I think I was one of the more excited automotive journalists regarding Toprak Razgatlioglu's potential move to MotoGP. In preparation for his move, last year I suggested that RideApart should publish a feature about riders who've tried to make the jump from WSBK to MotoGP over the past 20 years—spoiler alert, they didn't do great. Then, there was a whole lot of nothing.
Rumors built on rumors built on fairytales. After this Honda rumor, I was done reporting on Toprak's move until it was practically inked—here I am reporting on it, so you know what that means.
OK, it's still technically a rumor, but it's very likely that we're about to hear that Toprak has officially signed a two-year contract with Prima Pramac, putting him aboard a Yamaha in 2026 and signaling the end of his dominant WSBK career and time with BMW. But this isn't the first time the Turkish rider has been linked to a Yamaha MotoGP move.
The two-time WSBK champion previously rode Yamaha's M1, but those in the know reported he was unhappy that the bike wasn't appropriately set up for him, and soon after, he jumped ship to BMW. But it appears no bridges were burned as Paolo Pavesio, who's the new managing director of Yamaha, is reportedly one of the key architects of the deal. Pavesio and Toprack have maintained a good relationship since his time on the R1 in WSBK.
We're still waiting on an official announcement from the Turk that he'll be in Pramac colors from 2026, but the very latest rumor is that his Pavesio has just been to Turkey to finalise the deal, which fans know has been Toprack's dream for a long time. It's also good news for the WSBK champion's long-time sponsor RedBull because it could follow him to the MotoGP grid, which is particularly good since the brand was forced to lose Marc Marquez.
Keep all eyes glued to Toprak's social media because he could break the news at any moment.
