Toprak Razgatlioglu drops fresh MotoGP hint

Toprak Razgatlioglu has teased a future move to MotoGP when discussing the career of a close friend.

A maiden Moto2 podium at last weekend’s Aragon Grand Prix came somewhat out of the blue for Deniz Oncu.

The Turkish rider, who this year is making his debut campaign in the Moto2 World Championship, had scored a best result of 11th this year before the Aragon Grand Prix last weekend.

A large part of the season had been missed by Oncu, who was forced to miss the Dutch TT, and German and British Grands Prix before the summer break.

That 11th place finish came at the Austrian Grand Prix, the first race after the summer break and Oncu’s first race back from injury.

Two weeks later, he followed it up with a first podium finish in the intermediate class and his first podium since he was third in the 2023 Moto3 Qatar Grand Prix, to the delight of his compatriot and training partner Toprak Razgatlioglu.

“After a long time, Deniz made a podium again,” Razgatlioglu said on Thursday at Magny-Cours, host of this weekend’s WorldSBK French Round.

“It was an incredible race for him. After a big injury he came back strong.

“Every race weekend, he is improving and learning. This is normal, after Moto3. Moto2 is different.

“We are training together. He learns. I hope he makes many podiums this year and, next year, he is fighting for the championship.”

Razgatlioglu, who has been the centre of a number of MotoGP rumours in the past two years or so, thinks that the premier class of Grand Prix racing is in the future of Oncu.

“After, we see him in MotoGP. I don’t know, maybe we will ride together in GP…

“I am just thinking about a good career for him because he is like my brother.

“I hope he goes to MotoGP. Maybe he will go to GP before me, or after me - this is not important.

“His career is different. He is building. I hope he goes to MotoGP and has a successful year.”