Toprak Razgatlıoğlu faced the challenging Mugello circuit for the first time at the Italian Grand Prix, the seventh round of his MotoGP apprenticeship season, and throughout the weekend, he once again demonstrated how finely defined this transition is for the first Turkish MotoGP rider. The Prima Pramac Yamaha rider finished Saturday's qualifying session in 20th place and then the sprint race in 17th. He will also start the 23-lap main race, which will kick off at 15:00 (Turkish time) on Sunday, from 20th position on the grid.
Ranked 20th overall, 17th in the sprint.
The weekend proceeded in a familiar rhythm for Toprak. After finishing 20th in Friday's practice sessions, the Turkish rider remained in the same position in Saturday's qualifying, finishing 20th, just behind KTM's Maverick Vinales (19th). In the sprint race, he finished 17th, one place behind his teammate Jack Miller (16th). These results are consistent with the overall season standings: after the first six races, Toprak is 22nd with 4 points, his best result being 13th in France. Mugello remains one of the tracks where he has yet to score points in MotoGP; his goal is to overcome this hurdle.
Mugello's weakness: steady speed.
Mugello is a track that ruthlessly reveals the Yamaha M1's most vulnerable point. With its approximately 1.1-kilometer straight course, it offers one of the biggest speed tests on the calendar, where the engine power and straight-line speed are evident on every lap. On this track, where Aprilia's Jorge Martin set an all-time speed record of 368.6 km/h, Yamaha's disadvantage in straight-line speed directly ties Toprak's hands. The Turkish rider's strengths in corner entry and aggressive riding are not enough to completely compensate for the time lost on the straights on such a track.
In his own words: "I need to follow Diggia."“
Toprak had already pointed out aspects of the track that suited his driving style before Mugello. In an interview with Motorsport.com, he stated that Mugello required higher cornering speed rather than excessive braking, which could be beneficial. The Turkish driver also mentioned that local favorite Fabio Di Giannantonio is always very strong at this track, and that he needed to closely follow him from the first session. This approach is part of Toprak's strategy to learn how to master the M1 by observing reference drivers; he tries to compensate for his lack of speed with the right line and cornering speed.
Sunday's race and the outlook for the future.
Besides Toprak, Yamaha generally had a difficult weekend; even 2021 champion Fabio Quartararo openly spoke of a lack of confidence. This shows that the difficulties experienced by the Turkish rider are more a characteristic of the brand as a whole than an individual issue. Sunday's 23-lap main race will be a real test for Toprak in terms of both physical endurance and pace consistency. Although he will start from the back of the grid, the long race distance can sometimes create surprise opportunities with events at the front and tire management. The real gain for the Turkish rider this weekend will be less about his qualifying position and more about learning a completely new track like Mugello with a MotoGP machine.