Sport
Toprak Razgatlioglu, the WorldSBK champion, hinted at a transfer to MotoGP in 2023
Jan
Despite signing a two-year contract with WorldSBK until the end of 2023, Toprak Razgatlioglu has hinted that he may go to MotoGP sooner than that.
Toprak Razgatlioglu, the 2021 WorldSBK champion, has hinted that a move to MotoGP could happen as early as 2023.
After the newly-named RNF team – formerly known as Petronas Yamaha – made an approach to buy the Turkish star for 2022, it’s no secret that Yamaha wants Razgatlioglu in MotoGP.
That happened in the middle of the 2021 season, when Razgatlioglu’s primary goal was to win the WorldSBK title.
In reality, for years, Razgatlioglu has been adamant about staying in the Superbike paddock, making a switch to MotoGP increasingly unlikely.
However, Razgatlioglu has announced that he will test an M1 Yamaha alongside Cal Crutchlow next year.
GPone reported the news saying: “I will try the M1 in a couple of private tests in 2022. In these days I will be with Cal Crutchlow and I hope to make my debut in MotoGP in 2023 even if now all my concentration is on WorldSBK for next season.”
Razgatlioglu is also said to have agreed to be RNF Yamaha’s reserve rider for 2022, a position that Crutchlow will fill for the factory Monster Energy Yamaha Team.
If Razgatlioglu joins MotoGP in 2023, he’ll almost certainly be with the RNF team, since Franco Morbidelli is locked up until the end of that year, with the Japanese manufacturer’s main goal being to keep 2021 world champion Fabio Quartararo.
Furthermore, Andrea Dovizioso, like his new teammate Darryn Binder, is only signed until the end of 2022.
Due to his lack of results in Moto3, the South African, who was unexpectedly given the seat alongside Dovizioso, could be the rider most at risk, despite the team’s decision to promote him to the premier class anyway.
Razgatlioglu will defend his WorldSBK championship in 2022, having been the first Turkish premier class winner.
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