The Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu is actively working to bring a MotoGP race back to his home country in 2028. At 29 years old, Razgatlioglu has expressed his commitment to the initiative, although he has acknowledged that finding a spot in the 2027 calendar for the iconic Istanbul Park circuit will be difficult.
The idea of incorporating Turkey into the MotoGP calendar follows the announcement made in April, confirming the return of the Turkish Grand Prix to the Formula 1 calendar for the 2027 season. “Istanbul Park is ready for competition right now,” Razgatlioglu stated in a meeting with the media ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix.
The rider mentioned that, although there will be no opportunity for next year, ongoing discussions could facilitate the return of MotoGP to Istanbul in 2028. This is made possible thanks to the five-year agreement of Formula 1, which opens the door to consider a similar arrangement for MotoGP.
Turkey has a prior history with MotoGP, having hosted three editions between 2005 and 2007. In those years, Marco Melandri won the first two races and Casey Stoner was the winner of the last one. Razgatlioglu, with a large base of followers in his homeland, could attract a massive influx of spectators, considering the upcoming location of Istanbul.
The rider also commented on the huge responsibility he would feel if a MotoGP race were to take place in Istanbul: “If MotoGP returns to Istanbul Park, I have to deliver a special result. This is the biggest pressure!”.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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