De Pierpaolo Franceschini / Corsedimoto.com
Tatsuki Suzuki between past, present and future. The Moto3 dream, the Moto2 goal, but also the love for Romagna. The first part of the interview.
Tatsuki Suzuki without censorship, between Moto3 and Moto2, with the dream of MotoGP. For the Japanese driver, the 5th season in the lightweight category with the SIC58 Squadra Corse looms on the horizon, but for much of 2020 he was close to signing the deal that would have made him change category. In the end, “Tatsu” stayed and in 2021 the objective will remain to fight with the best drivers of the world championship, after having been in full fight last season until the injury during the second weekend of Misano which left him out of the game for good.
In 2021, Suzuki will be able to try again, still alongside Paolo Simoncelli. It is a special relationship, full of joys but also passionate discussions. Paolo took him under his wing in 2017, giving birth to a journey that still lasts today waiting for a circle that must be closed, hoping that next year will be the right year to “separate » in a good way. During these years Tatsuki matured and grew up in Italy, also learning to discover many pleasant aspects of Romagna, as he himself told us in a well-balanced conversation between past, present and future.
Tatsu, first of all, how do you judge your 2020 season?
« The first part of the season went well. Covid obviously disrupted all plans, and it was not a normal year. After Qatar we had a long break, but until Misano I was in the race for the world championship and there was victory in Jerez. Then there was the accident where I broke my wrist and got a little lost. The last part of 2020 was hard, ugly, but the results remain positive: I'm quite happy. Three months passed between the first race and the return to Jerez, and I didn't know how it was going to go; in Spain, on the other hand, we were immediately strong and that's when I realized that I was competitive. »
Aside from the injury, what was the worst moment of last season?
« I would say Brno, because in my opinion the biggest mistake was made in the Czech Republic. I crashed and didn't bring home any points. It was a difficult weekend, the track conditions were strange and the asphalt was very slippery. Brno is also a special track because there are a lot of potholes: if you deviate from the ideal line, it's easy to make mistakes. I fell two or three times on Friday and I lacked confidence. In the race, I realized that I had more confidence than others and wanted to stay ahead, but this desire led me to make mistakes. »
What do you think you are missing to take the final step?
« I think I need to be more patient. I'm someone who wants to have everything right away, but not just as a driver; I'm like that in life too. Sometimes this can be an advantage, but sometimes I think this aspect penalizes me a little. Maybe I need to improve this a little. »
How has Moto3 evolved over the years?
« Everyone is going fast, especially last year with races on the same circuit twice in a row. In this case, if you weren't fast the first weekend, you could be fast the second because you had time to increase your pace by studying the track. In general, however, the level is very high, there are many competitive riders and every year it is difficult to make predictions. »
Who do you think will be strong in 2021?
« It's hard to say. If I had to look at 2020, I would say me, Binder, Foggia and McPhee. These are the riders who were able to go fast last year and who will be there in 2021. However, in Moto3 there is always something happening. It is therefore almost impossible to say with certainty which drivers will go fast next season. »
There is often talk of changing the qualifying format: would you like a Superpole?
« No. I prefer to go back to the old system of 40 minutes without Q1 and Q2. From FP1 to FP3, there is never any preparation for the race because you always have to think about staying in the top 14 to access the decisive qualifications. You always have to put on a good tire to achieve a time and sometimes, during the race, I find myself in difficulty. Is it about security? It's true that waiting is dangerous because you never know what will happen, but why not in MotoGP too? Even there, they look for trails to do the time: aesthetically, it's not beautiful, but they do it too!
If we were to have a Superpole, let the first 9 do it, for example. The top 9 in the ranking do a single lap without risking compromising an entire weekend with a single lap. »
Albert Arenas champion: did you expect this?
« Honestly, no. Albert has always been very fast, but until 2019, he made small mistakes which did not allow him to be consistent. When he won in Jerez after three months off, thus winning his second consecutive victory, I understood that he too was going to be in the game, and he finally managed to win the title. »
Is there a driver who particularly impressed you, even in previous years?
« Without a doubt Jorge Martin! During the years we raced together, he surprised me to the point that I was disappointed: I didn't think we could go that fast in Moto3! I am very curious to see what he will do in MotoGP. »
With Martin, you escaped to Barcelona in 2018: was it this race that made you change your mind?
« This weekend made me realize that I was missing something. I managed to stay in his wake throughout the race, then unfortunately he crashed. At that moment I thought to myself, “Wow, he never falls and he slipped just as he was pulling me!” (laughs).” At that moment, I realized that you can stay ahead if you are strong, but at the same time there is something that needs to be addressed.
Once I was alone in the lead, they caught me and I finished on the podium. The race that made me realize that I was finally in the top 3 was Austin 2019: it's true that I crashed, but for more than half the race I led, alone, on a track tough like Texas. »
Let's talk about the future instead... Have you been very close to Moto2 this year?
« We tried. When the rumors about Enea Bastianini in MotoGP emerged, we tried to see if we could take his place. After all, its headquarters is certainly one of the most sought after, and the team has always been strong. Finally they chose another driver and I decided to wait for another chance. I thought it would be better to do another year in Moto3, even if I feel ready for Moto2. »
To be continued…
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