Toprak Razgatlioglu is making visible progress in MotoGP, but one problem continues to plague him—when his Superbike riding style still catches up with him
The progress is visible, but so are the areas needing work. After a difficult Grand Prix in Barcelona and a Monday test cut short due to weather, Toprak Razgatlioglu nevertheless draws a positive conclusion. Yamaha has made a significant step forward, especially with the medium tire.
“I’m happy today because we’ve improved a lot, especially with the medium tire,” explains the Turkish rider. The Pramac-Yamaha has gained ground, especially when turning in. “And acceleration is easier because I can open the throttle earlier.”
The consistency also made Razgatlioglu optimistic. Without slipstream, he said he consistently posted low 1:40s during the test. “I’m consistently running 40.0, 40.1, 40.0 on the medium tire and without following anyone.” With a rider in front of him, times in the high 39s were even possible.
Back to Superbike style with soft tires
But that is precisely where his biggest problem continues to lie: the soft tire. Because although the softer Michelin nominally offers more grip, Razgatlioglu has so far been unable to turn that into a decisive advantage over a fast lap.
“When I put on the soft tire, I posted the same lap time,” he said disappointedly. The reason for this lies less with the bike than with his own riding style.
The three-time Superbike World Champion analyzes his difficulties with remarkable candor. When comparing data with Fabio Quartararo, he realized where the difference lies: Quartararo carries significantly more cornering speed with the soft tire. “I’m trying to do that too, but right now it’s very difficult,” he admits.
Particularly interesting: The Turkish rider himself feels how much his years of Superbike habits still influence him. As soon as the soft tire is mounted, his approach on the bike automatically changes. “My mindset changes immediately. I end up riding a bit in the Superbike style again,” he explains.
Instead of carrying high cornering speed, the 29-year-old instinctively focuses on grip at the corner exit and hard acceleration. However, that approach works only to a limited extent with the Michelin tires in MotoGP.
“With these Michelin tires, you have to maintain more cornering speed and open the throttle more gently,” explains Razgatlioglu. His natural style is the opposite: sit up on the bike, open the throttle early, and accelerate to the max. That’s why he’s working hard to adapt his riding style specifically for qualifying laps.
Quartararo as a key Yamaha reference
The Barcelona weekend also showed him just how crucial this point is: “If you start up front, you usually stay in the leading group. If you start further back, it’s very difficult to move up.” That’s exactly why he places great importance on managing the soft tire.
Apart from that, Razgatlioglu is already seeing clear progress. Above all, the level of performance compared to the other Yamaha riders makes the Turkish rider optimistic. “We’re now very close to the other Yamahas,” he says with satisfaction.
Quartararo, in particular, serves as a benchmark. The Frenchman not only demonstrates his strength over one or two fast laps but also maintains a consistently high pace during the race—especially because he regularly starts from the front rows.
Pramac team manager Gino Borsoi also clearly recognizes Razgatlioglu’s development. The Italian emphasizes, however, how important every single minute of testing is for the MotoGP rookie.
Valuable time was lost due to the interruptions in Barcelona. “You can’t buy track time,” Borsoi notes. “Losing half a test day isn’t good news for Toprak.” Because, especially for him, riding practice is currently crucial for further refining his riding style.
Yamaha is trying to support him as best as possible in this and help him implement the necessary changes. Borsoi expressly praises his rider: “He’s a very open guy with an open mindset. He’s really trying to change.”
The data already shows that Razgatlioglu is now riding similarly to Quartararo in some sections of the track. In other areas, however, there is still room for improvement. Borsoi is particularly relieved that the former Superbike rider has now fully accepted the situation.
“Two races ago, he realized that he needs to take cues from the other riders, especially Fabio Quartararo,” he explains. Since then, Razgatlioglu has been focusing much more on consistently implementing the engineers’ advice.
The fact that the transition is enormous comes as little surprise in the MotoGP paddock. After years in the Superbike World Championship, adapting to Michelin tires, carbon brakes, and the riding demands of a prototype motorcycle is considered one of the biggest differences when moving up to the premier class.