Jonathan Rea highlights mental challenge Toprak Razgatlioglu faces in MotoGP transition
Photo by Gold & Goose Photography/Getty Images Jonathan Rea believes Toprak Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP transition is as much a mental battle as it is a technical one. The pair have a history of facing each other back in World Superbikes, but their paths have diverged since then. Rea has only made two appearances in MotoGP, while Razgatlioglu has taken on the full-time switch.
He picked up his first championship point last weekend in the United States. Razgatlioglu caught the attention of Fabio Quartararo by outperforming him on pure pace and is also ahead of Jack Miller in both qualifying and race results so far this year. Jonathan Rea highlights the importance of mental strength for Toprak Razgatlioglu’s MotoGP transition Photo by Steve Wobser/Getty Images Rea spoke with GPOne about Toprak’s switch from Superbike to MotoGP, saying it’ll require a lot of mental adjustment to stay sharp and handle the change in pace.
Razgatlioglu isn’t in title contention just yet. The main issue seems to be that he’s riding a bike that can’t keep up with most of the competition on track. When he first jumped onto the M1, Razgatlioglu found it tough to even look at the timing screens.
This is a rider who was used to battling at the front, but now has had to recalibrate his expectations. Even a top-15 finish is seen as a solid result these days. “I hope Yamaha finds the right path, because even Fabio, one of the most talented, is struggling.
When you’re a rookie and have to learn new circuits, with all the expectations on your shoulders, it’s very difficult. ” “Miller said that there are two different styles at Yamaha: Fabio and Toprak. Razgatlioglu, after testing the bike, realised that it’s not that simple.