working hard but Suzuki wanted a younger
rider - because they were losing (Maverick)
Viñales to Yamaha - so they went for (Alex)
Rins. He was leading the championship at
the time, he was like the new Viñales, so I
think that is the reason they put more faith
in him.
It’s got to be frustrating though, that age
was the biggest factor in their decision.
But it could work out even better for
you, in that you have positioned yourself
as a strong candidate to step into
Valentino’s shoes when he does decide
to retire…
I need to be patient, gain some wisdom
and avoid frustrations. Now I can show
what is possible. Valentino has proved that
he is the best at 38 years old, but even
me, I can show that at 27 you are still at
a great age to learn, improve yourself and
also perform - so I’m happy the way things
have gone.
Who is your manager now, do you work
with your former Moto2 team boss Aki
Ajo?
No, I work with this French guy (points
to Laurent Fellon). Actually, we could say
he is more like a coach than a manager,
because he does not speak English. I have
spent my life with him - my motorbike
life with him - he has been my mechanic
before, then as a coach teaching me how
to ride, helping me develop, still now he
has his eye on the track, he can see things,
the way I am riding. When we began racing
in the World Championship we had to
find money to pay the team, so this was
his job, to find the sponsors and pay the
teams, so that’s how he also became my
manager.
You have had a much more difficult
route through to MotoGP compared with
many of your rivals - as you mentioned
initially having to find the money to
pay the teams so that you could race
in the World Championship - spending
five years in Moto2, at times on inferior
equipment. Do you feel that riding the
uncompetitive machines has made you
a better rider?
Yes, for sure, I had my own experience
in Moto2. I can say that even the Motobi
- the first bike that I had in that class - if
I was at the level where I finished 2016 I
could also win on the Motobi. In Moto2
there are no bad bikes. u
£ Playing with
the big guns -
that’s 12 World
Titles in his rear
view mirror.