De Maria Martín Muros / Motosan.es
Xavi Virgo gave an interview to Motosan.es to take stock of the 2020 season. The Moto2 rider is very motivated and eager to continue learning with Petronas, the team with which he renewed his contract for another year.
This season has been very difficult for the youngster Xavi Virgo (April 30, 1997, Castellbisbal, Barcelona). The strange racing conditions in the middle of a pandemic and the injury he suffered in the middle of the championship proved to be difficult obstacles. However, this did not make the driver lose his motivation to continue fighting on the track. Virgo gives us his summary of this year and his good feelings for 2021.
The season has been eventful in all categories and, of course, in Moto2. A very competitive world championship, where you finished 10th in the rankings. What is your assessment of the season?
« It was a very strange championship, with a lot of mistakes from everyone. My assessment of the season is positive, obviously, even if I did not achieve my objectives. It was a year with a new team and we needed a little more time than the others to adapt. In Qatar we had a very good weekend, but then we had a problem with the front tire which did not allow us to finish on Sunday with the result we were hoping for. After that we stayed at home for five months and started a season with double races at all the circuits, very close to each other. We struggled a bit at the start, but from Austria onwards we were fighting in the top five and we had very good speed, until I crashed at Le Mans where I injured both ankles. It was the end of our chances of fighting for a good position in the championship.
As I said: with races so close to each other and not being 100%, I suffered a lot and in a year like this, where the circuits were repeating and there were 8 tenths between the first and the last, I grabbed points, but it was not enough. Despite everything, a positive outcome, because we worked very well with the team, we discovered ourselves and we have the perfect basis to have a great year 2021. »
New adapted schedule and new routines for all pilots with COVID-19. How has your adaptation and daily life been in the midst of the pandemic?
« Above all, it was very difficult after Qatar. There was a lot of uncertainty because we went for months without knowing a precise date for the start of the World Championship. It was very complicated because I didn't know at what level to start training: too hard, I could get exhausted, but if I started slowly and in two weeks there was a world championship, I wouldn't. I wouldn't get there at the level. In any case, I adapted quite well and made a routine at home: when I got up, half an hour of roller skating, then a little rest and, in the afternoon, the gymnastics routine. I did very well and in the first race in Jerez I felt better than ever. »
You were on pole at Le Mans and you broke both your feet during the race. How was the recovery?
« Yes, at Le Mans I had the misfortune of driving on a wet area and that led to a big accident, where I fractured both feet. The solution was to operate, but that meant three weeks off and absence from three races. In the end, we decided not to operate and to do a lot of work with my physiotherapist and the guys from the mobile clinic. We always did the shopping with “tapping” so the broken bones wouldn’t move, which was the biggest danger. Thanks to this, I was able to do all the races, but not in the conditions I would have liked. It was a year with a new team and it was important to do as many races as possible with them to understand each other and improve for next year. As I always say: what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger... And the suffering of these last races will be rewarded. »
What do you think were your strong points and what do you need to improve for next year?
« As for our strengths, I would say we showed we had the speed to be in front. However, we have to improve when there are tracks with a very low level of grip, because we suffer too much. This is what we need to focus on this year. »
You renewed with your team, Petronas. You have already confirmed during the pre-season tests for Moto3 and Moto2. What are you looking forward to in 2021? The goal is to win the Moto2 World Championship?
« Yes, I am very happy to have renewed with my team and to continue one more year in this category. Stability is very important and it's been years since I found a team that I feel comfortable enough with to continue another season together. I think it will make the difference for 2021, with all the experience and work we have accumulated. But our goal is not to think about the championship, because if we adopt this mentality before we start, we risk going wrong. What is clear is that from Qatar we will have to fight for the first five places in each race and thus position ourselves for the World Championship. »
Which riders do you think will fight for the title?
« As we have seen this year, there are many riders who have the level to fight for the championship. The difference will be made by the one who makes the fewest mistakes. For example, some of them could be Canet and Ramírez, due to the end of the season they had. And then, the “rookies”: Raúl Fernández especially, given the quantity and quality of the work done in Moto3. »
You have been racing in the intermediate category since 2015: what are the most important lessons for you, five years later? What would you say to Xavi Virgo who went straight from CEV to Moto2?
« My beginnings were not easy. I went from the Spanish Championship to Moto2 and it was a big change. Firstly, because in the CEV we were running on much softer tyres, with stock tyres, and in those years there were really four fast drivers. Then you discover that in the World Championship, from first to last, they all go very fast and, on top of that, there are new circuits. I started with a bike that wasn't as competitive as the others, but I think we did very well, as we won the rookie of the year title (competing with Oliveira and Marini).
The following year we started fighting in the top 10 of the championship and we got our first podiums. I think we have always evolved, but not as I wanted in recent years, because we have had good performances, but very sporadic. We didn't have the base to fight every weekend and the injuries didn't help either. In any case, I never lower myself: Moto2 is a category where, on one circuit, you can fight for the top 5 and on another, for 15th place. That's why it's very important to have a "hard head", and that's what I would say to the Xavi of the past: never stop fighting and don't lose confidence in yourself! »
We can't not talk about the other two 2020 titles: What do you think were the highlights in Moto3 and MotoGP?
« It was a spectacular year, especially watching from home. MotoGP, with many different winners and, of course, Moto3 with races where you could finish on the last lap in 1st or 18th position. Very difficult for them to deal with, I imagine. Albert Arenas managed a spectacular world championship and Joan Mir did the same. What I said: with the level there is, it's very easy to make mistakes and Mir is the one who managed them best, the one who was in the top five in the most races. We must learn lessons from this for the future. »
Quick questions: Win the Moto2 championship or move to MotoGP?
« Win the Moto2 title. »
Your favorite driver?
« Marc Marquez. »
Your favorite circuit?
« Phillip Island, Australia. »
Do you prefer left or right turns?
« Left turns. »
Your accomplice in the paddock?
« My manager. »
A wish for 2021?
« Having a lot of fun. If I can do that, we will fight for the top 5 every weekend. »
Read the original article on Motosan.es
