Toprak Razgatlioglu had another tough outing in MotoGP, finishing outside the points at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The Turkish rider has been gradually adjusting to life in the premier class since moving over from WSBK. After a 17th-place finish on his debut in Buriram, he appeared to be making headway in Brazil by heading straight into Q2.
He was third fastest in Friday practice, something he admitted caught him off guard. Razgatlioglu felt good on the bike early on, but things took a turn for the worse over the rest of the weekend.
The Pramac rider qualified 12th and dropped back to 18th in the Sprint, finishing only ahead of teammate Jack Miller. He said he found it ‘impossible’ to ride, admitting he was hesitant to use the front brake.
Things didn’t improve much on Sunday either, as he slipped back again and crossed the line 17th, going two rounds without picking up any points.
Fabio Quartararo was far better than Toprak Razgatlioglu using the throttle at the Brazilian Grand Prix
It was another tough outing for Yamaha in Goiania, with Alex Rins managing just two points for the team. Fabio Quartararo once again impressed in qualifying, putting his M1 up into fourth place.
But he couldn’t hold that position during the race, dropping down to 16th and finishing just ahead of Razgatlioglu. The Pramac rider spent much of the race following Quartararo but struggled to keep up when it came to acceleration.
Speaking to Speedweek, he said: “Today’s race was better than yesterday’s. But the rear grip is strange. The other manufacturers have more grip than the Yamaha.
“We tried to improve it. But as soon as I got on the throttle, I lost a lot of time. I had a lot of wheelspin and couldn’t accelerate well.
“When I was behind Fabio, I was really good in almost every corner. I was even able to catch him in some corners. But as soon as we opened the throttle, he always had a big advantage.
“Maybe he used his tyres better or had a better setup. He always accelerated very well. He was able to pull away in Turn 12 and in the final corner.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu sets sights on beating Fabio Quartararo by 2026
After two rounds of the championship, Fabio Quartararo is Yamaha’s highest-placed rider, currently sitting 16th overall. The 2021 MotoGP champion once again set the pace within the team, highlighted by his strong qualifying session in Goiania.
Quartararo is in his fourth season at Yamaha and has often been praised for getting more out of the M1 than his teammates over that span. The gap between him and others in the team has grown over time. However, Toprak Razgatlioglu’s manager believes he can close that gap by 2026.
The Brazilian Grand Prix hinted that it might not be too far off. Razgatlioglu finished just under four seconds behind Quartararo at the chequered flag.
It remains a big task ahead, but there’s a belief among fans that Razgatlioglu can catch up this year. Finding a better setup has been challenging so far, but small gains could quickly narrow the gap.
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