Toprak Razgatlioglu delivered a downbeat assessment after the Sepang pre‑season MotoGP test, saying he expects to “probably struggle in the first five races” as he adapts from World Superbikes to MotoGP machinery. He completed the test with a best lap of 1:58.326 — recorded around 18th–19th on the timesheets — well adrift of pacesetter Álex Márquez’s 1:56.402. After four-and-a-half days on track he reported learning “something, but not a lot,” and said the five consecutive days left him physically tired, underlining how different the demands of a MotoGP race bike are compared with production‑based superbikes.

The Sepang sessions also exposed technical and setup problems within Yamaha’s new V4 package. The factory briefly halted running when a Yamaha V4 stopped on track and after Fabio Quartararo suffered a broken finger in a separate incident, before resolving the engine issue and returning to track action. Razgatlioglu highlighted ergonomic and handling challenges — that “you can’t turn with the throttle” and he has had to ride the YZR‑V4 more like a Moto2 machine — and said suspension changes are planned to improve turning. He reported improved braking after trying a different seat and reattaching the rear wing (earlier runs had the wing removed because his original seat exceeded height limits), but remained uncertain about Michelin rear‑tyre wear and said tyre behavior still limited his ability to hit his target lap time.

Others outside Yamaha framed Sepang as a learning and diagnostic outing. Pedro Acosta publicly urged Toprak to be cautious and not to overload expectations during his rookie transition, while Carlos Checa called him a likely top‑five rider but flagged two main uncertainties: how well Yamaha’s new package will perform and whether Toprak can adapt quickly to Michelin tires in the premier class. Yamaha plans further setup work and new parts at the Buriram test in just over two weeks, including additional rear‑wing trials and a possible 12‑lap race simulation to evaluate tyre behavior. Taken together, the Sepang test highlighted both rookie adaptation issues and early reliability/setup and tyre concerns for Yamaha’s V4 prototype, leaving Toprak’s immediate race competitiveness cautious rather than assured as the season opener approaches.

Sources