Roberto Locatelli, former 125cc world champion, talks to us about the astonishing victory ofAron canet en Moto2 during the Portuguese GP, the very first victory for “Loca” as Team Manager of the Fantic Motor team.
For Aron canet, born in September 1999 in Valencia, it was necessary to wait for the 70th start in the Moto2 category to be able to climb to the highest step of the podium, after having obtained 6 successes in Moto3 throughout the 72 GPs he completed there.
Unlucky and often injured, number 44 finally broke a sort of curse in Portimao which often saw him at the forefront without ever achieving success, “I can't believe it, it's the result of several years of work. Today there were three people with me on my motorcycle, my grandfather, my wife's grandfather and my wife. They look at me from up there and I dedicate this victory to them. »
Robert Locatelli, the team manager of the structure aligned by Fantic Motor, rediscovers the joys of his career in 125cc materialized by 9 victories and a world title in 2000.
“I've had this experience nine times as a driver, but winning for the first time as a team principal made me feel like a kid in an amusement park again. Getting on the podium and seeing my pilot get emotional during the national anthem made me feel all the emotions, it was like entering Disney World, with a movie starting in my head.". The eyes of Roberto Locatelli light up when he remembers the emotions felt during the first victory ofAron Canet in Moto2, which allowed the Spaniard to climb to the top of the standings for his second Grand Prix with the Fantic Racing Team.
“It’s like touching something that makes you feel invincible.” It wouldn't last long, but while everyone else was running, I slowed down by walking from the pit wall to parc ferme. I wanted this moment to last as long as possible. I remember the day I won my world champion title in Japan. I slowed down on the return lap to make sure I experienced all the emotions even longer. I did the same thing in Portimao for Aron Canet. It was such a strong feeling, with Aron having never won in Moto2 before, with Fantic entrusting me with this team manager role, and we did it in the second race of the season! Winning with them felt as special as my own victories. There was also a bit of pressure after the missed opportunity in the first race, but you should never show it because you have to take the pressure off the driver. It's a bit like being a parent and Aron Canet is like my son athletically. »
What Aron Canet and Casey Stoner have in common
“From my point of view, what we have in our favor is the best Moto2 rider. If you put him on the bike, just by instinct, he reminds me of Casey Stoner.", says Locatelli, referring to the double MotoGP world champion with whom he shared the box during the 2005 season. “We were teammates, and when there was still a qualifying session on Friday and Saturday, the time he set on Friday was still at the top of the standings on Saturday. It was simply his explosive performance. I'm not saying Aron is the same, but he reminds me of that. There are similarities between runners sometimes – as happens to all of us in everyday life – and in the way he expresses his speed, Aron reminds me of Casey. This is something I have realized since I started working with him, since that first day of testing after the 2023 Valencia GP. »
“Aron is very explosive and this explosiveness must be managed. I feel like he's showing he can handle it. It's its own Traction Control, not an electronic button but a mental button. If he continues to activate it at the right time, it is very likely that we will see him constantly fighting for the top places, like in Portimao. »
We can only wish him...
