Toprak Razgatlioglu identifies his ‘very strange’ tyre issue after motivation ‘dropped a lot’

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Pramac Yamaha rider Toprak Razgatlioglu believes his “very strange” feeling with the rear Michelin tyre is the “biggest problem” he has to overcome to deliver in MotoGP.

Razgatlioglu endured a sobering weekend last time out at the Brazilian Grand Prix, which the three-time World Superbike champion now even admits saw his motivation drop “a lot”. The 29-year-old felt deflated after only securing P18 in the Goiania Sprint out of the 19 finishers.

Only his Pramac teammate Jack Miller finished the Sprint Race in Brazil behind Razgatlioglu, with 0.763 seconds separating the pair. Razgatlioglu passed Miller in the closing stages after the Australian also had tyre issues, which left the pair 7.954s behind the next Yamaha rider.

Razgatlioglu also only achieved P17 in the Brazilian GP among the 18 finishers ahead of KTM Tech3 racer Maverick Vinales, who is struggling with the ongoing effects of a shoulder injury. Alex Rins was the top Yamaha with P14 in the Brazilian GP, holding a 7.588s margin over him.

Toprak Razgatlioglu admits his motivation ‘dropped a lot’ in Brazil – How concerned should Pramac and Yamaha be?

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Toprak Razgatlioglu says his ‘biggest problem’ in MotoGP is Michelin’s rear tyre

Razgatlioglu has reflected on his difficulties at the Brazilian GP ahead of this week’s United States Grand Prix at COTA. The Turkish ace cites the rear Michelin tyre that MotoGP used in Goiania as the root cause of his woes, given his lesser understanding compared to his rivals.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Toprak Razgatlioglu from net worth to nickname

Pramac star Razgatlioglu feels like “In MotoGP, everything hinges on them”, referring to the Michelin tyres that he is now adapting to after racing on Pirellis in World Superbikes. He has especially struggled for traction in the acceleration phase as he learns how to use the tyres.

“The feeling with the bike is improving, but the sensation with the tyres is still very strange,” Razgatlioglu said, via quotes by GPOne. “I’m adapting more and more to the front, partly because almost everyone uses more or less the same set-up up front – both in the race and during the practice sessions.

“The rear, on the other hand, is really unique, because there’s a very narrow window where you can truly exploit its potential. Everyone else has been racing with these tyres for years, while I’m still trying to fully understand this window of use.

“In Brazil, my main problem was rear grip. Up front, the problem is more or less the same for everyone. The front end always moves under braking. But under acceleration, I feel the biggest gap compared to the others. I still can’t find enough grip, and managing the tyre isn’t easy, either. That was my biggest problem in Brazil.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s motivation ‘dropped a lot’ after his disappointing Sprint in Brazil

The Brazilian Grand Prix was a very testing affair for Razgatlioglu, even though he featured in Q2 for the first time in his fledgling MotoGP career. Mixed conditions on Friday in Brazil saw Razgatlioglu profit, but he knew that the rain costing his rival riders helped him to get in Q2.

Yet despite playing down any expectations after practice, Razgatlioglu admits his motivation “dropped a lot” after struggling in the Goiania Sprint. He found turning and braking on the V4 Yamaha M1 became an even greater challenge when Pramac found more grip on a dry track.

Razgatlioglu added: “The conditions were mixed, between wet and dry. In those conditions, on slicks, I’ve always been strong, both in Superbikes and here. It looked like I could be competitive, even in MotoGP, but we weren’t on a dry track.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Pramac from the MotoGP team’s riders to bike

“I’d said on Friday, too, [that] there was no reason to get too excited, because in those conditions not all riders really push to the limit. We had to wait until Saturday, with the track completely dry or completely wet, to really understand where we’d stand.

“And, in fact, on Saturday, I had very different feelings. When we found more grip on the track, the bike stopped turning, and the overall handling changed a lot.

“In fact, on Saturday, when everything went wrong, my motivation dropped a lot, because after Friday I was expecting a much better weekend. On Saturday, after the [Sprint] Race, I was really down.”