WSBK team boss Paul Denning talks about the skills of World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu and he explains what makes the Turk so special
Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu is without doubt one of the greatest talents in motorbike racing. Yamaha team manager Paul Denning is convinced that Razgatlioglu is even on a par with two of the greatest natural talents of the past two decades
“He is more talented than any other rider I have worked with. He is also no less talented than any other rider I have watched. Casey Stoner and Marc Marquez are of a similar level, Toprak is on par with them,” commented Paul Denning in an interview with ‘MCN’.
With his long stoppies and hard braking manoeuvres into the corners, Razgatlioglu regularly provides spectacular images. Most recently, he impressed at the World Superbike Championship in Estoril with his save in the Superpole race. “Impressive,” commented MotoGP superstar Marc Marquez on social media.
Data evaluations confirm the talent of Toprak Razgatlioglu
“The things he does on the bike we have never seen before: He brakes with incredible brake pressure, locks the front wheel a lot and brakes into corners on the front wheel at lean angles,” marvels Yamaha team manager Paul Denning.
“It’s incredible how much feeling and understanding he can build up for the bike. That’s down to his natural talent. The things he can do with his balance, agility and body tension, most athletes don’t get to do, let alone regular riders,” Paul Denning is convinced.
Other riders dread the duel with the WSBK champion
But Razgatlioglu’s one-on-one strength also excites Denning. This can be attributed to training with mentor Kenan Sofuoglu in Turkey. “What’s special about him is the training he does with Kenan. It’s so gladiatorial, they basically ride for 50 minutes at a time and try to kill each other!” said the Yamaha team manager.
“It’s so brutal. They ride with a lot of contact,” notes Paul Denning. “That’s why when he’s riding with Jonathan (Rea) or Scott (Redding) or any of the other top riders and it’s so close, he’s just having fun. For him it’s normal and natural, so he doesn’t feel any stress. “
Some of his rivals have already been critical. Most notably Scott Redding, who was anything but happy with Razgatlioglu’s aggressive riding in 2021. “Toprak must be aware that these guys are sometimes on the limit,” Paul Denning reacted to this criticism.
Razgatlioglu is due to test Yamaha’s MotoGP bike for the first time in June. The Turk has a contract with Yamaha until the end of 2023, and it is open whether he will fulfil it in the World Superbike Championship or in MotoGP.
