Everyone was able to see the progress made in this first part of the season by Jules Danilo. So much so that we are now getting used to seeing him place his red and blue Honda in the Top 10. Or even better…
Calm and thoughtful, pilot Ongetta-Rivacold, whose life is divided between France, Spain and the Czech Republic, took stock with us before the resumption of hostilities in Austria.
Jules, what has changed between last year when you felt like you were progressing but had difficulty achieving it, and this year where you are doing so?
“The difference is that last year I knew I could do it but I couldn't put it all together. I was also coming off a very complicated season with Ambrogio, and I was perhaps a little in a hurry, so I was making a lot of mistakes and I ended up losing a little confidence with all these “ups and downs”. But I still saw that I was capable of riding in front. This year I'm training in Barcelona, and I'm really well supervised. I also changed to a 125 Yamaha instead of the Supermotard, and this winter, I worked on all my weak points, namely heavy braking and small turns, where I lost a lot of time, unlike the big curves. where I never had a problem. And the last thing is the new bike (editor's note: new chassis and swingarm compared to last year), which is much more stable when braking and which has allowed me to change my riding style. All in all, I'm faster and, above all, feel more comfortable everywhere.”
You have therefore started what we could call a virtuous circle; results, confidence, results, confidence, etc?
“Yes, achieving good results brings confidence. When you haven't done it yet, it's more difficult. Last year my best place was 11th. It was good, but it wasn't there yet. There, when I am 6th, 16 hundredths behind the victory in Assen, I am sure to prove to myself that I can do it.”
How would you describe the results of this first half-season?
“Very positive. I'm in the Top 10 almost all the time, and I even think that my weekend at Sachsenring was even better than at Assen, because I was able to drive on my own at a good, super regular pace, and at every When I returned to the box I was in the 10s. So I built up my confidence before the race. Unfortunately it rained and I did what I could in the rain.”
Ninth anyway, it wasn't bad...
“Yes, it wasn't bad because, honestly, it could have been much worse, given my previous performances in the rain (laughs). Now I’m a little more consistent.”
You don't like the rain?
“It's not that I don't like it, but I've never been very fast. I loved him before, then I fell a lot and the confidence was gone. Today she came back.
But otherwise, I'm always in the 10s and that's the goal I had. On the other hand, I'm only 13th in the championship because I made a big mistake in Argentina, in very, very strange conditions, with the slicks in the rain. There it was entirely my fault and I scored zero points. At Le Mans it was 50/50, because I crashed in qualifying when I was fast. I was third on Friday and I made a big mistake in qualifying by rushing… and as a result, I started 27th and got hit by Hanika at the 3rd turn. Still zero points. And again zero points in Catalunya where I also had a very good weekend until the race. But with Ono falling right in front of me, there's nothing I can do and it's still zero points. That’s why I’m 13 even though I showed that I could be in the 10.”
Was that your goal at the start of the season?
“Yes, but now I would like to do a little better (laughs). If I managed to make a podium, that would be really, really good.”
Let's come back to one of your sentences in which you say that you rushed too much in qualifying. What is your working method? Do you ensure a good time from the start?
“Precisely, at Le Mans, that’s what I didn’t do. There was a big difference between the Soft tire and the Medium. And normally, we almost never use the rear Soft tire in a race because it destroys too quickly. Now, there was a big difference, I felt much better on the Soft, and what's more, it didn't consume itself. As I had passed two out of four on Friday, if I wanted one for the race, I only had one left for qualifying. So I went with the medium and it was okay but it wasn't exceptional. But I knew that I would be much faster with the Soft in the end so I did not ensure a good time with the Medium. When I put the Soft on, I did my exit ride and felt great. There was a small group in front and I said to myself “I’m going to push to get them in my line of sight”. But the tire wasn't hot enough yet and I flew away. So it was a rush and there was no point. Having been fast and having set the 3rd fastest time on Friday while riding alone, I had no reason for things to go badly during the weekend. It serves as a lesson; now I ensure an earlier time. I also look at the specificity of the circuit; if there are not too many fast curves where you are on the side of the tire, it is perhaps possible to use the Soft during the race... So, we plan in advance, we use it less Friday and we keep them for qualifying and the race.”
Is this offbeat strategy often used in racing?
"No. I used it in Austin and I think that at Le Mans I could have had a very good race because the tire consumed even less than in Austin.”
What are you missing to make a podium?
“I think I still lack some aggression. In Assen, I had to secure a very good place and, for a 6th place, it is the tightest gap for a leading group in a Grand Prix. So that was good, but it's true that when I watch the video, I tell myself that I should have attacked, even if I also had to finish the race, since I had fallen at Le Mans and in Barcelona. There, it was really very important to finish the race. I think that for the future, I will try a few more things, if I find myself in this kind of situation…”
Now that you know your little friends well, do you feel able to force them a little when braking?
"Yes of course. Especially with this new bike, where I am more comfortable on the brakes; it makes overtaking easier.”
The next Grand Prix is in Austria on an unknown circuit; Are you going to do some testing there?
"No. Finally Yes; on Monday after the race (laughs). Well, there are 7 turns, so it shouldn't be too difficult to learn. Afterwards, going fast is something else. We'll see…"
In this second part of the season, are there any circuits that you particularly like?
“Yes, I think I prefer this second part of the season. I like Brno, Motegi, Sepang and Aragon. These are beautiful tracks.”
Do you see a difference in the attitude of French fans towards you?
“Yes, maybe a little bit, of course; it comes with the results. But I have always had very, very nice comments on my Facebook page that I run myself, and on which I read all the comments. It’s nice!”
What about the media?
"Not really; the French media always came to see me after the races to ask me how it went. Afterwards, it's true that I have nicer articles in the newspapers, like for example L'Equipe which recently wrote me a nice article. It's nice."
We thank Jules for his availability and wish him an excellent end of the season.
