Pata Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu scored two important WorldSBK wins at Jerez to show why he is now most people’s tip for the very top in 2021.

The mixture of best man, machine and team has swung in various directions this season but it is clear that not just the momentum is behind Toprak now. It’s also the apparent repeatability of unbeatable performances that reached a zenith at Jerez, with a rare Superpole added to both race wins.

Like everyone at Jerez, any ideas of this being a happy weekend were overshadowed by the loss of Dean Berta Viñales, but Razgatlioglu realised that it was a strong team performance from his squad.

“This weekend is not a good weekend because everybody is destroyed yesterday,” said Razgatlioglu. “But this is the sport. We need to ride. We have races.

"Today, I try my best in two races and won two times. This is good because now I have 10 wins this year. I’m really happy. Also, there was good work with my team because on Friday the bike was very bad. On Friday night my team did incredible work and on Saturday I was feeling much better. Also, after the first race we tried to improve for second race, and I’m feeling a little bit different in the hot conditions. Everybody I think had the same problem, front sliding and front grip. But, I’m fighting again for wins with Scott. He was very strong in the last laps.”

Razgatlioglu did all this winning despite having an illness. “Yeah, I’m sick this weekend. My voice is different. Very sick. Yesterday I was not really bad, but today I’m very bad. But, it’s okay. I tried everything for power. This weekend is finished. Next weekend I think I will be much better and come back more strong. Also in the race, I’m not really tired. I don't know why. But Portimao, that’s not an easy track. Up, down, small corners, fast corner, but I’m ready to fight.”

The question for many, especially if Razgatlioglu wins the 2021 WorldSBK championship, is when will he ride in MotoGP. Will he test a MotoGP bike this winter?

“No, winter test with the Superbike, maybe I ride a MotoGP bike,” said Razgatlioglu about his winter test plans. “I don't know. Now I’m not looking at this side because now I focus on my job. This year I will try to take many wins, then we see in winter.”

When asked if he is now clearly one step better than Rea and his package right now, Razgatlioglu said, “I don't know. Jonny is very strong, but maybe in hot conditions also everybody same problem, with the front sliding. Also, Jonny feeling too much, I don't know. Sometimes not good to set up for the race. Sometimes he’s stronger. Also, he’s very fast in Portimao. He’s normally fast every track, but I don't know, for him Race Two was maybe very bad, but I think he’s strong. I know he is. He will again try in Portimao, I know that.”

The Yamaha is clearly a much more rounded race package from track-to-track in 2021 but the strongest points for Razgatlioglu were not entirely clear. Maybe it is his ability to ride on worn tyres and in hot conditions, which frequently go hand-in-hand.

“In hot conditions I ride a little bit calm, because I remember Kenan’s track (in Turkey), we are always training together, but we are not changing tyres all the time because we like it on old tyres, and because we are feeling sliding rear and front, especially front because after laps the tyre is finished,” said Toprak. “We put maybe one week we use the same tyre. Start sliding. We try better stop and not full angle. Pick up, try stop, and after enter the corner. I ride similar like this. I don't know, but hot conditions, now I ride a little bit better. But also rear tyre big drop in Catalunya. I ride a little bit better, but rear tyre had a big drop.”

The change in schedule made for two long races on Sunday at Jerez, with a relatively short gap in between. No problem for Razgatlioglu, even if he was feeling ill, but it was the cycle of build up and relaxing that seemed most difficult to handle.

“Also three races no problem for me, but I’m a little bit sick this weekend, although I’m not really tired today. Just feeling a little bit stressed. All the riders feeling a little bit stressed for the race. But in the second race, I ride, I focused on my job. I ride much better and also try to save the rear tyre in the race. It’s not possible to say ‘good weekend’ because of yesterday, but two wins is good for me.”