Pramac Racing

Postcards from Mandalika 🏁🌊

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Toprak Razgatlıoğlu - DNF 💬
- RACE 🇮🇩

Today, my biggest problem was my shoulder, not the bike. Yesterday, after the Sprint, it was not feeling too bad, but when I woke up this morning, the pain was much worse and I had less movement. I took painkillers, but the main issue was the lack of strength, especially under braking. With every lap, it became more difficult to manage the bike, particularly through the right-hand corners and the changes of direction.

Before the race, I spoke with the team, and they told me that if I felt too much pain, I should come back to the box or not race. But I wanted to try. I‘m not a stupid rider: if I feel it is too dangerous or I cannot continue, I will stop. Today, I gave it my best, but during the race the situation became more difficult because moving my shoulder felt very strange, almost as if it could come out of place again. I eventually had to stop because I could no longer ride the bike properly.

Tomorrow, I will return to Turkey and have an MRI as soon as possible to understand the condition of my shoulder. I hope I won‘t need surgery and that some rest will be enough to recover for the next race. We will see what the doctors say, but I hope I can come back stronger next weekend.

Jack Miller - DNF 💬
- RACE 🇮🇩

It was pretty similar to Japan. I had a reasonably good feeling this morning, but as soon as we went out for the Sprint, the bike became almost unrideable. Something is not working as it should, whether it‘s related to the fuel map or something else. The engine behaviour is inconsistent, and we need to work harder to understand why.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu - P19 💬
- SPRINT 🇮🇩

Before qualifying, I had a big crash and dislocated my shoulder. We put it back into place, but I‘m still feeling the pain, which is normal. I could also feel that my right shoulder had less strength during the Sprint, but I tried my best to manage the situation and finish the race.

On the bike, we still need to improve a few things, particularly with the electronics in some corners. I‘m also losing quite a lot of time in Sector 2, and if we can make a step there, I believe we can improve our pace significantly.

Tomorrow‘s race will be long and difficult for everyone, especially with my shoulder not being at 100%, but I will give my best and hopefully achieve a better result.

Jack Miller - P13 💬
- SPRINT 🇮🇩

It was a decent day overall, although we missed the mark a little this morning in Free Practice 2 and qualifying. The grip level had dropped overnight, and the rear of the bike was much too stiff with the setup we were trying, so I struggled to get the feeling I wanted. I also had a small crash after pushing a bit too hard, but we managed to get things back in the right direction for the Sprint.

The race itself was pretty decent. We found a better setup, and the bike felt competitive from start to finish. I got stuck behind Marini for quite a while, which made it difficult to make a pass because the Honda has so much acceleration. We had a bit of a battle, and by the time I finally got through, the race was almost over. But the pace was encouraging, and I think we‘re in reasonable shape for tomorrow.

I‘ll stick with the medium tyre for the Grand Prix. It feels more stable over the longer distance, especially when the temperature rises, and I‘m confident it can last the race. The circuit is physically demanding, particularly through the changes of direction, so recovery will be important tonight. Hopefully, we can get the tyre pressures right tomorrow and have a stronger race.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu - P16 💬
- PRACTICE 🇮🇩

Today was not bad, much better than Japan and the last four rounds. I also improved my lap time towards the end, although a yellow flag in the last sector meant I had to close the throttle and lose the lap. We are still outside the top 10, but I feel more positive and I‘m finally starting to enjoy riding again.

We are working on the engine braking, and we have made some small changes that are helping me feel more comfortable. The braking is now better, but I‘m still losing a lot of time in Sector 2, especially through Turns 6 and 7, where I need to improve my corner speed. If we can make a step there, I believe we have a chance to get into the 1:29s and fight for a better qualifying position.

Tomorrow is very important because I need to start further forward if I want to fight for the top 10 in the race. I‘m not yet at my target level, but I feel we are getting closer. If we improve in Sector 2, I think we can make a big step. The other sectors are not so bad, so that is our main focus now.