NICOLÒ BUGLEGA SAYS TOPRAK RAZGATLIOGLU’S YAMAHA MOVE TO MOTOGP HAS BEEN PROBLEMATIC

Nicolò Bulega believes Toprak Razgatlıoğlu’s early jump from World Superbike to MotoGP has been “problematic,” pointing to the sheer number of changes the Turkish rider has had to absorb in 2026. Razgatlıoğlu arrived in MotoGP a year ahead of Bulega, joining Pramac Yamaha, and is currently enduring a difficult rookie campaign, with just 18 points so far.

Bulega, who is set to move to MotoGP with VR46 in 2027, said the transition is harder than many expect because MotoGP demands a different approach across multiple areas at once. Speaking to GPOne, he argued that the timing of Razgatlıoğlu’s switch means there are “many more things to think about that are different,” adding: “The bike is completely different, both in the way it’s ridden and in terms of the brakes, the ride-height device and many other things.”

While Bulega highlighted the overall adaptation challenge, he singled out tyres as the biggest hurdle. He said: “In my view, the thing he is struggling with the most, and which I probably would have struggled with too, as happened in the two races when I replaced Marc Marquez last year, is the tyres.” Bulega clarified that the issue isn’t that Michelin tyres are inherently “bad,” but that they behave differently enough to force changes in technique: “It’s not that they’re bad, but they are completely different. You might be used to making certain moves while riding that you cannot make with Michelins, and you have to do things differently.”

The Ducati rider also referenced how his own experience of stepping in late has shown how quickly riders can be thrown off by tyres and setup demands. He noted that Razgatlıoğlu’s adaptation has been complicated by the combination of MotoGP’s ride-height devices and Michelin tyres.

Razgatlıoğlu’s teammate Jack Miller has also been critical of the situation from Yamaha’s side, saying the bike is not currently good enough for Razgatlıoğlu to show his full potential, with the YZR-M1 described as lacking power.

Looking ahead, Razgatlıoğlu is placing his main hopes on 2027, when new bikes and tyres are expected to better suit him. However, Bulega suggested that even with the theoretical improvement, the step will still be tough. Razgatlıoğlu has also indicated that Bulega will beat him unless Yamaha “improve,” while acknowledging that Ducati remains the benchmark. Yamaha, meanwhile, do not want Razgatlıoğlu to focus only on 2027, believing there is value in learning the 2026 machine even during a challenging season.