Toprak Razgatlioglu recorded his fastest lap of the Misano MotoGP weekend not during qualifying on fresh soft tires with low fuel, but midway through Sunday’s race on a worn medium tire. The Pramac Yamaha rider clocked a 1m 31.770s on lap 12 of 27, which was half a second quicker than his best qualifying time on Saturday. Only Fermin Aldeguer and Pedro Acosta posted faster laps on that same lap.
Razgatlioglu briefly outpaced race winner Marc Marquez, who posted a 1m 31.812s lap as he was overtaking Jorge Martin to take the lead. However, starting from the last position on the grid, coupled with difficulties in overtaking—leading to his front tire overheating—made the race a frustrating one for Razgatlioglu.
“We’re always battling, but they pull away on the straights,” Razgatlioglu explained. “Then, I’m pushing hard on the brakes every corner to catch up. The race goes on like that. It’s tough because I can’t pass anyone; I’m just closing the gap, then losing it on the straight again, lap after lap. Also, following closely heats my front tire too much, causing it to lock up.”
He added that finishing in twelfth place was the best he could manage under these circumstances.
Apart from overtaking Alex Rins and Joan Mir—both of whom retired early due to illness—and benefiting from Franco Morbidelli’s long lap penalty, Razgatlioglu’s race progress largely came from riders ahead crashing out. Johann Zarco’s crash moved Razgatlioglu up to twelfth by the finish.
Similar to his performance at Aragon, Razgatlioglu demonstrated notably strong mid-race speed.
“I’m surprised because halfway through, I was doing 31-second laps, which is very impressive,” he remarked. “My best lap this weekend actually came in the race, not qualifying. Our pace matches Fabio’s, which is encouraging. Although I’m at my limit and can’t overtake, this shows we’ve made significant progress.”
Despite this promising race pace, Razgatlioglu emphasized that starting position remains a critical issue.
“My biggest problem is starting last,” he stated. “If I began 10th or 12th, it might be easier to finish in the top ten since riders in seventh and eighth place have similar pace. Qualifying is crucial, but I’m struggling to improve lap times on the soft tire, which is my main challenge.”
He also mentioned that his team will focus intensely on improving qualifying performance at the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix.
“Starting closer to the front would mean a much better race for me, because my pace is definitely top 10, but overtaking was impossible here. Overall, it’s a positive race as I showed strong pace after the halfway point.”
Razgatlioglu now turns his attention to next weekend’s Red Bull Ring event, a circuit he hasn’t raced at in several years. “The last time I raced there was in the Rookies Cup, and there’s a new chicane now. We’ll see how it goes,” he said.
Meanwhile, Razgatlioglu’s teammate Jack Miller retired early following a crash and a subsequent technical problem.
Fan Take:
Razgatlioglu’s strong race pace despite starting last highlights both his talent and the vital importance of qualifying in MotoGP’s competitive grid. As teams work to close the gap in qualifying performance, fans can expect even more thrilling battles and improved racing dynamics in upcoming rounds.
Source: www.crash.net
