Due to Michelin frustration: Razgatlioglu longs for the Pirelli switch

– Toprak Razgatlioglu continues to struggle to get to know and adapt to Yamaha’s MotoGP motorcycle. The differences to the Superbike World Championship are enormous. Above all, the Michelin tires are causing problems for the Turk.

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“The biggest problem, the biggest difference, is the tires. I have always ridden with Pirelli tires,” says Razgatlioglu. “I know the Pirelli tires. I know how to brake the motorcycle with them.”

“But Michelin is completely different. And the engine braking also does not work the same way with Michelin tires.” That is why the Monday test in Jerez was especially important after the three overseas races.

There, the MotoGP rookie was able to work calmly with the Yamaha engineers for the first time since the winter tests and process the experiences of the first races. Nevertheless, the 29-year-old is aware that there is still a long way to go.

“We tried many different settings for the engine braking [at the Jerez test]. We tested many different approaches. We see it in the data and now understand which way is better for me.”

“What I understand from the data: I have to change my riding style even more. But we will see. It is not easy to change the riding style. I hope we can improve something.”

In the first six weekends, Razgatlioglu collected world championship points twice. That was one point for 15th place in Austin and three for 13th place in Le Mans. Several times he spoke of motivation problems and that it was no fun.

Nothing works for Razgatlioglu with Michelin tires

Did he expect more with his talent? In answering this question, the three-time Superbike world champion again refers to the Michelin tires, which he still does not fully understand.

“I try, but it doesn’t work with this tire. Because this tire has such a window. If you use it within this window, it works. If you go out of this window here or there, it no longer works.”

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“The tire then just spins, and braking also doesn’t work. It is very hard to manage. Fabio [Quartararo] and the other Yamaha riders know the tire. They know how it works.”

“I am still trying to understand it, but we have now completed six race weekends and I still don’t understand it. That makes me angry. So yes, it is difficult.”

Pirelli in the back of the mind makes it even harder

Also difficult for Razgatlioglu are the tracks he knows from the Superbike World Championship. On tracks new to him, like the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans, he has no reference and does not fall back into the Superbike style.

Recently in Barcelona, the impressions from the Superbike World Championship kept coming back to mind: “The biggest problem: When I feel a strange moment with Michelin, I immediately think of Pirelli. That is my big problem.”

“I have to forget Pirelli,” Razgatlioglu tries to convince himself. The comparison was especially stark for him in Barcelona, because this asphalt offers extremely little grip, making tire management crucial.

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He says in comparison: “You always have grip [with Pirelli]. Much more than with Michelin. But also at the beginning, when you push very hard and have a lot of spin. In the end, the tire drops off sharply.”

“With Pirelli, the big difference is this strong drop-off at the end. If you push hard at the beginning, Pirelli drops off sharply at the end. But here [with Michelin] there is zero grip. And it gets worse with every lap.”

That is why Razgatlioglu is looking forward to his first test with the 850 Yamaha and Pirelli tires for next year, when the Italian brand will supply the premier class: “I am really waiting for that.”

Bulega confirms: It will be easier with Pirelli tires in 2027

One who can understand these problems very well is Nicolo Bulega. The Ducati rider is also very familiar with Pirelli tires in the Superbike World Championship. At the end of 2025, Bulega completed his first two MotoGP races.

He then replaced the injured Marc Marquez in the Ducati factory team. “When I raced these races, the hardest part was adapting to the Michelin tires because the tires are very different,” Bulega confirms Razgatlioglu.

“When I went back to the Superbike World Championship, it took me two or three days to get used to the Pirellis again.” Currently, Bulega has a small knowledge advantage over Razgatlioglu.

At the beginning of May, the Italian was allowed to test Ducati’s 850 prototype with Pirelli tires for the first time in Mugello. Bulega gained interesting insights and comparisons with a view to the 2027 MotoGP season.

“This time it was much easier because I tested the MotoGP motorcycle with Pirelli tires. The tires are still somewhat different because one is MotoGP and the other Superbike, but the family is very similar.”

“When I got back on the Superbike, I immediately felt comfortable. The biggest difference remains the motorcycle, but especially thanks to the tires, there was no big adjustment needed from one category to the other,” Bulega states.

The 26-year-old believes that the switch from the Superbike World Championship to MotoGP will be significantly easier in 2027 than it is currently. Because the ride-height systems will also be eliminated and the riding feel will become more natural.

“Yes, definitely. When I tested the MotoGP motorcycle earlier, it was hard for me to always remember to use them. For riders from the Superbike World Championship or Moto2, it will be much easier,” Bulega is convinced.

“But the Mugello test was great because I rode a MotoGP motorcycle that felt very similar to a Superbike in some ways.” Whether Bulega will secure a MotoGP seat next year is still open.

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