MotoGP winner makes bold rookie of the year claim for 2026

Former MotoGP race winner Alex Barros has boldly claimed Diogo Moreira will be rookie of the year in 2026 over three-time World Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Brazilian Diogo Moreira has been one of the paddock’s hottest prospects for the last few years, and became a central 2026 rider market figure in the summer.

Signing a three-year deal with Honda to make the step to MotoGP next season with LCR, Moreira will do so as the reigning Moto2 champion.

He will also make his debut in the same year the Brazilian Grand Prix returns to the calendar, 22 years after the last race took place in the country.

His MotoGP debut has stirred up plenty of interest in his homeland, with countryman Alex Barros - a seven-time premier class race winner - telling Motosan about how Moreira grabbed his attention from an early age.

“He fell at the first corner in a motocross race and finished second,” Barros said.

“I saw that thing in his eyes; never give up.”

He added: “He comes ready: talent, speed, mind. In MotoGP, being prepared is a huge advantage.”

Barros doesn’t back Toprak Razgatlioglu to beat Moreira next year

The other big rookie star making their MotoGP debut in 2026 is triple World Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlioglu.

After years of flirting with the move, the Turkish superstar signed a deal with Pramac Yamaha in the summer to move over to MotoGP from next year.

Razgatlioglu is being tipped by many to star in 2026, though his signing by Yamaha has very much been done with a view to 2027 bike development on Pirelli tyres.

He was the fastest rookie in the Valencia test last week, finishing over half a second clear of Moreira.

But Barros backs Moreira to beat Razgatlioglu in the rookie of the year rankings, as he believes the reigning Moto2 champion is better suited to MotoGP.

“No disrespect, but Diogo comes more suited to the category.

“Diogo will be rookie of the year. And that’s just the beginning for Brazil.”

One element that Barros has overlooked in this particular race is the fact that Yamaha will be debuting its new V4 next season, which remains in the early stages of development.

Honda, meanwhile, took such a step forward in 2025 that it has ascended the concessions ranking table to be on par with KTM and Aprilia.

Yamaha has already admitted the first half of next year will be about bike development before it can start thinking about results.

Therefore, Moreira - in theory - starts next season with a bike advantage over Razgatlioglu.