Toprak Razgatlioglu has noticed a change in Marc Marquez’s approach this season, noting the rider is handling the Ducati with a different style compared to his days at Honda.
After spending 11 seasons with Honda, Marquez made the move to Gresini Ducati in 2024 before taking up a spot with the factory team ahead of the 2025 season.
There are some similarities between how Marquez is adapting to his new bike and how Jonathan Rea has been trying to adjust to the Yamaha M1 after leaving Kawasaki.
When asked if this comparison held true, Razgatlioglu noted that while they both had strong backing from their teams, he felt that Rea faced a bigger challenge at Yamaha.
Razgatlioglu says Marquez is less ‘aggressive’ than before
Speaking to Moto IT, Pramac rookie Razgatlioglu shared his thoughts on the top riders after making the switch from World Superbikes. He pointed out that their bikes are clearly better than his Yamaha, which is currently struggling at the back of the field.
But after watching Marquez up close, he’s convinced that the Spaniard’s style has become less ‘aggressive’. Marquez had just three DNFs in 36 starts last year, and one of them – a late-season clash with Marco Bezzecchi in Indonesia – wasn’t down to him.
Marquez has spoken about needing to manage risks differently these days. He crashed 14 times overall last season, fewer than 11 other riders.
“It’s not easy for me to understand,” said Razgatlioglu. “I follow Marc, Alex Marquez, Fabio [Quartararo], and many others. What I see is that their bikes turn better, have more grip, brake better, and exit corners much faster.”
“In certain sectors I’m fast, I’m strong; but in others it’s impossible to keep up with them because the grip and behaviour of the bike are completely different. I only fight on half the track; on the other half they’re completely out of control because their bike works much better. But I don’t see any absurd differences.”
Questions over Marquez’s Early Season Form on Ducati GP26
Marquez has already crashed five times this season. If he keeps up the current rate of accidents, he will reach almost 30 by the end of the year.
The reigning world champion is still getting used to the Ducati GP26, and many believe he’s also still working his way back to full fitness after last autumn’s shoulder surgery.
There are signs that Marquez might be trying to make up for those shortcomings by pushing too hard, something that occasionally cropped up during his time at Honda.
The 33-year-old crashed out of second place in the Spanish GP last weekend and picked up a long lap penalty in the US Sprint race for a risky move on Fabio Di Giannantonio.
These mistakes have made it harder for Marquez to keep pace early in the season, with Bezzecchi and Aprilia currently setting the standard in MotoGP.
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