Jack Miller explains Toprak's MotoGP “spin” issue: “If you listen to the Ducati…”
After Toprak Razgatlioglu’s "spin" issue at Sepang, team-mate Jack Miller highlights how Ducati’s corner-exit approach suits MotoGP's tyre behaviour.
Jack Miller has explained why he and the Pramac Yamaha team are urging Toprak Razgatlioglu to avoid early wheelspin as the Turkish star adapts from WorldSBK to MotoGP.
Razgatlioglu followed Miller during the Sepang test in a bid to better understand how to extract performance from the sensitive Michelin rear tyre.
Braking remains one of Razgatlioglu’s strengths, but he is currently losing time on corner exit.
The rookie missed his target of a 1m 57s lap at Sepang, finishing 1.9s behind pace-setter Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) and 0.746s from the fastest Yamaha of Alex Rins.
“The Pirelli [in WorldSBK], when you feel the spin, it’s easy to manage. But when the Michelin spins, it doesn't stop again,” Razgatlioglu explained.
“You need to ride like a Moto2 style and open the gas very gentle, because this tyre is so sensitive. I'm trying to adapt to this, my team always say ‘ride smooth’, but to say is easy!
“It's so difficult to wait a lot to open the gas, because in Superbike I'm always using the rear tyre to turn. I was always using the rear tyre for sliding and pick up and good acceleration, but MotoGP is the opposite.
“In Thailand, maybe we will try some different setups, we just tried some new parts and just focused on riding the bike. But now it looks like we need some different suspension setup, because I need some help for the turning and more grip.”
Responding to Razgatlioglu’s words, Miller agreed that controlling spin is fundamental with the Michelin rubber and highlighted how gentle the Ducati is on corner exit.
“That's the biggest thing with the Michelin, once you start to spin, it doesn't stop until fifth gear or sixth gear. Like it continues spinning in a straight line,” Miller said.
“So if you listen to a Ducati when it opens the throttle, everything is done so smoothly to try and transition the load to not upset the bike.”
The Australian added that Yamaha’s former Inline4 machine struggled to manage traction on corner exit, adding weight to the factory’s decision to build a V4.
“That was the biggest thing [last year] with the Inline4 - it was very, very, very difficult to get that transfer and very difficult to remain in the traction.
“If you create the spin early, you continue it.”
Razgatlioglu will have another opportunity to refine his technique at the Buriram test on February 21–22 before making his MotoGP race debut at the same circuit the following weekend.
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Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
