Razgatlioglu completes second MotoGP test

Toprak Razgatlioglu has fuelled speculation of his transfer from World Superbikes to MotoGP with another test of Yamaha’s YZR M1 that was held at Spain’s Jerez circuit in April.

Compared to Razgatlioglu’s last test on the MotoGP Yamaha at Aragon in 2022, weather conditions were much better this time, allowing the young Turkish rider to complete a reported 116 laps over the two days.

Joining the 2021 Motul FIM Superbike World Champion at Jerez was Yamaha’s MotoGP test rider, Cal Crutchlow, and test riders for the Honda, KTM and Aprilia factory teams. Lin Jarvis, Team Principal of Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP and Yamaha Racing’s Managing Director, was also present at Jerez, presumably to closely assess Razgatlioglu’s performance on the YZR M1 after being absent from last year’s Aragon test.

While the test was private and the times recorded unofficial, Spanish media reported that Razgatlioglu’s best lap time of 1 minute, 38.860 seconds was 1.7 seconds adrift of the top time recorded by KTM test rider Dani Pedrosa, but only eight tenths of a second slower than Crutchlow’s best on the same spec bike.

In a Twitter post from Yamaha Racing after the test, Razgatlioglu said he had “two really good days” in the YZR M1, but explained that fastest laps weren’t the goal.

“My focus was on completing as many laps as possible, to get a better understanding of the bike rather than pushing for a fastest lap time, but it was very enjoyable anyway.”

While a switch to MotoGP for 2023 was ruled out during last year’s WorldSBK season, the door remains ajar for Razgatlioglu to move to grand prix racing with Yamaha in 2024, even though post-test reporting from other sources points to the move being less likely now than it has been previously.

Razgatlioglu remains contracted to Yamaha, to ride for the Pata Yamaha Promoteon WorldSK team, until the end of the 2023 World Superbike season.