Veteran manager Carlo Pernat warned in interviews with Italian media in June 2024 that Yamaha risks losing Toprak Razgatlioglu by moving him directly into MotoGP in 2026. Pernat said the manufacturer’s strategy is premature and could harm Razgatlioglu’s performance and motivation, arguing Yamaha should have delayed his MotoGP debut until 2027 with new technical regulations.
Pernat criticized Yamaha’s decision to advance Toprak Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP debut to 2026, calling the move premature and risky. He said the Turkish rider should have remained in World Superbike (WSBK) for the 2026 season before transitioning to MotoGP in 2027, coinciding with the introduction of new technical regulations and Pirelli tires. According to Pernat, this three-year structured plan would have allowed Razgatlioglu to maintain competitiveness and confidence in a familiar environment while Yamaha completed development on its MotoGP project.
“We risk losing him,” Pernat said in interviews with Italian media outlets including La Gazzetta dello Sport and GPOne in June 2024, warning that the current strategy could harm Razgatlioglu’s performance, motivation, and long-term commitment to Yamaha.
Pernat’s concerns center on Yamaha’s ongoing technical challenges with its MotoGP bike. He described Yamaha as “trudging along” with its current inline-four engine, which he said is at the end of its development cycle, while the manufacturer focuses resources on a future V4 engine project planned for 2027. This shift, Pernat argued, leaves riders like Razgatlioglu competing in 2026 on a machine that may not be competitive or receive sufficient development. He noted that Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha’s 2021 MotoGP world champion, has already shown signs of demotivation amid doubts about the current project’s prospects. Pernat suggested that if Razgatlioglu had known about Quartararo’s lack of confidence, he might not have agreed to a two-year contract with Yamaha.
The timing of Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP move also raises questions about the bike he will ride in 2026. Pernat highlighted uncertainty over whether the 2026 Yamaha machine will be an updated model “projected” to 2027 or an “outdated” version still based on older technology. This ambiguity, he said, increases the risk that Razgatlioglu will struggle to adapt while Yamaha’s technical base remains in flux. Pernat described the rider as spending race weekends on tires he “doesn’t feel at all comfortable with” and watching rivals from “the back, from afar,” illustrating the psychological toll of competing on an underperforming bike.
Razgatlioglu himself has publicly acknowledged the challenges of Yamaha’s current MotoGP package. In multiple interviews in 2024 and early 2025, he stated that while he and Yamaha have “done a good job,” the gap to the front remains significant. He cited a race where he finished about 25 seconds behind the leaders, calling the performance “not really good enough” and “unacceptable” for a factory team. Razgatlioglu also noted that even the best riders cannot compensate for major performance differences between manufacturers and urged Yamaha to accelerate bike development. He admitted he was “not very happy” with the current situation, describing 2026 as a “difficult first year” but expressing hope for better results in 2027 when new regulations and a more mature bike package are expected.
Pernat emphasized that Razgatlioglu’s difficulties are not due to a loss of talent but rather the fragile state of Yamaha’s MotoGP project. He said the rider “already regrets having gone to Yamaha,” a statement that underscores the risk of diminished confidence and motivation. Pernat warned that without a more stable and competitive environment, Yamaha risks losing Razgatlioglu either through underperformance or by the rider reconsidering his future with the manufacturer once his contract expires.
The manager’s critique reflects broader concerns about Yamaha’s strategic planning. According to Pernat, Yamaha missed a critical opportunity to implement a three-year roadmap that would have aligned Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP debut with the arrival of new regulations and Pirelli tires familiar from WSBK. Instead, the premature move into a transitional and underdeveloped MotoGP project may backfire, undermining the rider’s adaptation and long-term prospects with the team.
Pernat’s warnings come amid a period of significant change in MotoGP, with technical regulations set to evolve in 2027 and tire suppliers transitioning to Pirelli. Yamaha’s V4 engine project, aimed at addressing competitiveness issues, remains under development, leaving the 2026 season as a challenging interim phase for both the manufacturer and its riders. Razgatlioglu’s performance and satisfaction during this period will be closely watched as indicators of Yamaha’s ability to retain top talent and remain competitive in the premier class.
