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We saw Marco Melandri again this year in the Superbike paddock starting with the Barcelona tests. As we know, the former rider decided to join Axel Bassani in his new adventure in Kawasaki, putting at the disposal of the Venetian rider all the experience he gained in over 30 years of racing.
We had a long chat with the rider from Ravenna, talking about Axel's growth with Kawasaki, as well as the current championship challenge in which Toprak is leading the standings ahead of the Ducatis and, at the same time, Iannone's return to racing.
He also spoke about the crisis Rea is experiencing and Nicolò Bulega's surprise. But, in this first part of the interview with the former rider from Romagna, the hot topic was Toprak Razgatlioglu, current World Championship leader.
Melandri spoke honestly, as he's enjoying some relaxation in the company of his family without, however, giving up on his great passion, namely, deejaying.
"Ever since I was twelve years old, the passion of becoming a deejay one day has always accompanied me," he began. "Now that I have some free time, I still continue making music and, at the same time, I continue riding an electric bike. Then, as you've seen, I followed Bassani in this first part of the season, trying to provide him with my experience to help him grow and improve."
In Misano, at the end of Race 1, we saw Toprak hugging you ...
"I have a really good relationship with him, which has lasted since 2017, and it's a pleasure to see him again because he's a good person. I think Razgatlioglu is a great champion, a very talented rider, and he's very visible to everybody. He won a world championship with Yamaha, and now he's first in the championship with BMW. To date, he's the one who's making the difference with the M 1000 RR, and you can see the comparison with the other bikes of the same brand."
What do you think of him?
"In my opinion, neither Marquez nor Stoner control the bike like Toprak. He has an ability to enter with the bike like no one else. He has extreme confidence in the middle, and you can see it with the naked eye. In a short time, he's been able to tailor the BMW to himself, going beyond the difficulties, and I think he'll be the one to take home the world championship this year. Obviously, the challenge is open, but now tracks are coming up that are favorable to him, with the only unknown being Jerez if the temperatures are high. This year, he won in Barcelona and Misano, tracks that had been adverse to him in the past, and he was impressive, to say the least. Of course, Ducati has to attempt and will attempt to overturn the hierarchies, but it won't be easy this year as it was in the past."
There's a lot of talk about Toprak in the MotoGP. What's your opinion on that?
"In my opinion, he can go to the MotoGP. But, if he wants to do it, he has to try with an immediately competitive bike, without being forced to chase right away. I've read about Honda, but I'm afraid that, if he went to HRC, it would blow his mind, because we saw what happened with Marquez. Maybe, he could have a chance in Yamaha, but I don't think it's going to be feasible, especially since they parted ways last year in the Superbike. However, there's another aspect I'd like to point out."
What aspect?
"The tires. In the end, the difference between a Superbike and a MotoGP isn't that big, but the behavior of the tires changes a lot, because Michelin tires are quite different than Pirelli tires. So Toprak would have to spend a lot of time in getting to know the tires and, consequently, adapting to them. I think it would be easier, in the event that Pirelli enters the MotoGP instead of Michelin. I hear people talking about this possibility related to changing tires, and it would certainly be less complicated for Toprak."
