Toprak Razgatlioglu finished at the bottom of the MotoGP timing sheets during both Friday practice sessions at the Red Bull Ring. Despite this, the Pramac Yamaha rider improved his fastest lap time significantly, dropping from 1:32.363 to 1:29.982 between the two runs.
This placed him 1.6 seconds behind KTM’s frontrunner Pedro Acosta and 1.1 seconds off the pace set by Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo. “I’m pleased because we made a major improvement throughout the day,” Razgatlioglu commented. “The morning session was tough as I didn’t have a good feel for the bike, but in the afternoon, things got much better, especially when braking.”
Razgatlioglu continues to analyze Quartararo’s data, who managed to place his M1 within the top ten on Friday, earning direct entry into Qualifying 2. He highlighted Quartararo’s knack for “picking up the bike ten percent more” on corner exits as a key advantage. “We’re still comparing data with Fabio, and I see where I can improve, particularly in how I accelerate out of corners,” he said. “Fabio rides very well, especially in how he picks up the bike. In some corners, he picks up the bike ten percent more than I do, which makes a big difference. I’m trying to adjust, but it’s quite challenging.”
Looking ahead to Saturday, Razgatlioglu feels better but knows he needs to sharpen his corner-exit skills, especially in the last sector. “We took a solid step, especially with braking — I feel much more confident stopping the bike. Now we’re focused on acceleration and finding that extra grip.” Managing corner-exit speed is crucial with the harder rear tire compound used at the Red Bull Ring. “I’m adapting well to the front tire, but the rear’s grip zone still confuses me,” he admitted. “I keep spinning, whereas others seem to understand the tire better and know how to find traction.”
He added, “This morning to now, I’ve improved a lot, but I hope tomorrow we find more pace. When I look at Fabio’s lap times, he’s managing the used tire impressively well.” Razgatlioglu’s teammate, Jack Miller, was just 0.033 seconds faster, holding 20th place.
Fan Take:
Razgatlioglu’s progress despite a slow start is a promising sign for fans eager to see fresh competition challenge the established frontrunners. His ongoing battle to master tire grip and corner exits could usher in new dynamics within MotoGP, potentially shaking up the usual hierarchy in upcoming races.
Source: www.crash.net
