Mandalika WorldSBK: Toprak Razgatlioglu sends message to Yamaha: ‘I couldn’t do more, we need more power’

Toprak Razgatlioglu once again left everything he had on the table in Mandalika as he completed his second WorldSBK hat-trick of the season.
Toprak Razgatlioglu, Yamaha World Superbike Mandalika
Toprak Razgatlioglu, Yamaha World Superbike Mandalika

But while the Yamaha rider was easily the best rider this weekend, his three race wins were not 𝕴enough to prevent the WorldSBK championship switchin♏g hands.

Two second places in the feature races and a fourth in the Superpole Race for Ducati’s 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Alvaro Bautista was enough ♏for the former MotoGP rider to wrap up the title with one round to go. 

Razgatlioglu enjoyed a near race-long battle with 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Jonathan Rea and Bautista before pulling clear thanks to back-to-back fastest laps during the closing stages🦋. 

Once ⛎again showing unrelenting speed, Razgatlioglu topped all but one session as he secured pole, the fastest lap in all three races and three wins. 

"Qualifying, fastest laps, three race wins, everything, I couldn’t do more," said Razgatlioglu. "First I explain this weekend - we were very strong from the star📖t and I a🌟lways say that I need three wins here because it was the last chance for me. 

"Iಞ gave everything this weekend, especially the last 𒁏race I fought with Alvaro but I said [to myself] ‘I need to win this race’. 

"After I passed𒉰 Alvaro I pushed again and was riding more calm. Also I saw the fastest lap - 32.7s - I’m really happy when I saw this. I won three times and this is unbelievable for me. 

"I was not looking at the championship and I just tried to win. Anyway, congratulations to Alvaro! It was a good seaso𓃲n for him𝓀 and also congratulations to Ducati which is very fast."

After sending his congratulations the way of Bautista and Ducati, Razgatlioglu then pointed to Yamaha and what needs to be improvedꦛ for 2023.  

Razgatlioglu added: "Next year we will try to do our best again. We need💮 to improve the bike and also the power. We 🍰need more power.

"I am now focuse✅d on next year becaus♈e we need a good bike and a more powerful bike. Then we are again fighting for the championship."

Toprak Razgatlioglu , Race2, Indonesian WorldSBK. 13 November
Toprak Razgatlioglu , Race2, Indonesian WorldSBK. 13 November

Where did Razgatlioglu lose the WorldSBK title?

While Razgatlioglu did very little wrong throughout the year, in fact, the Turkish star was arguably better than his title winning season in 2021, the Yamaha rider lost huge ch𝄹unks of points in Assen, Misano, Magny-Cours and San Juan which could have prevented Bautista from winning the title in Mandalika, or even also altogether. 💜;

Only one of those was Razgatlioglu’s mistake as he crashed out in San Juan, the other three included a racing incide🐠nt with Reꦯa in Assen and issues with his R1 at Magny-Cours and Misano.  

Bautist൲a had just one incident that led to꧅ him scoring no points which was a crash at Donington Park. 

"This year, Alvaro in the first few races was not lookiಞng at me, he was just riding the bike," stated Razgatlioglu. "I’m always focused on Alvaro because he’s💟 fast, we know it from 2019. 

"When I started to fight with🐓 Alvaro - okay, early season was not good for me because I felt the bike was not like last year, but after we improved the bike I started fighting for the championship again. 

"Yes💛🐓, we crashed with Jonny but this is a race crash, and also after two years I made a mistake. 

"I crashed in Argentina but I was just fighting for the win.🤡 Why I crashed? It’s because I’m looking at just the win, not second, not third.ꦜ But now I’m very happy."

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