Toprak Nearly Quit Once, Mir Out of Motegi & Viñales Eyes Return | MotoGP Japan Preview

Motegi is less than a week away. Three-time WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu says his MotoGP rookie year reminds him of the 2018 season when he thought about quitting, Joan Mir will miss Japan and Indonesia with Somkiat Chantra stepping in at HRC, and Maverick Viñales is hoping to return at Motegi. Plus: Aldeguer's screw-removal operation, the pit-lane practice start ban, Mugello to 2031 and Portimão to 2029, eight F1 clashes in 2027, Motegi history, Dall'Igna on Ducati's Austria, and the title maths. 00:00 Intro 00:19 Toprak's hardest year 00:41 'I thought about stopping' 01:04 Harder this time 01:21 Pirelli is coming 01:38 Mir out of Japan & Indonesia 02:01 Chantra steps in 02:21 Viñales eyes a comeback 02:43 Aldeguer's operation 03:06 Pit-lane practice starts banned 03:27 Mugello to 2031, Portimão to 2029 03:45 Eight F1 clashes in 2027 04:06 Last year at Motegi 04:24 Martin's wet win in 2023 04:43 Dall'Igna: 'lackluster' 05:09 The title fight 05:29 259 points left 05:53 Your verdict? Standings after Round 15 (Austria): 1 Martin 306, 2 M. Marquez 294, 3 Bezzecchi 264, 4 Acosta 234, 5 Di Giannantonio 230, 6 Ogura 222. 7 rounds x 37 points = 259 points left. Japanese GP: Round 16, Mobility Resort Motegi, October 2-4, 2026. Viñales' return has not been officially confirmed. Independent fan channel, not affiliated with Dorna/MotoGP. MotoGP is a trademark of Dorna Sports S.L. All photos are file photos, free-licensed from Wikimedia Commons. Photo credits (all via Wikimedia Commons, file names as listed): "Toprak Razgatlıoğlu at the 2026 German motorcycle Grand Prix.jpg" by TeamEG00, Public domain "Francesco Bagnaia leads the pack 2018 Motegi.jpg" by Takayuki Suzuki, CC BY-SA 2.0 "Toprak Razgatlioglu WSBK French Round 2025.jpg" by Patrice OLIVIER France, CC BY-SA 4.0 "Razgatlioglu in action, 2024.jpg" by Jearle, CC BY-SA 4.0 "Tires for motorcycle racing.jpg" by Cjp24, CC BY-SA 3.0 "MotoGP 2025 Malaysian Grand Prix - Honda HRC Castrol - Joan Mir.jpg" by Liauzh, CC BY-SA 4.0 "MotoGP 2025 Malaysian Grand Prix - Honda LCR - Somkiat Chantra.jpg" by Liauzh, CC BY-SA 4.0 "Somkiat Chantra at the 2025 Malaysian Grand Prix.jpg" by Denkmit, CC BY-SA 4.0 "Maverick Viñales at the 2025 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix.jpg" by TeamEG00, Public domain "Maverick Viñales at the grid before the start of 2025 Dutch TT.jpg" by TeamEG00, Public domain "Fermin Aldeguer at the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix.jpg" by Denkmit, CC BY-SA 4.0 "MotoGP 2025 Malaysian Grand Prix - Gresini Racing - Fermín Aldeguer.jpg" by Liauzh, CC BY-SA 4.0 "2025 04 27 Gran Premio de Motociclismo de Jerez (54482425856).jpg" by Junta de Andalucía, CC BY-SA 2.0 "R10-MotoGP-Silverstone-06-08-23-BTC-039.jpg" by Dutchtuliptree, CC BY-SA 4.0 "Mugello Circuit.jpg" by joevanni_99, CC BY 2.0 "Algarve International Circuit (Unsplash).jpg" by Pascal Richier pascoual, CC0 "MotoGP Sepang 2024 06.jpg" by Renek78, CC0 "Test de Portimao 2020. MotoGP JR2414 (50432747681).jpg" by Box Repsol, CC BY 2.0 "Francesco 'Pecco' Bagnaia at the 2023 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix.jpg" by Simon Patterson, CC BY-SA 4.0 "Marc Marquez at the 2023 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix.jpg" by Simon Patterson, CC BY-SA 4.0 "Jorge Martin at the 2023 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix.jpg" by Simon Patterson, CC BY-SA 4.0 "Gigi Dall'Igna nel box Ducati con la moto di Bagnaia (GP Valencia 2025).jpg" by René 2782, CC BY-SA 4.0 "Pecco Bagnaia nel box Ducati, GP Mugello 2025.jpg" by René 2782, CC BY-SA 4.0 "MotoGP 2024 Malaysian Grand Prix - Prima Pramac - Jorge Martín.jpg" by Liauzh, CC BY-SA 4.0 "Marco Bezzecchi at the 2023 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix.jpg" by Simon Patterson, CC BY-SA 4.0 "Grand Stand (Twin Ring Motegi).JPG" by Abasaa, Public domain