If the decision to stop the competition taken by Juanfran Guevara surprised everyone, it is far from being the result of chance and, on the contrary, it is the result of an awareness showing great maturity.
As is often the case when a man expresses himself about his destiny, theexclusive interview published by Motorcycling is heavy in emotions, even, in some ways, poignant.
Juanfran Guevara : “when you read the press release carefully, you can tell yourself that this is not an innocent act. It cost me a lot. Lots of tears. Until then, only my family and my closest environment, we knew. It was like my secret. Everyone asked me questions about next year... and I, deep down, knew that next year I wouldn't be there. I'm pretty happy, it's the decision I wanted to make a while ago. On the one hand, I'm a little sad to leave this world that I continue to carry in my heart. But, on the other hand, I will focus more on other things that will serve me more in the future.
A few small events like the fall of Silverstone and other events that happened at the end of the year made me see reality more. In the end, a pilot is only a pilot has a dream life, but a pilot, as was my case, when he returns home, must find sponsors, continue to study, complete the projects he has, s 'train... a thousand things that don't stop. There were days when I missed hours, the stress level has been enormous over the last few months.
Then, three weeks ago, one night on the way home from university, my vision became blurred and I had to pull over on the hard shoulder. The doctor diagnosed me with stress. At 22, when they say something like that… that's when I started to think seriously and told myself that I have to change something.
I'm honest: the problem we have, especially in Moto3, is that among the 32 or 33 riders who are in the category, probably 29 riders don't know how to do anything other than ride a motorcycle. It is very difficult for a rider to leave the motorcycle. I stopped to weigh things, and said: wow! Is everything I lost, my family and others, really made up for by being here? It was complicated but life is made of difficult decisions.
In my case, the most difficult thing was that, since we had very little budget, I had to do practically all the trips alone, without the team. It was practically the first time I left Spain, and I made all the journeys from the nearest airport and practically to the circuit. The team was French and we never met at the airport: there were many moments of solitude. On the other hand, it makes you mature and grow faster as a person. There is always a positive side and a negative side.
But overall, I wouldn't change this experience for anything. I had a great time and always felt very busy. The best thing is the closeness that exists between all the people. Although it seems like something stratospheric, to me it's a small family and almost everyone is very approachable. You go to every race together, you meet on most planes, and there comes a time when it feels like home.
And the worst thing, for me, is people's double faces. Everything is driven by interests and there are very few people, but very few, who act sincerely. I come from a town of 300 people and, for me, that was the hardest thing to understand. That people weren't being honest, that everyone was acting from behind.
These are the rules of the circus. They are there: if you accept them, you play, and if you do not accept them, you do not play. I think that, perhaps, what I did serves as a precedent, to be the first stone to change history a little. Of course, it will not be easy to change it, because let's say that the teams are not so much looking for the driver, but what they are looking for most are the financial means that the driver brings.
Now I'm going to devote myself to other projects, because I don't see myself valued there. I hope this will serve to change the story a little. In my case, I've been there for four or five years, but there are drivers who have a lot of talent and who haven't even had the opportunity to get there. And on the contrary, there are drivers who perhaps do not have talent and who have been in the World Championship for ten years. There should be a bit of compromise. »