About Luigi Ciamburro / Bikeandrace.com
On July 10, Nolan organized a party in Brembate di Sopra (Northern Italy) to celebrate 16 years of partnership with Casey Stoner, who was MotoGP World Champion in 2007 and 2011.
The Australian is still recovering from the right shoulder operation he underwent last February and we asked him a few questions about his return, the current MotoGP season and his partnership with Nolan.
How is your shoulder after surgery?
”The shoulder is taking a lot longer than I expected to heal. I expected about 4 months, but the doctors told me I had to wait six months before training again. Mobility is slowly progressing and that's what we expected with the shoulder surgery, but it's taking a little longer than I wanted. We can just be patient and wait.”
When will you be back on the track for the next test on a Ducati?
”I'm not sure, it depends on the shoulder and what they are organizing. I will probably do it for the last two months of the year, but first you have to wait six months before starting training, then a little more to regain strength and return to flying.”
Now Marquez is first and Rossi is 2nd in the championship standings. Does this reflect the real level of the runners?
”I'm not sure yet, because Marquez is clearly at a higher level than everyone else. I think we can't really understand the level of Rossi and, in particular, Vinales, because they are second and third although they haven't won. However, there is still a long way to go until the end of the season, so we will wait a little later. Hopefully the Ducati riders will close the gap, but Marquez is clearly the best.”
Do you think Dovizioso can be back in the title fight?
”I don’t think that’s the case. He made some mistakes this year and he was unlucky at Jerez. Without it, the results would have been much better, but that's how it goes, and unfortunately, it's almost impossible for him to challenge for the championship. However, he still has the potential to win races and move closer to second or third position.”
Nolan has been your partner since the beginning of your career. What are the special qualities of this company? Why have you never changed your helmet until now?
”I never changed it because Nolan has been with me from the very beginning and they are ready to support me. We developed a very good relationship with the company and together we were able to move up the ranks. When we started together, Nolan wasn't at the top, but together we grew and grew, and Nolan, in a very short time, was the best helmet on the grid. I will never change the brand of my helmet; I don’t see myself with another equipment company.”
