MotoGP | 2026 | Silly Season

It’s more of a desert thread so far. Just FYI.

 

Manu Gonzalez filling in for Ai Ogura at Trackhouse Aprilia during Monday’s Aragon test!

 

Toprak to Pramac Yamaha next year.

 

https://www.yamahamotogp.com/news/1...-motogp-debut-with-prima-pramac-yamaha-motogp

 

^^ it will be interesting to say the least. If he can equal Fabio on the bike it will speak volumes, but as good as Toprak is, I don't think he is miles better than Fabio to show up and match him right off the bat.

 

I will be shocked if Toprak outperforms Fabio next year. And I'm a big fan of Toprak. It's just going to take Toprak time to adapt. And Fabio has consistently gotten the best out of the Yamaha for 5 years now.

 

I can't wait to see how his style on the flexi-flyers translates to basically riding a bridge girder. He's an amazing talent, but a WAY different style than most. A journo just got a chance to ride his superbike and had an interesting take from a mere mortal.

Edited to add the link: https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/toprak-razgatlioglu-bmw-m-1000-rr-world-superbike/

 

Sergio Garcia just got booted off of the MSI helmets team

 

I was just saying last weekend how Moto2 is such a meat grinder, that a stud like Sergio Garcia is in like 20th place.

 

On a 1 year contract seems like a good move. If he’s great, some factory seats will be opening up in ‘27 and he can maybe grab one. If not, maybe he stays at Pramac for a couple few years or back to SBK. He’s got nothing left to prove in SBK so why not take a stab at the big league?

 

I think he's likely to do better than the current Pramac lineup but he won't equal Fabio. I still think Fabio is the 2nd best rider on the grid. Toprak is awesome to watch but my guess is he's a midpack MotoGP rider. Would love to be wrong.

 

He is a particular talent for sure. The way that guy rides into a corner is magic on those SBKs and Pirelli rubber. As mentioned above, not sure it will translate to the GP bikes but it would have been a crime to not get a chance to see. I am glad he will be in GP in 26, we will get to see how good he is against the current best. He obviously has shown he is something special against Bautista, Rea, and Bulega - able to match or beat them heads up - but those guys were never going to beat the front running GP guys either. I am excited for it.

 

Agreed.

 

My guess is he'll be something like Spies, who was incredible, a genius, super outstanding in Superbike, but who struggled a bit in MotoGP, showing only occasional flashes of brilliance.

 

If he replaced Oliviera and Miller stays at Pramac, I expect Toprak to be the number 2 rider on that team. I don't think he will be able to match Miller for the season.

 

Can't say I'm surprised. It looked like he had the world in the palm of his hands last year before he was passed over for a MotoGP seat. The boy ain't been right since. I AM surprised they're booting him mid-season. Obviously there's more to the story than just his recent lack of performance.

 

I think it could just be performance. He's nowhere this year having scored 3 points and sits 26th in the championship. Remember this team is (or at least I would assume they view themselves as) I successful championship-level team. Last year their team finished 1st and 4th. This year their top rider is Ivan Ortola in 18th place. They picked up new sponsors and I'm sure they have to abide by some of the performance clauses regardless to ensure they get that sponsorship money in the years to come. Garcia also fell off a cliff, performance wise, about 2/3 into last season and hasn't shown any signs of recovering.

 

Miller stays. Oliveira has been disappointment albeit not Raul Fernandez trash.

 

Told you fnckers it was unofficially official pages ago! Anyways.... To think he can come in as a SBK rider and be on any level near Miller, or even laughable close to Fabio... Please. I am a Yamaha die hard and know better. I think he will be around Miguel Olivera talent on that new bike. Maybe the playing field is more level when the 2027 bikes come out if he sticks around long enough. I appreciate his talent. But jeez man, being 2 seconds off leader and you are nothing in MotoGP. Just like Moto2. 16 riders all within 1 second of each other. Its just crazy talent.

I will say if you remember when Bautista got to go back to MotoGP on a Factory Ducati after being exhiled to WSBK and he had a great showing. So you never know. But Bautista came from MotoGP. Tophat did not...

 

I think Toprak is a top 5 rider talent in the world and on the Pramac next year will be a consistent top 10 finisher, especially from mid-season onwards.

He's not gonna get pushed around by anyone and once he figures out the new tires and chassis dynamics of a GP bike, he'll be not too far off Fabio who I rate as a top 3 talent in the world, possibly top 2.

Yamaha has taken big strides this year and still have concessions, they will only get closer and closer so he'll likely have a machine under him that'll be competitive and nowhere as outgunned as he was on the Yamaha SBK compared to the Duc and Beemer in terms of motor.

I predict at the end of next year he'll finish 10-12th overall in GP - VERY impressive for a rider who has never ridden prototype bikes.