Toprak Razgatlioglu didn’t mince his words after Friday’s WorldSBK practice at Assen, expressing frustration that his BMW “wasn’t working” to the standard he expected.
Despite the fuel flow limits imposed on his BMW, the two-time WorldSBK champion finished second and third in the two practice sessions.
Though he occupied the upper echelons of the practice classification spots, Razgatlioglu admitted that despite his best efforts he was unable to turn the bike in areas he was stronger at this time last year.
“We are pushing so hard because I am not feeling like last year,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“It was very strange also because I feel really angry because I remember last year I tried to use the same line but the bike isn’t working there. [The] bike is not turning, it is a little bit strange.
“We are actually fighting, trying to improve, and the team is still working hard and also I am not so happy because the feeling is not really good.
“I did a good lap time, [but] also not pushing for a lap time, but after 10/11 laps later I stopped. The feeling is not 100%. You know, I am just pushing hard but the bike is not working.
“I come back to box and try to change something and push one more lap, I did a 1.34.2s. [It wasn’t] so bad but my opinion the bike isn’t working.”
Razgatlioglu shares where BMW is lacking in pace
Ahead of the Superpole on Saturday, the Turkish rider pinpointed where the BMW loses its overall competitiveness to the rest of the field.
He stated: “Anyway, tomorrow I’m feeling similar to [my] feeling in Portimao, but tomorrow I hope we improve a little bit and maybe feeling much better on the bike.
“I am not really enjoying on the bike, especially the long corners [the BMW] not turning.
“I lose a lot in corner 2 and more in corners 3 and 4, and 5 doesn’t change but we will see. But now, I am pushing hard, not working or turning.
The practice session saw Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista finish the practice sessions 10km/h faster, pinpointing the lack of overall speed the Bavarian brand has over its main rival.
Razgatlioglu provided a crafty response, stating: “I am pushing so hard, there is no more [I can do], I see also the speed and lose a lot here, almost 0.2s down the back straight. Best to ask the FIM.”
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