Honda told to pursue “fresh” Toprak Razgatlioglu who is “without preconceptions”
“If I’m Honda, Toprak is one of the names at the very top of the list"
Honda have been advised to bring Toprak Razgatlioglu into their MotoGP project.
The topic of the World Superbikes BMW rider’s future was debated in-depth on the latest episode of the Crash MotoGP podcast.
Razgatlioglu’s manager Kenan Sofuoglu caused a stir by insisting they want a switch from WSBK to MotoGP in 2025.
“If I’m Honda, Toprak is one of the names at the very top of the list,” Peter McLaren said on the Crash MotoGP podcast.
“The talent is there, the willingness to take on a difficult project.
“Potentially a two-time WSBK champion. He’d come into MotoGP fresh without preconceptions of ‘this is what their bike did, which your bike does not do…’
“He’s just going to get on the bike and say ‘this is what I want it to do’, then just ride the wheels off it. Like he does with the BMW.
“Honda have got great riders already, proven riders, race winners.
“It would do no harm at all, I think, to bring in somebody. It’s the best of both worlds - a rookie with massive experience of taking on a project.
“The BMW isn’t the easiest but he makes it work.
“Honda are in a rebuilding phase with Joan Mir.
“This is the first year without Marc Marquez, the start of a new era.
“They are not looking to make a bike that works around this fantastic one-off talent.
“They are making a bike which works for several riders which is what people said Honda need to do for a long time. Not just rely on Marc.
“They are at the start of that process. It’s a whole different situation to previously, which was ‘make that guy happy, give the super-talented guy whatever he wants’.
“That’s gone out of the window now. They’ve got to take the more modern approach of Ducati, listening to every rider so it works for different styles.”
MotoGP 'opposite of Toprak's style'
Razgatlioglu has come close to MotoGP once before without joy.
He tested Yamaha’s MotoGP bike but seemingly didn’t do enough to convince them to bring him over.
Since then, he has split with Yamaha’s WSBK project and linked up with BMW where, this season, he is a threat for the championship.
“It would still be a big risk,” McLaren said about Razgatlioglu moving into MotoGP. “He tried the M1, it didn’t work for his riding style.
“We know how important it is to use the rear tyre, the rear grip, for braking which is the opposite to Toprak’s fantastic style.
“In many ways, it’d be like the adaptation of Marquez to the Ducati. He was a ‘rear wheel in the air’ kind of guy!
“Now he’s trying to work out how to use the extra grip.
“That’s the process Toprak would have to go through. I have no doubt he could do it.
“If his management are keen and he’s looking at this, it’d be huge for MotoGP.”
His savvy manager made a similar move in his own racing career and will understand the pitfalls that await, if they get it wrong.
“Keenan went to Moto2 as the Supersport champion,” McLaren recalled.
“He knows how difficult the grand prix paddock can be if you’re not on the best machinery.
“He has made clear that Toprak needs a factory team. There aren’t that many. There is one at Yamaha.
“Having tested the bike and split with them already, it would be massive to go back.
“Honda? Everyone knows what Honda are capable of. It’s about the timeframe
“But if they throw everything at it? And they get Toprak?
“It would be a fantastic thing for Honda. And for Toprak, if he turns it around, what a legend it would make him!
“There is also a great case to make for Toprak staying in WSBK and becoming a Jonny Rea type legend, perhaps the best ever.”
