WorldSBK Indonesia: Razgatlioglu ‘needs Rea’s help to fight Ducati’

Toprak Razgatlioglu was pleased to have won his first WorldSBK race of 2023, as he scooped points on the Pata Yamaha in what was a red flagged and then shortened Superpole race at Mandalika. But pleased up to a point, a few points short of 25, in reality.

“Most important for me is the long race, not a short race,” Razgatlioglu said, swinging sideways on a chair in the vast upper media centre at the Pertamina Circuit. “But anyway we did it. This is not easy also because this year especially, everybody is very strong. Especially Ducati. Big improvement.

“All the Ducatis are fast,” he continued. “Normally Bautista is a very strong rider, but also now it is a good package with Bautista and Ducati. But anyway, we keep fighting. Today I saw Rinaldi. I tried my best every lap, tried 100 per cent, but if I did not go wide in corner ten I think I would be passing the last sector because the last sector I am stronger than him. Bautista is still strong, I think the same lap every lap but it was not possible to catch him. Especially in some sectors the Ducati is very strong.

“This weekend we were not really strong in starting,” he continued, despite securing Saturday’s pole position plus a podium result across all three races. “I tried to find a good setup, but finally in Race Two the front tyre was still very good and not destroyed. I am, in the races very strong, but not enough for this because after the red flag, I used again the same tyre, my SC0 tyre. We could not put a new one on. I just tried my best. The feeling after a few laps, especially in the left corners, was that it was spinning a lot. But anyway, we took second position in Race Two. This is good for the championship because the championship is very long.”

Razgatlio