Toprak is already under pressure: Yamaha too slow, MotoGP style unfamiliar

Yamaha began MotoGP testing in Thailand with different aerodynamic packages for the factory team and Prima Pramac. On the second and final day of preseason, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jack Miller will also have the evolution package available for their M1s. Meanwhile, pressure is mounting around the Superbike world champion...

For the Turkish superstar, these are the last kilometers before the start of the MotoGP World Championship. The Buriram test is the final chance to iron out some details after the disappointing outing in Malaysia. The Iwata manufacturer has filed away the issues encountered at Sepang, which forced its riders into a blackout lasting over half a day. Now we need to wait for the first results in the championship to understand what kind of season it will be for Yamaha. In the Pramac garage, the focus is primarily on Toprak Razgatlioglu, making his official premier-class debut after six days of work in Malaysia.

After a very encouraging start in the first test, Toprak’s performance has frozen. "We haven’t improved anything in recent days. I flew home and now I’m fresher for the two-day test," he told Speedweek.com before taking to the track at Chang International Circuit. "I hope we’ll keep improving to find the best path." Progress, however, has come on the ergonomics front. "I’ll go back to my old setup, meaning a lower handlebar combined with a lower seat. I’ll try the Valencia style. With the higher handlebar I lose a lot. A lower handlebar could be a bit better."

The three-time SBK world champion will have to change his riding style, and not by a little. He’s facing a massive challenge while waiting for the new MotoGP regulations to shake things up a bit. A smoother approach with higher corner speed is needed, setting aside his stop-and-go riding style. "The team always says I’m already very strong on the brakes. They say: ‘Please brake a little earlier. And focus only on corner speed and corner exit.’ Yes, it’s easy to say, but it’s not easy for me to change style. But I’m working on it and I need time to do it."

Buriram is a track that doesn’t suit Yamaha, at least on paper. The long straights favor manufacturers with more powerful engines. The new V4 engine in the Yamaha M1 is still considered too weak, which doesn’t help Toprak Razgatlioglu. "The team and Yamaha are helping a lot. But we don’t have much time before the race. These are the last two days before the start of the season. I hope we’ll find something to improve. We’re focusing only on race pace."