TOPRAK RAZGATLIOGLU SAYS AUSTRIAN GP FEELS LIKE A HOME RACE WITH TURKISH SUPPORT AT SPIELBERG

Toprak Razgatlioglu is treating this weekend’s Austrian MotoGP at the Red Bull Ring like a home event, not because he’s from Spielberg, but because of the size of the Turkish community showing up to support him. The Pramac Racing rider said he’s “really excited” for the Grand Prix because, for the first time in a while, he can see the Turkish flag around the circuit in numbers that matter.

Razgatlioglu pointed to the broader context of Turkish fans across Europe, noting that Austria is home to the third-largest group of Turkish citizens on the continent, with “over 117,000,” while Germany leads with “1.3 million.” When he arrived in Spielberg, he immediately noticed the Turkish presence at the track, where he will have his own grandstand. “I'm really excited, because finally I see the Turkish flag, many,” he said. “That's good, because I really miss [it], and this is good.”

Alongside the atmosphere, the rider is also watching the forecast closely. Razgatlioglu said he likes what the weather could bring, adding that he “really like[s] it [rain] – really,” and he’s hoping conditions stay that way throughout the weekend. His motivation is tied to the idea that there may be a narrow window for a standout result. “I hope all weekend we see like this because we have only one chance to doing special result, you know.”

The Austrian weekend also comes with a longer-term storyline for Razgatlioglu: the possibility of MotoGP returning to Turkey. Speaking to Crash.net at Silverstone, he said he is in discussions with MotoGP Sports Entertainment about bringing Istanbul Park back to the calendar, and he confirmed in Austria that those talks are still active. The conversation, he said, is now focused on 2028.

Razgatlioglu explained the timing by pointing to Formula 1’s contract extension at Istanbul Park. “Now we are talking about 2028, because we have a possibility to bring back MotoGP there [Istanbul Park], because Formula 1, they added five years contract,” he said. He also framed the circuit’s readiness as a key factor: “This is good. Why MotoGP not come back again to Istanbul Park? Because Istanbul Park is ready to race now.”

However, he acknowledged that a Turkish return would come with pressure. “If MotoGP comes back to Istanbul Park, I need to show some special result – this is the biggest problem, too much pressure for me, you know!” he said, while also stressing that the work is ongoing: “We will see, we are still working for this.”

For now, Razgatlioglu’s focus is on making the most of Austria’s crowd and the potential for rain at the Red Bull Ring—an atmosphere he described as the closest thing to a home race he’s had in MotoGP for some time.