TOPRAK RAZGATLIOGLU SAYS IZAN GUEVARA WILL ADAPT EASIER THAN HE DID IN MOTO GP

With the MotoGP grid set for another major reshuffle, Speedweek reports that the 2027 season will see nearly a quarter of the regular riders replaced. From Moto2, Izan Guevara (22), Daniel Holgado (21), David Alonso (20) and Senna Agius (21) are among the names stepping up, joined by Superbike series winner Nicolo Bulega. At the same time, several MotoGP riders are moving in the opposite direction: Jack Miller, Brad Binder and Franco Morbidelli are heading to the Superbike World Championship, while Alex Rins is also pushing hard to make a similar switch. Maverick Viñales’ career is described as nearing its end.

Against that backdrop, Speedweek highlights comments from Toprak Razgatlioglu about Guevara’s prospects at Prima Pramac Yamaha. Razgatlioglu believes Guevara “deserves a seat in MotoGP,” adding that the Spaniard’s age is a positive factor: “He’s young, that’s good. We need the young generation for the future.” He points to Guevara’s path through Moto3 and Moto2 and says the rider already shows the right style for the premier class. Razgatlioglu also expects the technical transition to be smoother than it was for him: “For him it will be easier because of the tyres,” he said, and he added that “the new engines” are closer to a Moto2 unit than before. In Razgatlioglu’s view, Guevara’s timing is right: “His move is happening at the right time.”

Speedweek contrasts that with Razgatlioglu’s own first MotoGP season, describing it as more difficult than he had anticipated. He had expected challenges, but not the extent of them, given Yamaha’s current competitiveness and the scale of the adaptation required. Before the Aragon races, Razgatlioglu is reported to be 21st in the standings with 14 points, directly behind brand-mate Alex Rins (21 points) and Jack Miller (23), while Fabio Quartararo is the only rider ahead of the “blue quartet” at 14th with 55 points. Among 22 full-time riders, only the long-injured Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) sits further back, on 10 points.

Razgatlioglu’s situation is framed as a perfect storm of factors: he chose 2026 as his debut year, but the current Yamaha is not competitive, he had to switch from Pirelli to Michelin tyres for the season, and he also needed to learn how to use assistance systems such as a height-adjustable chassis—an aid that will be banned after the season. Finally, Speedweek notes that the engine capacity will be reduced from 1000cc to 850cc for the 2027–2031 period, adding another layer to the transition for riders arriving during this cycle.