Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu finishes 17th in his MotoGP debut in Thailand

Last year’s Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlioglu competed in the opening race of the 2026 MotoGP season at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand, March 1, 2026. (AA Photo)

Last year’s Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlioglu competed in the opening race of the 2026 MotoGP season at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand, March 1, 2026. (AA Photo)

The 2026 MotoGP season opened at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, marking a historic moment for Turkish motorsport as Toprak Razgatlioglu officially made his debut. Competing for Prima Pramac Yamaha, 'El Turco' finished 17th in the main 26-lap race, crossing the line 39.194 seconds behind Italy’s Marco Bezzecchi.

While Italy’s Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia Racing) took the victory with a time of 39:36.270, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pedro Acosta secured second place, crossing the line 5.543 seconds behind Bezzecchi, while Trackhouse MotoGP rider Raul Fernandez completed the podium in third, 9.259 seconds off the lead.

In Saturday’s sprint race, Razgatlioglu ran as high as 15th before a late crash dropped him to 20th, finishing 25.860 seconds behind sprint winner Pedro Acosta.

Five-time Supersport World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu, who also serves as National Teams Captain of the Turkish Motorcycle Federation, showed his support to Toprak Razgatlioglu ahead of the race. Thailand, March 1, 2026. (AA Photo)