MotoGP, Ben Spies warns Toprak Razgatlioglu: "He will have to change his very extreme riding style"

Anyone who followed the MotoGP World Championship closely in the late 2000s and early 2010s couldn't have missed Ben Spies. The American is currently the last Superbike World Champion to have made the jump to the World Championship; no one is better qualified than him to judge the transfer of Toprak Razgatlioglu, who will swap his BMW M1000RR WSBK for the Yamaha YZR-M1 Pramac next year.

Spies has never hidden his admiration for Toprak, and he reiterates his compliments again in an interview given to GP One. "I talked a lot with him and Kenan Sofuoglu. He's right to want to try his luck at the highest level, I would do the same if I had to start all over again. I think he is one of the top 3 most talented drivers in the world. But MotoGP is very different, and no doubt he will have to change his very extreme riding style » he confided.

 

 

The Texan spoke in more detail about what it takes to master riding a MotoGP bike. « Changing his sitting position and braking will be his biggest challenge. In MotoGP, there's a lot more grip and a lot less feel. Everything is stiff and blurry, it's like a bobsleigh. Even though he's better than I ever was, I think we have a similar style. He won't be able to brake very late and stop the bike before turning it, like in flat track. MotoGP bikes are more like motocross bikes, where you have to throw the motorcycle into a rut to turn very quicklyHis late braking may help him in a fight, but not in setting the fastest lap. he added.

That said, despite the fact that Toprak will be new to Michelin tyres – before returning to Pirelli tyres from 2027 – Ben Spies has huge expectations for him. "He deserves credit for trying. If he can get the most out of his bike, I think he has the talent to fight for the world championshipMotoGP is not for everyone, I hope he can master it." he concluded.

Do you share the analysis of Ben Spies, who, it should be remembered, is a friend of Toprak? Tell us in the comments!

 

 

Cover photo: Toprak Razgatlioglu