Razgatlioglu:“I don’t know why this tyre is like this-I am just very surprised!"

It was truly a day of two halves for Toprak Razgatlioglu as the Superpole race saw him lower the gap to under fifty points before the crushing blow of a DNF in race two of the CZech Republic World SBK round, leaving Alvaro Bautista with an extended title lead of 74 points.

Lisa Lewis

30 Jul 2023

Phil Marron, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Race 2, Czech WorldSBK, 30 July

Pata Yamaha rider Toprak Razgatlioglu began the day on a high with a win in the sprint style superpole race as he continued what was then unbeatable podium form at Autodrom Most. Bautista was the rider on the back foot, fighting through to third to limit points lost.

The title duo were the main attraction at the front of race two, duelling for position lap after lap with the Ducati’s horsepower allowing the #1 plate to match or sneak ahead of the Yamaha on the straight before Razgatlioglu shut the door firmly on repeat at turn one.

The rehearsals were a tantalising taste of what the final lap could have been - the battle ending on lap seventeen prematurely as the Yamaha violently and surprisingly threw it’s Turkish rider off. The highside at turn two, just after another battle for position, saw the #53 bike on the track riderless.

It didn’t take long for Pata Yamaha WSBK Team Principal Paul Denning to confirm to was not error by Razgatlioglu but a tyre failure - blistering, de-lamination and punctures all said to be present on the rear.

This was something confirmed by Razgatlioglu after the race, speaking via Yamaha Racing:

“I just try to do my best, very bad luck for me. I’m not angry for Pirelli – I don’t know why this tyre is like this, I am just very surprised and it is very strange. We have many races, and I keep looking to the future and keep fighting.”

The 2021 WorldSBK champion elaborated further to WSBK.com:

“It was a very strange race. My rear tyre burst. I am surprised because I looked back after the crash at the chain, and after I saw my tyre. It’s very strange for me, it’s the first time it’s happened in my life. I am okay. In the last six laps, I started to ride calmer, and I saw the gap getting bigger. It was a good race for me and I enjoyed it; I think all fans enjoyed it!”

There was plenty to enjoy too with the racing at the front fierce, often with a small amount of contact as they rehearsed their final moves over and over. Razgatlioglu had a plan to eliminate a close finale, that sadly he did not get to put into action:

“My plan in the race, especially the exit from the last corner, was to exit alone. If he was right in front of me, it wouldn’t have been easy to pass him in the first corner. I’m always keeping him behind me. We get to the first corner and I’m passing him again because I’m braking harder, but sometimes he tried hard braking. I needed to pass him. In general, it was a very good fight with Alvaro.”

That good fight was especially beneficial for his title rival - unravelling all the good work done to narrow the gap in the championship standings.

On arrival in Most, Bautista had a reduced but sizeable 70 point lead to his name. A second in race one behind Jonathan Rea and a win in the Superpole race had seen that diminish significantly to a 49 point gap, with 44 possible if the Yamaha had placed first in race two.

Instead the DNF, matched with Bautista grinding out every possible point behind, sees the lead now extended to 74 points heading into the summer break, with a long gap to the next round at Magny-Cours in September to ponder what might have been and work on a plan to bounce back for a final assault on the 2023 World Superbike title.