It's shaping up to be a long year for Toprak Razgatlioglu. As the three-time Superbike World Champion makes his MotoGP debut, concerns are growing at Pramac Yamaha. On the one hand, his speed was lacking during the Sepang tests, even though "El Turco" also benefited from extra track time during the shakedown the previous week. He was about 1.9 seconds off the pace, which is still a huge gap even for testing, and this greatly disappointed him. On the other hand, Toprak was unable to find a good feeling on the Yamaha V4., particularly because of Michelin tires; that's Jack Miller's theory.
His teammate, who is starting his 12th season in the premier class, believes he has found the cause of Razgatlioglu's problems. "The most important thing with the Michelin is that once it starts to slip, it only stops in fifth or sixth gearIt continues to spin its wheels even in a straight line. If you listen to a Ducati when it opens the throttle, everything is done smoothly to try and transfer the weight without destabilizing the bike. That was the biggest problem last year with the inline four-cylinder engine : it was extremely difficult to achieve this torque transfer and maintain good traction. If you start skating too early, it won't stop. » we read on Todocircuito.
This is a problem that Toprak itself has also noted. "In WorldSBK, when you feel the wheelspin, the Pirelli is easy to manage. But when the Michelin starts to slip, it doesn't stop.You have to ride like in Moto2 and open the throttle very gradually, because this tire is extremely sensitive. I'm trying to adapt; my team always tells me to "drive smoothly", but it's easier said than done! » added the Turk.
Since, Toprak keeps repeating that the 2026 season is only there to prepare for 2027When the Pirelli tires replace the Michelins, he will have the opportunity to review his settings during the Buriram tests scheduled for February 21 and 22.
What are you expecting from Toprak Razgatlioglu this year? Tell us in the comments!
Photo: Michelin Motorsport
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
