Marco Bezzecchi
Toprak Razgatlioglu can look to some helpful reference points as he embarks upon his first MotoGP season. The first, and most obvious, is Pramac teammate Jack Miller.
At the season-opener in Thailand, Miller will become just the second active rider to hit 200 premier class starts after Marc Marquez. He has won four of his 199 races to date and scored 22 podiums.
Miller has also ridden for four different manufacturers at the highest level – Honda, Ducati, KTM and now Yamaha. Razgatlioglu needs some of that adaptability after making the jump from Superbikes.
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Fabio Quartararo, widely regarded as one of the fastest riders in MotoGP, is riding the M1 in factory colours. Meanwhile, the legendary Andrea Dovizioso has been helping Razgatlioglu as part of his Yamaha test role.
Toprak Razgatlioglu can’t work out how Jack Miller is so good in long corners
Razgatlioglu shared the track with all of his competitors for the first time at the Sepang test this week. He naturally sought out world champion Marc Marquez on track, as he is the ultimate benchmark.
But Razgatlioglu also followed Miller on the third day of running, when Yamaha were using reduced power. He was particularly struck by the Australian’s speed through long corners.
Sepang is a circuit that will certainly highlight any such weakness, particularly through the winding turns one and two and the high-speed turn five/six complex.
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A surprisingly honest Razgatlioglu says he simply doesn’t know how to approach those bends.
“With the new tyres, I followed Miller to understand his behaviour in the corners,” Razgatlioglu said. “He is very strong in the long corners.
“On the other hand, he does quite well in braking. I’m strong I can brake well and stop the bike.
“The problem is that in the long corners I still struggle to understand how to take them, since I can’t carry any speed.
“Also, I need to learn how to use the brakes better. I need more time.”
‘Stressed’ Toprak Razgatlioglu must be given the time he needs
While Yamaha’s Sepang mileage was limited by the mysterious engine issue that ruled them out of day two, Razgatlioglu was at least able to take part in the shakedown last week. He also featured in the post-season test at Valencia back in November.
There are two further days of testing at Buriram later this month, and it sounds like Razgatlioglu will take every lap he can get. Given the scale of the challenge he faces, judgement should be withheld until the end of his first season in the class.
Razgatlioglu has already admitted to feeling ‘stressed’ on the straights because there is so much to think about. The challenges are cognitive as well as mechanical.
If Quartararo’s anticipated move to Honda goes through, then Razgatlioglu will be a contender for a 2027 Yamaha factory seat, but he can’t allow that to be at the forefront of his mind just yet.
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