Toprak “needs to do a deal” with Fabio Quartararo at Mugello MotoGP

Toprak Razgatlioglu joked that he may need to “do a deal” with fellow Yamaha rider Fabio Quartararo ahead of this weekend’s Italian MotoGP.

While Razgatlioglu hasn’t raced at Mugello since the Red Bull Rookies Cup twelve years ago, Quartararo won the Italian Grand Prix for Yamaha in 2021 and was runner-up in 2022.

Last season, the Frenchman put the former Inline machine fourth on the grid, using corner speed to counter time lost on MotoGP’s fastest straight.

Corner speed will be even more crucial with this year’s underpowered V4 powerplant.

Razgatlioglu closed some of the gap to Quartararo’s corner speed during the recent Catalunya test, although the reigning WorldSBK champion admitted he still slips back into a ‘Superbike style’ during soft-tyre qualifying runs.

“I hope we keep this [improved corner speed] because at Mugello you don't need the hard braking, you just need the corner speed,” Razgatlioglu explained at the test.

“Fabio is always very strong there. I need to follow Fabio immediately in the first session! We need to do a deal with him maybe!”

One thing sure to be more comfortable for Razgatlioglu this weekend is the grip level, after being shocked by the notoriously slippery Catalunya surface.

“It was the first time in my life I saw a very low grip track with the Michelins,” he said.

“Okay, with the Pirelli tyre [in superbike], Catalunya was very difficult. But I've never seen like this with the Michelin.

“The first session, I was shocked. I came back and said, ‘Do we have a problem with tyres?’ They said everyone is the same.

“I tried to adapt and finally at the test I was riding much better. But too late.”