This should have been a formality and yet we would have come close to a breakdown in Catalonia in the negotiations on the renewal of the relationship between Yamaha and Toprak Razgatlioglu. A cold shower given by manager Kenan Sofuoglu who not only announced that he had rejected the manufacturer's proposal for a new lease. He also declared himself open to other proposals, and in particular that of BMW which would be around the record for a driver in the category. Andrea Dosoli, the Yamaha man, confirms the situation but does not panic. Because if you look closely, the Turk doesn't have that much choice...
After Kenan Sofuoglu expressed himself on negotiations which we will modestly identify as in pause between his pilot Toprak Razgatlioglu and Yamaha, the brand's representative Andrea Dosoli gave his version on GP One. And he does not deny that there is something of a blockage: “ This is a very delicate situation and I can't say much more. » he began. “ Yamaha's goal is to continue with Toprak. I think it's clear to everyone, given that he is a champion with extraordinary talent ».
On the posture of the Turkish clan, he specifies: “ Kenan Sofuoglu is the manager of Toprak and does his job to find the best solution for his client. The only thing I can say is that the negotiations with Toprak are not over yet. I can't add anything else ". Except this: “ Yamaha made him its offer and we believe that the proposal made to Toprak is the best to continue. Yamaha is working as hard as possible for him and I think continuing on the path is the best thing for everyone ". Which means that Yamaha proposed the maximum possible from his point of view. This does not suggest, a priori, any room for maneuver…
Between Yamaha and Toprak Razgatlioglu, the one in a strong position may not be the one you think
Furthermore, the same Dosoli specifies that Yamaha's situation in the championship is undoubtedly the most enviable against the Ducati ofAlvaro Bautista : “ if we look at the championship ranking, the Yamaha is the most complete motorcycle. Toprak and Locatelli are second and third in the world championship and there are three R1s in the top six places, taking into account Aegerter's GRT. Dominique, in his first year as a rookie, is doing something important and I also mention Gardner, despite the difficulties encountered in the last round in Barcelona ».
A mention which is not purely rhetorical. It is also a precision which reveals that Razgatlioglu has no alternative to Yamaha . It is only with Iwata's company that he will receive a more than comfortable salary coupled with a competitive motorcycle. At the house of BMW, there will only be the end of the month to rejoice because the M1000RR is far from the mark. Furthermore, going under the Munich flag will mean leaving Red Bull, which would also have to be abandoned if it goes to Kawasaki. At Ducati, we don't think about him, any more than at home Honda. While in MotoGP, he would be paid less well than in WSBK and struggle for at least one season in terms of results, the time to get used to his new world, more than one of whom, arriving from Superbike, in returned…
