TOPRAK RAZGATLIOGLU SAYS HE’S STILL LEARNING SILVERSTONE AS HE TARGETS ARAGON IMPROVEMENT

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP debut season continues to underline the size of the challenge he faces on Yamaha’s M1, even as the Turkish rider insists he is taking positives from every weekend. Speaking after the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Razgatlioglu described a race that was “better than on Saturday” but still left him with plenty to learn, particularly in how he should adapt his riding style to a machine and tyre package that demand different decisions than the Superbike world.

In the context of Yamaha’s current form, the weekend offered a stark reminder of the gap at the front. Fabio Quartararo, the best-placed Yamaha regular in the race, finished 12th, more than 27 seconds behind the winner, Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia). The situation worsened for Yamaha after the Grand Prix when Quartararo received a 20-second penalty several hours later due to a tyre-pressure issue. With that adjustment, Jack Miller moved up to 12th, still 29.4 seconds from the fastest rider, while Razgatlioglu himself was classified 14th, losing more than 40 seconds.

Razgatlioglu’s own race result, however, was not the only story. Speedweek noted that only one rider appeared to be in a position to beat him to the chequered flag: Yamaha test rider Augusto Fernandez, who was present on a wildcard. Of the seven riders who crashed during the event, only Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) was behind Razgatlioglu, meaning his final position was “clearly better” than what the raw pace and incidents might have suggested.

Reflecting on Silverstone, Razgatlioglu said the circuit’s character made adaptation especially difficult. “It was better than on Saturday, but we have a lot to learn,” he summarised. He pointed to the track’s long, drawn-out corners and explained that the key is finding the right moment to get the bike upright. “That is still very difficult for me,” he said, adding that he rides “too much like with a Superbike.” He acknowledged that the Superbike-style approach works on some circuits, but stressed that he must develop a different method because he will be back at Silverstone next year.

Despite calling his race “bad,” Razgatlioglu framed his focus around learning rather than dwelling on the outcome. “I’m focusing on what I learned during the weekend,” he said, describing it as important for helping him next year even though “everything will be different again.” He also linked his future development to tyre behaviour, saying that with the Pirelli tyres he will likely need a “mix of styles.”

Looking ahead, Razgatlioglu expressed cautious optimism that the lessons from Silverstone could carry over to Aragon. He said he has a “slightly positive feeling” and wants to see whether the improvements translate to the next round. At the same time, he warned that Aragon is another difficult track for his current MotoGP approach: “That is another difficult track for my style.” Still, he noted that with the Superbike he had produced a few strong races there, and he is now curious to see what that experience can become on the MotoGP machine.

Razgatlioglu also addressed the broader question of whether any circuits are simply “bad” for him. He rejected the idea of criticising tracks, insisting instead that the difference lies in the required riding style. “It’s better if I don’t talk about worse tracks,” he said. “I prefer to talk about tracks that need a different riding style.” He explained that when a rider must change technique and also deal with different tyres, the effect is significant.

He described his learning process for Silverstone in particular: “If I start on Friday, I try to learn the track and adapt. In Silverstone I had to learn every corner.” He contrasted that with how other riders can immediately consider tyre choices, while he feels he must think about “so many things,” which he called “very difficult.” Even so, he said he still sees positive aspects.

Finally, Razgatlioglu set his goals for the remainder of the season with a clear focus on competitiveness and results. His target is to be able to “keep up with the other Yamaha riders” in Aragon, and he also wants to break into the top 10 before the year is out. “My goal is that I can match the other Yamaha riders in Aragon,” he said, adding: “And I want to get into the top 10 this year as well.” He suggested that if he can improve enough to achieve that more than once, it would make him happy—though he admitted it will not be easy. “I always try my best, but it’s very difficult,” he concluded, while reiterating his love for all circuits and pointing to Portimao as an example where he was “very strong” on the Superbike, leaving him hopeful for a standout result on the MotoGP bike.