MotoEtkinlik20 September 2026

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu Experienced Lack of Traction During Race

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Red Bull Ring, the 15th race of the season, the Austrian GP, where the Turkish national rider Toprak Razgatlıoğlu competed on Sunday, expressed the technical difficulties and hopelessness he experienced on the motorcycle after the race using open and striking statements. After the strong pace on Saturday, the rider who had to contend with zero traction on the motorcycle during Sunday's race, struggled with the technical issues and difficulties he faced, sharing his experience with complete sincerity.

Zero Traction and Starting Issues

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu stated that during the start of the race, for the first two or first five laps, he could not feel any grip. He expressed that he only felt spinning (spin) on the motorcycle and questioned, "How can it be possible for this new tire not to have any grip at the start?" He acknowledged Fabio’s good riding but emphasized that they did not accept the drop in tire performance at the end of the race.

The rider stated that in the later stages of the race, it became impossible to control the motorcycle on straights and corner exits. On the sixth lap, on a straight, the motorcycle kept spinning, and he thought, "How can I finish the race?" He mentioned that on the first corner exit, the motorcycle kept spinning everywhere, and that this was one of the worst second races of his life and his career. He said that during the race in Thailand, he also felt no grip, but they managed it that day, and the current situation was unacceptable.

Difficulties in Acceleration and Power Usage

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu stressed that acceleration was impossible if there was no tire grip. He stated that he only felt spinning when opening the throttle and that the motorcycle came in spinning everywhere. He also noted that the situation differed in the corners. In the left corners, the motorcycle started spinning on the sixth corner, while on the seventh and eighth corners, the motorcycle only spun, and he said that if they had felt grip, controlling the throttle would have been easier, but they had to reduce the throttle to manage the grip. Therefore, using power without tire grip was impossible, because power could only be used on fifth gear, but the straight must end on fifth gear.

The End of the Race and Physical Condition

The rider stated that physically, he did not look at the rear tire during the race, bringing the motorcycle into the garage and just sitting down. He questioned why he needed to look at it when there was no grip. He also added that he thought Jack’s (Miller’s) rear tire was in a worse condition than his own. He stated that the day was very bad for all Yamaha riders, and that the situation was a combination of physical grip, electronic, and power factors. He emphasized that the absence of grip made the use of power impossible. He expressed that he did not enjoy the race at all, only trying to survive. He noted that all Yamaha riders couldn't enjoy the race due to the same situation, acknowledging that Alex Rins and Fabio rode better at the start but accepted their decline, because they pushed hard at the beginning and could say, "Okay, I accept it because I pushed hard at the start, now the tire has dropped," but they still felt the spin.

Race Pace and Overall Assessment

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu stated that in the last three laps, when he lifted the motorcycle on the eighth corner, it spun throughout the entire straight, and sometimes he even considered returning to the garage. He described the race pace as a complete disaster, stating that he was only trying to finish the race and acting as if he were just racing. He thought the situation was the same for all Yamaha riders.

Outlook for Next Year

The rider stated that tomorrow would be a test day and that this day should be forgotten and that he needed rest. He mentioned that they are starting to worry about next year due to the new tires and electronic settings, but emphasized that the team was doing its best. He expressed that everyone expects to be in a better position and that this lowered everyone's morale, and that he always tried to show the best performance while on the motorcycle. He expressed hope, stating that they worked very hard for next year and needed to start strongly.