SHOULDER INJURY FORCES RAZGATLIOGLU TO RETIRE AT MANDALIKA

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s Indonesian Grand Prix ended early after the shoulder injury he suffered in a Friday practice crash made it difficult to control his Yamaha. The Pramac rider completed eight laps of Sunday’s race before returning to the pits and retiring—a decision he said was unlike him.

Razgatlioglu had arrived at Mandalika with strong memories from his World Superbike career, having won there four times. But adapting to Yamaha’s YZR-M1 proved difficult, and he was running near the back. His weekend also included an FP1 incident in which he impeded Pecco Bagnaia. Later in the session, a heavy highside injured his right shoulder. He finished 19th in Saturday’s Sprint.

Speaking to MotoGP’s Word on the Grid, Razgatlioglu said he had put the shoulder back in place after the crash. Pain was a factor, but he said painkillers helped him manage it. The bigger problem, he explained, was that he had lost strength: braking was particularly difficult, especially through right-hand corners.

He had already sensed the severity of the issue that morning, managing only five or six laps before struggling to change direction and control the bike on the right side. He also felt his shoulder dropping under braking each lap. In the race, he initially tried to continue, but concluded it was better to stop rather than carry on with the problem.

“Normally, this is not my style,” Razgatlioglu said, describing the retirement as the end of a difficult weekend. He added that Friday had begun reasonably well, but the crash cost him momentum and meant he could not push at 100 percent.

His immediate priority is recovery. Razgatlioglu hopes he can avoid surgery and be fit for the next round at Phillip Island.