The crisis at Yamaha is taking its toll on Toprak Razgatlioglu – the move to MotoGP reminds him of 2018 – but as a three-time world champion, this slump weighs even heavier
As a three-time Superbike World Champion, Toprak Razgatlioglu is enduring a difficult rookie season in MotoGP with the uncompetitive new V4 Yamaha in the Pramac team.
Over the first 15 race weekends, the Turkish rider managed to score just 18 World Championship points. He finished in the championship points seven times. Eleventh place at Balaton Park was Razgatlioglu’s best individual result.
Following the disastrous Yamaha weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, he once again spoke of his motivation being at rock bottom. Has the 29-year-old ever gone through such a difficult phase in his career?
“When I think back, the 2018 season in particular was extremely tough for me, when I switched to the Superbike World Championship with Kawasaki in my first year,” Razgatlioglu replies to this question.
“ I was always finishing ninth, tenth or twelfth. Back then, twelfth place wasn’t actually that bad. But I started to believe that I had no potential at all and that this was already my absolute maximum.”
“I really did start thinking that way. In the end, I even considered giving up racing altogether.” Nevertheless, Razgatlioglu achieved some highlights in his first Superbike season.
At Donington Park, the sixth race weekend, he made his mark for the first time with second place in the second race. Towards the end of the season, he secured his second podium finish with third place in Argentina at the Villicum circuit.
For Razgatlioglu, these were the decisive turning points: “When I finally made it onto the podium, it changed everything. I started to believe in myself again.”
“At the moment, I find it even harder because I’ve since become world champion three times. And last year I had another incredible season.”
“In MotoGP, my best result is eleventh place. That makes it even harder for me now, because I’m actually a winner. Back in 2018, when I finished tenth or twelfth, that was also bitter for me.”
“But it’s in no way comparable to the current situation, because back then I still had to prove myself.” With 78 wins and three world championship titles, Razgatlioglu ranks among the best Superbike riders in history.
Qualifying is one of the biggest problems
In MotoGP, he is still a long way from building on those successes with Yamaha. “Every race weekend, I try to focus on my lap times.”
“But when the lap times just aren’t right, my motivation drops noticeably. That’s how it goes for me every race weekend,” sighs Razgatlioglu. Qualifying is a major problem.
He isn’t finding any extra performance with a new soft rear tyre. Since the summer break, he has consistently been right at the back of the grid: 22nd on the grid at Silverstone, 21st at Aragon, 21st at Misano, 22nd at Spielberg.
“ “With the soft tyre, I’m not making the most of its true potential at all. I still need to learn that, because I still don’t understand the limits of this tyre. That’s my biggest problem of all.”
“I’m not sitting comfortably on the bike and I don’t feel any feedback at all. When braking, I constantly do this, and then I enter the corner because I feel as though I’m already at the limit.‘
’But the bike doesn’t turn in because I’m not braking in the right place to take the corner cleanly,” explains Razgatlioglu. “That’s exactly the problem I’m struggling with. It’s not that easy to overcome something like that.”
Compared to qualifying, his race pace is generally better on the medium rear tyre. But as the V4 Yamaha lacks top-end power, overtaking is very difficult.