Stefan Bradl is a test driver for Honda and like his colleagues who have the same mission within other manufacturers, his driving time is limited to the needs of any developments. The schedule is quite clear with some hopes of appearing in one or two Grands Prix. This is the lot of these champions reconverted to serve the common cause. But when Marc Marquez was injured in Jerez, everything changed for Bradl who found himself mobilized for the front without warning...
Stefan bradl is a former Moto2 World Champion, to the detriment at the time of a Marc Marquez who was then unable to defend his chances due to injury. Already, physical condition connected the destiny of the two men and in 2020, it once again revealed itself to turn the German's daily life upside down. Once it was established that Marc Marquez would not find his Honda before a while, the program of Bradl has been revised.
A shock thus felt by the one who was sent to the fire from the Czech Republic: “ jI've sat on the Honda for almost 45 days since the Brno Grand Prix in August » remembers the man from Repsol Honda who sums up his last year thus: “ 12 races in 15 weeks, plus three or four tests, the last in December, which we even extended by one day »
A challenge, but Stefan bradl realized that it was more psychological than physical. On speedweek, he says : " at the beginning it was really difficult » he blurted. “ Because you know you're in the world champion's seat, on the world champion's bike, with the world champion's men and, of course, you don't want to look bad. I thought that I would have to make a big effort from a physical point of view, but I didn't know that it was my head that would suffer the most. ».
He specifies : " Athletically, I was doing well, but the enormous pressure I felt, not from the outside but from within myself, took some time to tame. When I found myself fighting with Bradley Smith and Tito Rabat for last place, it was depressing, not because of them, but because I was on the bike that had won almost everything up to that point ».
Bradl clearly plans to start the season
It therefore took him some time to take the measurements and find himself in the racing driver's suit, rather than in the one, decidedly more comfortable and less suffocating than that of a test driver. “ After Le Mans, things started to go a little better " remember Bradl. " We have always improved and it has been positive. If I still have the opportunity to drive the RC213V, I will try to improve even more ».
A final remark which opens onto the 2021 prospects which, unfortunately, would still have to be placed under the seal of the absence of Marc Marquez : " I plan to do races, as a wild card in Jerez and Misano » declared the German who added: “ and if necessary I will replace Marc in the first races of the world championship which is about to start ". It will be by the end of March, losail opening its doors to MotoGP at the beginning of the same month for off-season tests, disrupted by the health crisis.
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