Toprak Razgatlioglu, the rookie rider with Pramac MotoGP, is facing a unique challenge as he attempts to find a solution to the rear wing issue with his Yamaha M1. The three-time World Superbike champion is determined to adapt his riding style to accommodate the rear wings, which are essential for legal competition in MotoGP. However, his 6ft1 frame and the seat unit he was using initially caused the bike to exceed the height limit in the regulations when the wings were attached.
During the Sepang shakedown and day one of the official test, Toprak Razgatlioglu rode without the rear wings, but he decided to switch back to an older seat unit with the wings attached at the end of Tuesday's running. This change made him feel stronger in braking, and he plans to continue using the wings on Wednesday. However, he acknowledges that he will need to adapt his riding style to comply with the rules.
"At the end of the day, we used the back tail," he explained. "Normally I don't use it because I use a different seat. But I feel much better because the bike stopped much better and this is helping more. In Superbikes, I always used a lower seat. This is much better for me. I really feel confident on the bike. With MotoGP, it's completely different, because now I use the maximum lowest seat, but not any lower because the fuel tank is there. But, if I use this seat position, I cannot use the wings because of the rules."
Toprak Razgatlioglu is also learning from the reigning champion, Marc Marquez, by studying his riding lines through different corners. He is determined to improve his corner speed and adapt his riding style to compete with the best in the sport. As he continues to learn and adapt, Toprak Razgatlioglu is making progress and finding his place in the MotoGP world.
"I need more corner speed. In Superbikes, I was always stop/go," he said. "I'm really happy to ride with him. If also I am getting stronger, maybe to race and fight with him, this would be incredible for me. But, now he's very fast and I'm just trying to understand some corners while I'm following him. But he's really fast, really strong, also we see the lap time at the end of the day. But tomorrow I will trying to follow him again because he's riding very well. In some corners, he's not leaning the bike. I'm surprised for this. But maybe we need to ride this bike in this direction."
This is a fascinating development in the world of MotoGP, and it will be interesting to see how Toprak Razgatlioglu's journey unfolds as he continues to adapt and learn from the best in the sport.
