Toprak Razgatlioglu fastest for Pata Yamaha on day-one in Aragon
Pata Yamaha rider Toprak Razgatlioglu made an impressive start to the opening WorldSBK race weekend of 2021 in Aragon by topping the overall classification.
The 24 year-old was also the lone rider to set a sub 1m 50s lap time which came in FP1. Razgatlioglu finished FP2 eighth quickest, but like many of the riders he relied on his morning time for overall positioning.
Better yet for Yamaha, Aragon has been one of Razgatlioglu and the team’s weaker circuits, so topping the Friday standings will be a good sign regarding their development of the R1 package heading into today’s Superpole and race one.
Razgatlioglu said: "Today was a very good start! I am happy because everything worked really well together.
"In the afternoon, we tried a full race simulation which was a good improvement compared to last year, and we understand a lot about how the bike and tyres behave after the first 10 laps.
"This is very important for the race to understand where and how I can be faster. We continue working because in Free Practice 3 we will try some small changes to see if we can improve more.
"We will see if we can fight with the top riders tomorrow, not easy at this track but I will try."
Alongside Razgatlioglu in the factory team is rookie Andrea Locatelli who had a more difficult first day.
The Belgian rider was 11th fastest in FP2, but 17th overall. The 2020 WorldSSP champion was happier with the afternoon running as he alluded to regaining the ‘feeling’ he had from testing at MotorLand Aragon.
"In the end, I think we did a much better job this afternoon because the feeling with the bike returned to how it was during the last test here in Aragón, which gives me more confidence," added Locatelli.
"We made a proper long run during the afternoon also to understand the tyre and see if it is possible to race on the softer compound.
"I am happy because the feeling is now good, we just need to work on the exit of the corner. Now I can brake and stop the bike well, this area is very good and I hope we can improve in all areas tomorrow ahead of the first race.
"We will see! It is the first race for me and for sure, I need to enjoy it and also learn for the next races on Sunday."
