Toprak outclassed by Miller: “I keep making the same mistake”

For Toprak Razgatlioglu, MotoGP Friday at the Sachsenring was a disappointment. The Pramac Yamaha rider finished a mere 19th in qualifying, 1.467 seconds off Marc Marquez’s fastest time. This means the two-time Superbike World Champion will have to go via Q1 on Saturday. Razgatlioglu was clearly overshadowed by his team-mate Jack Miller, who impressively demonstrated what is possible on this twisty circuit.

Razgatlioglu quickly realised where he was losing time. The second sector in particular, with its long left-hand bends, caused him major problems. “I really tried to improve my lap time, but 1:20.8 minutes was my maximum today,” explained Razgatlioglu. “I’m losing a lot of time in the second sector in particular, because that’s where the long left-hand bends are. I don’t yet fully understand why. I need to sit up straighter on the bike, but I open the throttle too much too early and keep making the same mistake there. That’s why I can’t get the lap time I need.”

Will Pramac find a solution to Razgatlioglu’s problem?

The section through corners 5, 6 and 7 in particular cost the Yamaha rider precious tenths of a second. “Things are looking quite good in the other corners. If we can improve that section, we can take a big step forward. I lose almost 0.4 seconds there alone,” emphasised Razgatlioglu.

The MotoGP rookie did not want to predict whether points were still possible on Sunday. Much will depend on whether he and his team can find a solution overnight. “If we can improve the second sector with the long left-hand bends, then it’s possible. But we’ll see tomorrow. At the moment, I’m simply losing too much time there.”

Razgatlioglu not surprised by Miller’s lap times

The fact that his team-mate Jack Miller qualified fifth and went straight through to Q2 came as no surprise to Razgatlioglu. “Jack is very fast here. He knows the track and knows every line. That’s normal,” said the Turkish rider. For him, however, the Sachsenring is largely uncharted territory. “I haven’t ridden a motorbike here since the 2014 Red Bull Rookies Cup. That’s why it’s very difficult for me. I did improve in a few corners this afternoon, but corners 5, 6 and 7 remain my biggest problem.”

Topic of the week

From major doubts to a major spectacle: why GP fans have reason to be delighted

Before the start of the season, critical voices dominated, but the World Championship rounds so far have shown that the rule changes are delivering exactly what was hoped for: excitement right up to the final lap.

Read more

TV program

Tomorrow

Sachsenring: International Livestream - Samstag

MotoGP World Championship

11.07.2026 - 08:35

Jack Miller fuhr mit der Yamaha in die Top-5

Foto: Gold & Goose

Accordingly, Razgatlioglu compared his data intensively with that of his team-mates. “We’re looking at Jack and Fabio’s data. I’m basically only losing time in corners 5, 6 and 7, and a little bit on the downhill sections. The traction control intervenes too strongly there; the bike doesn’t accelerate properly and we lose speed. If we can improve the second sector, the rest will fall into place.”

Despite the disappointing result, the Yamaha MotoGP rookie remains optimistic. “I really pushed today, but it didn’t make any difference. First I need to understand these corners; then the lap times will follow. I’ve done lots of laps and we’ve collected plenty of data. Now we need to improve the bike – and I need to improve my riding in these corners. Tomorrow is a long day with FP2, qualifying and the sprint. I hope I can improve.”