Less power, more cornering speed: Toprak’s first experience with the 850

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s rookie season is proving to be a challenging one. At Brno, he scored two points in the Grand Prix. Those points are also the maximum achievable with this year’s Yamaha M1. Razgatlioglu is already looking ahead to the 2027 season. He got a first taste of things to come on Monday after the Brno GP, when the Turkish rider was able to test the 850cc Yamaha for the first time under the new regulations and was back on Pirelli tyres.

Return to Pirelli: front tyres just like in his Superbike days

His initial verdict was positive: “I’m satisfied after the test. We’re not yet 100 per cent ready with the new bike, but it’s already looking promising,” Razgatlioglu summed up after his first few kilometres of testing. It reminded him of his time in WorldSBK. The Pirelli front tyre gives a similar feel to that of a Superbike. The grip from the rear tyre is also exceptionally good, though he sees room for improvement there.

The difference in power compared to the current 1000cc class was much more noticeable to him. “The power is lower. You feel very slow on the 850cc bike. But rules are rules; we have to adapt to them,” said the Yamaha rider. The difference is most noticeable when exiting corners: “After the corner, when you shift into third or fourth gear, nothing happens.” Acceleration is significantly lower. At first, he suspected a fault with his Yamaha M1. However, he realised that all manufacturers were facing the same issue.

Bikes slower on straights, faster in corners

As expected, cornering speeds are higher than with the current generation of MotoGP bikes. This effect is set to become more pronounced as testing progresses and more data is gathered. As 2027 marks a fresh start for all manufacturers under the new regulations, he expects all factory teams to be working flat out on solutions.

When asked whether any particular manufacturer had caught his eye during the tests, Razgatlioglu declined to comment: “I’m just focusing on my work. I understand the bike and the tyres and am concentrating solely on myself.” He also left a suggestion as to whether Ducati had overtaken him in testing unanswered.

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