Toprak Razgatlioglu couldn't hide his frustration after finishing second-to-last in the Austrian MotoGP. The Pramac rider described the 28-lap race at the Red Bull Ring as the "second-worst race of my life".
The former WorldSBK champion admitted he almost pulled into the pits before the race ended. However, respect for Yamaha kept him going to the chequered flag. "I was thinking sometimes to come into the box. But I respect Yamaha enough to continue to ride, because the pace was a disaster," he said.
The main issue for Razgatlioglu was a lack of traction from the start. "I am also very shocked, because the beginning, the first five laps, already I'm not feeling the grip. I feel just spin. I'm really angry on the bike because I just asked to myself, 'It's a new tyre, but how is it possible there's no grip at the beginning?'" he explained.
He added that conditions worsened in the final six laps. "In the end, the last six laps, I asked myself, 'How is it possible to finish the race?', because on the straight it was just spinning. From the exit of the first corner, when I pick up the bike I just spin. Everywhere, I just felt spin in the last six laps," he added.
Razgatlioglu mentioned that his other worst race was also this year, in Thailand, with a similar issue of no grip. "It's very strange. Yesterday we could manage. But, today, I'm not expecting this," he concluded.
The Austrian GP was indeed a nightmare for Yamaha. Fabio Quartararo, who impressed with ninth in qualifying, finished 17th, outside the points. Meanwhile, Razgatlioglu's teammate Jack Miller was almost 70 seconds behind the winner.
This result clearly tarnishes Yamaha's performance as they struggle to regain competitiveness. With such severe traction issues, the team must find a solution before the next race.
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