Until this sad epilogue of Race 2, Toprak Razgatlioglu produced a masterful performance in Most, a Czech stage on the WSBK calendar which marked the eighth round as the last deadline before the summer break. Since the last Sunday at Imola, the Yamaha official has been moving up the championship to the one of whom we were convinced of his invincibility. This competition was to be a turning point announcing a reignited title race, a prospect that the Turk made possible by keeping the Ducati official in check. So there …
The heartbreaking sequel is explained by Toprak Razgatlioglu himself: “ It’s really a shame how it ended. » declared the 2021 World Champion on GP One. " I had fun in the duel with Bautista because I felt strong and I knew I could win. Unfortunately it ended in the worst possible way as I had blisters on the rear tire and this led to a puncture. Once the tire was flat, I found myself on the ground. This is how it happened and there's nothing I can do about it ».
We felt a sort of dull anger in the Turk: “ something like this has never happened to me before and I can't even explain it. Honestly, I don't understand what happened. I'm really sorry because I could have won but I crashed. We probably wear the tires more than the Ducati, but in the past I managed to win pushing with the SC0. This is how it happened and there's not much we can do ».
Toprak Razgatlioglu: “ I knew Alvaro would be strong because of the power on the straight, but I was aware of my braking potential »
« Today, I was calm and serene because I knew what my potential was, especially after the sprint race. Alvaro was very strong in the straight, but I knew I was competitive in braking and every time I tried to get closer and brake better than him. This time I had no luck ».
He specifies : " in turn 1 I knew Alvaro would be strong because of the power in the straight, but I was aware of my braking potential. Each time, I always tried to pull on the brakes, staying inside. Then he came in, but I immediately counterattacked on the outside and passed him again. From that moment on, my lead had increased to almost half a second and I was calm, but above all conscious of my race. As I have said, I could have won, but the tire bothered me » he concludes on this event in Most.
We must now take stock of the title race, with a Alvaro Bautista who leaves the Czech Republic with practically the same advantage as he had when he arrived there… “ As a matter of fact, I don't think about the World Championship, but just about having fun and winning races. My goal is to always aim for first place. Alvaro currently has a significant advantage, but I don't think about the numbers » ends the pilot Yamaha .
Results of Superbike Race-2 in Most:
Classification credit: WorldSBK.com
