Toprak Razgatlioglu says he is feeling more excited than concerned ahead of his first appearance at the Le Mans circuit during the 2026 French MotoGP. The Pramac Racing rider faces one of his biggest challenges of the season after never previously competing at the famous French venue during his racing career.
Le Mans represents a completely new experience for the reigning WorldSBK champion after spending the opening MotoGP rounds racing on circuits already familiar from his Superbike background. This weekend, Razgatlioglu must learn the layout, braking references, grip characteristics, and race approach entirely from scratch aboard the Yamaha MotoGP machine.
“Finally, I get to race in Le Mans, and I’m really happy about it. It’s a legendary circuit that I’ve only watched until now, so it’s exciting to experience it for the first time,” Razgatlioglu explained.
The Turkish rider believes the situation could actually accelerate his MotoGP adaptation process. During previous rounds, including Jerez, he admitted he naturally reverted to his Superbike riding style because the circuits felt too familiar. That instinctive approach made adapting to MotoGP techniques more difficult.
“On the circuits we’ve raced at so far, I naturally went back to my Superbike riding style because they were familiar to me. It almost came instinctively,” he admitted.
From a technical perspective, the biggest differences involve braking approach, aerodynamic influence, and front-tyre grip management, all of which are considerably more sensitive in MotoGP machinery compared to WorldSBK. Le Mans, with its heavy stop-and-go layout, is expected to become a major test of Razgatlioglu’s ability to manage braking stability and acceleration on a modern MotoGP bike.
Razgatlioglu hopes the opportunity to “start from zero” will allow him to fully focus on MotoGP-specific riding techniques without falling back into old Superbike habits. The Turkish rider is aiming for clear progress compared to the Jerez weekend, where he ended the post-race Monday test in 20th position.
Team-mate Jack Miller appeared to make stronger progress during the same test by finishing 16th. Miller also brings valuable Le Mans experience after winning the 2021 French MotoGP with Ducati, something expected to assist Pramac’s setup development this weekend.
“Le Mans is always something special. The fans are incredible and bring so much energy throughout the weekend,” Miller said.
Team director Gino Borsoi believes Pramac arrives at Le Mans in a stronger position following productive testing in Jerez. Weather conditions are also expected to play a significant role, particularly as Pramac has shown competitive pace in wet conditions earlier this season.
With Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP adaptation remaining one of the major storylines of the 2026 season, the Le Mans weekend is now viewed as an important opportunity to measure the Turkish rider’s development at a completely unfamiliar circuit within the premier-class environment.
Baca Juga
Liberty Media mencatat pendapatan MotoGP naik 25 persen pada kuartal pertama 2026 di tengah ekspansi komersial baru.
Jonas Folger mengaku menghadapi tantangan besar saat menggantikan Maverick Vinales di MotoGP Prancis 2026.
Marc Marquez mengaku belum bisa memikirkan gelar MotoGP 2026 sebelum Ducati memperbaiki konsistensi performa motornya.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!