Toprak Explains Why MotoGP Qualifying Remains His Weak Spot

Toprak Razgatlioglu says his inability to adapt to a true time-attack riding style remains the main reason why his MotoGP qualifying performances continue to trail behind his race pace.

The Pramac Yamaha rider was once again Yamaha's highest finisher in the Czech MotoGP Sprint, crossing the line in 11th place, two positions ahead of Fabio Quartararo. However, that result contrasted sharply with qualifying, where he ended up second from the back of the grid.

According to Razgatlioglu, the issue is not a lack of race pace but rather his difficulty in changing his riding approach when attempting a single fast lap.

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"Qualifying is always very bad for me. In time attack I'm riding with a race style, not like a real time attack. That's the problem."

The Turkish rider explained that during races he feels comfortable managing rear tyre performance, maintaining grip and controlling braking zones. However, those same habits make it difficult to fully exploit the potential of fresh tyres over one lap.

"In the race I know how to manage the rear tyre, the grip and stop the bike. I'm always riding like this. Only in time attack it's not easy for me to change the riding style."

Beyond qualifying, Razgatlioglu also highlighted Yamaha's turning performance as a key weakness. He believes the bike is still not rotating efficiently through corners, forcing him to wait too long before applying the throttle and costing valuable lap time.

"I'm not happy with the turning because the bike is not turning. I lose a lot in the corner and wait too much for acceleration. If we improve this area, I think we can make a really big step for the long race."

The issue also affects tyre management. Razgatlioglu admitted that he often applies the throttle too early, creating excessive rear-wheel spin that increases tyre wear. While that was less of a concern over the Sprint distance, it could become a much bigger factor in the Grand Prix. As a result, improving cornering performance has become Yamaha's main target ahead of Sunday's race at Brno.