Torak Razgatlioglu identifies ‘strange’ tire case after initiative ‘fails hard’

Only his Pramak Teammate Jack Miller finished the sprint behind Razgatlioglu in Brazil, with 0.763 seconds separating the pair. Razgatlioglu passed Miller in the closing stages after the Australian also suffered tire problems, which left the pair trailing with 7.954s. Yamaha Horseman

Razgatlioglu only managed P17 in the Brazilian GP, ​​finishing 18th ahead of KTM Tech3 racer Maverick Vinales, who is battling a shoulder injury. Alex Rins was the top Yamaha in the Brazilian GP with P14, with a margin of 7.588s over him.

Toprak Razgatlioglu admits initiative has ‘reduced a lot’ in Brazil – how worried should Pramac and Yamaha be?

Toprak Razgatlioglu says the biggest problem in MotoGP is the Michelin rear tire.

Razgatlioglu reflected on the problem he faced in the Brazilian GP Ahead of this week’s United States Grand Prix at COTA. The Turkish ace cites MotoGP’s use of the rear Michelin tire in Goiania as the main cause of the problem, given the lack of grip compared to his rivals.

Read more: Everything you need to know about Toprak Razgatlioglu from net worth to nickname

Pramac star Razgatlioglu now feels “everything hinges on them in MotoGP”, referring to the Michelin tires he will be adapting to after competing in World Superbikes on Pirellis. Especially when he knew how to use the tires, he struggled to pull the level quickly.

“The feel of the bike is improving, but the feel of the tires is still very strange,” Razgatlioglu said in quotes. GPON. “I’m getting more used to the front, in part because almost everyone uses more or less of the front – both during the race and during training.

“On the other hand, the rear is really special, because there’s a very narrow window where you can really use the capacity. Everyone has been racing with these tires for years, I’m still trying to fully understand this window of use.”

“My main problem in Brazil was the rear grip. At the front, the problem is more or less the same for everyone. The front always moves with braking. But I feel the biggest gap compared to the others at speed. I still don’t have enough grip, it’s not easy to manage the tire. That was my biggest problem in Brazil.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s motivation ‘reduced a lot’ after disappointing Sprint in Brazil

The Brazilian Grand Prix was a very testing affair for Razgatlioglu despite his first appearance in Q2 in his early MotoGP career. Mixed conditions in Brazil on Friday benefited Razgatlioglu, but he knows the rain that pelted his rivals helped him into Q2.

Despite playing up to expectations after practice, Razgatlioglu admitted he “fell a lot” after struggling in the Goiania Sprint. Turning and braking on the V4 Yamaha M1 found the Pramac more of a challenge as it gripped more on a dry track.

Razgatlioglu added: “The conditions were mixed between wet and dry. In those conditions, on the slats, in the Superbikes and here I was always strong. I thought I would be competitive even in MotoGP, but we were not on a dry track.

Read more: Everything you need to know about Pramac, from MotoGP team riders to bikes

“I also said on Friday (that) there is no reason to be too happy, because in those conditions not all drivers really push to the limit. To understand exactly where we stand, we had to wait until Saturday, with the road completely dry or completely wet.

“And, in fact, on Saturday, I had a very different feeling, when we got more traction on the track, the bike stopped turning, and the overall handling changed a lot.

“Actually, on Saturday, when everything went wrong, my motivation dropped a lot, because after Friday I was expecting a much better weekend, and on Saturday, after the (Sprint) race, I was really down.