Toprak Razgatlioglu: Why Nicolo Bulega would be “much better” at Sepang

Toprak Razgatlioglu and Nicolo Bulega will race in different paddocks in 2026, with the reigning WorldSBK champion moving to MotoGP with Pramac Yamaha.

However, Bulega was first to race premier-class machinery, deputising for the injured Marc Marquez at last year’s Portimao and Valencia rounds, finishing 15th on both occasions.

The Italian has since reverted to his WorldSBK duties, which begin at Phillip Island next weekend, but will also undertake MotoGP testing for Ducati ahead of a potential race seat in the 2027 850cc/Pirelli era.

At the conclusion of the Sepang MotoGP test, where Razgatlioglu admitted disappointment at being 1.9s off the pace, the Turkish rider suggested Bulega’s style would have been better suited to the flowing Malaysian layout.

“I think if he comes here [to MotoGP], especially this track, he's riding much better, because this track is like his riding style,” Razgatlioglu said.

“Normally, he's really fast on long corners, but I am more focused in Superbike to stop and accelerate the bike, making a V.

“I focused a lot on this and also, when I started in Superbike, Jonathan Rea was always riding like this, so I’m learning like this.

“Okay, in the Superbike it was working very well, but in the MotoGP, we need to change the riding style.”

Razgatlioglu remains strong under braking with Yamaha’s new V4 but is currently lacking corner speed and battling wheelspin.

Bulega spent three seasons in Moto2 before moving to World Supersport, where he won the 2023 title, then stepped up to WorldSBK with Ducati and finished runner-up to Razgatlioglu in the past two seasons.

How closely the 2027 Pirelli MotoGP tyres resemble the WorldSBK-spec rubber remains to be seen, but smaller engines usually place a greater emphasis on corner speed.