Yamaha WorldSBK star Toprak Razgatlioglu will remain with the squad until at least the end of 2023 after signing a new deal.

After a strong first season aboard the Yamaha R1 in 2020, where Razgatlioglu won on his first outing at Phillip Island and scored two further victories on his way to fourth in the series standings, the Turkish rider has made another significant step forward so far this year and sits second in the championship, having already scored seven podiums including a sensational win at Misano.

“Yamaha has become like my family and I’m really happy to be signing for another two years. I think we’ve improved the bike a lot since I joined for the 2020 season, so it was an easy decision for me to make,” said Razgatlioglu.

“We are fighting for the championship this year, we’re very close to the top and I have the best people around me in the Pata Yamaha with Brixx team pit box to help me achieve my goals. I like the WorldSBK paddock, and I’m happy racing here.

“Maybe MotoGP is something I will think about in the future, but for now I am focused completely on getting the job done here in WorldSBK. Thank you to everyone who has worked to make this happen and now I look forward to the future together with Yamaha.”

Razgatlioglu has attracted the attention of MotoGP teams but his manager Kenan Sofuoglu has secured many personal sponsor deals - including Red Bull - which will already mean the rider is not short of cash and will be 'comfortable' in two years' time.

Whether he, at 26, will be too old for the premier class in 2024 remains to be seen...