.
Free practice for the Spanish MotoGP starts next Friday, with the first official in-season test of the year on the following Monday.
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