At Donington Toprak Razgatlioglu took a chunk of points out of championship leader Jonathan Rea, to gain the lead himself. Then at Assen Rea’s triple winning prowess and the infamous clatter from Garrett Gerloff saw Razgatlioglu lose a rake of points and sudden drop way back again.

At the all-new track of Most only the remarkable race two pace of Scott Redding denied Razgatlioglu a triple win, but it was unquestionably ‘his’ weekend again, as he moved to within three points of Rea.

Toprak would have also liked a win to finish his weekend off in even more style, but he knew his second place in the final race at Most was important.
“I tried for the win, but also Redding was fast in the last race,” he told bikesportnews.com..

“We tried a little bit different suspension setup. But I don’t like it because I was feeling quite a lot of chattering. In sector two normally I like it. This race I’m not improving. Maybe, I said to myself, he (Redding) is pushing every lap but maybe the tyre dropped? I came in closer again. Every lap had good lap times, consistent. I tried hard, but it was not enough. Also, I am happy with second position for the second race because I took good points. We have many races in the championship.”

Razgatlioglu did not know why he had chatter so badly, as he won the Superpole Race, over ten laps, earlier in the day.

“I don’t know, because also in the Superpole Race my bike was incredible. I rode in the second race with a ‘different bike’ because I feel at the front a very heavy bike, not running into the corners). Corner five, six, seven, second sector – normally I like the second sector. I’m a little bit fast, but today I’m just fighting for stay behind Redding. But, it’s okay. A good weekend for me. One win and one second today.”

And of course ‘that’ win on the first Raceday when he passed Redding in the penultimate corner. The Ducati was in some ways better than the seriously improved Yamaha in 2021 in race two, but in general, Razgatlioglu was asked where his bike was better.

In the second race, just maybe first corner. First for the chicane there is also braking and the chicane exit. I’m a little bit better, but after I’m not fast. In the Superpole race, everywhere, I was really fast, but just corner 15 and 20 for me was not easy. I try hard braking and the rear had too much sliding. It’s not possible to easily enter the corner. But, the other corners, no problem. I like it. But, race two was not like yesterday, not like this morning, but I am happy enough.”

Razgatlioglu agrees that his bike is a heavily improved package compared to 2020, but in lots of little ways, not one big way.

“Yamaha’s engine improved and some parts improved. I all adds up to in this series, it is better. Also, Yamaha made a good improvement. I think also this, which tyre is better for the bike? This year, I used every race the SCX tyres. Maybe I think tyre use is good improvement for Yamaha.”

The usual sign of a good bike is one that you do not have to change much from track to track - if you are still winning and on the podiums. Razgatlioglu confirmed that his bike is just being changed a little to suit conditions nowadays. Which maybe makes that change for race two a small misstep at the wrong time… But, all the same, normally his bike setup is pretty stable.

“At this track we don’t change anything big, maybe made small changes with the setup, because I arrived feeling good. Also, for every rider it’s a new track. Just maybe we made small change in setup. We don’t touch too much. We try more different setup and I’m lost. Better we touch little bit. That is enough.”