Before the shakedown MotoGP in Sepang, then just after, we had the opportunity to gather the opinions of Randy De Puniet on the past season, on the one to come and on its news.
And as usual, the ex-Grand Prix driver, who currently combines his commitment to endurance with his role as a consultant at Canal+, doesn't speak tongue-in-cheek...
Wow, I'm interested in you (laughs): what does that mean? Aren't you afraid to say that?
« But no, Parts and accessories everyone
thought,
but
no one
le
dit,
ce
, here
is
Normal.
Stoner
there
carefully
dit, “soft
I was
at Ducati, I know
how to
it
happens". It is
as
à
one moment
given, ily
had
Martin who
beat
as
Bagnaia.
Necessarily, Ducati preferred which it
or,
Bagnaia
, here
wins,
it is
logical. And leaves
Mark with
a
motorcycle 2023, no yet generation
end
of year,
du
milieu
of year
I
know
nothing,
to go
Win
le
championnat,
it
fwould
disorder.
Alors
bagnaia
a
announced that the motorcycle 2024 is
yet
best,
so
if they
dig
un
difference,
ça
va
their
doing
de
the air. Otherwise, it
va
being
major
for
them,
mais
soft
je
n'hold on
which
that (laughing)."
But last year, in the Bagnaia/Martin duel on the same bikes, they still didn't do anything. We can't believe it...
« We don't know anything about it, I don't know anything about it!
As I told you, I don't believe the story of the Michelin tire. Something else, why not? And there, if Marquez plays for the title with a bike a year late, that won't make them laugh, eh. »
What struck you most about the shakedown?
“What struck me was Pedro Acosta, obviously, who rode, who rode very quickly. Everyone says it's not a surprise, but it's still a surprise, because he only had one day in Valencia. There, he arrives and sets the best time, in very interesting times. I think that being able to spend 3 days of riding without pressure, with a coach like Dani Pedrosa nearby, that must have really helped him. Now we will see how he will progress further compared to the others from tomorrow in the test. But he impressed me.
And then I'm also impressed by the Honda because, casually, yes aesthetically it has evolved a lot, but on the track it also seems to be not bad. So here are some of the good surprises of the shakedown.”
What's the latest news from Randy de Puniet, on the pilot side?
“Well I’m back for another year eh, in the team KM99. It's a team with which I was already in contact for 2022, and then I decided to stay with Kawa because I believed in the project. I didn't want to leave again, after a year, when there was a new structure being put in place. We were supposed to have Bridgestones but we were fooled a bit, and then in June, after Spa, there is Mario (Kupper), the team manager, who came back to see me. We were at Assen and it's true that I was a little fed up, I had been disappointed with my team's performances, and honestly, I needed a challenge where I had fun to continue. Kawa, they were telling us things that ultimately didn't come to fruition, and so I said to Mario “listen to me, your project suits me, because humanly there are a lot of people that I like in it”. There is Florian Marino, we managed to get Jérémy Guarnoni, so we are going to have a great team of drivers. Technically, we have a lot of people from the World Superbike team and the GYTR team where there is Garner. So the team is really well supported by the factory, because they have the means, and so that allows us to have lots of things, like a bike very close to the YART, apart from the Bridgestone and at the level of the Magneti Marelli where They still have a little extra something because they use the Factory ECU. But afterward, the bike, whether it's the suspensions, the brakes, the engines, the fairings, the tanks, and everything that goes around it, we're going to be almost the same. So the challenge is, I like it, and then there is a team where we are on the same wavelength, that’s “performance”. So that’s cool, there are means but the means are put where they need to be, and everyone is motivated there to perform.”
And you are lucky that there is no competition of dates with the Grands Prix…
“Yes, that’s fine. So, like me, I have a bit of break racing, it allows me to rest, because I'm old now (laughing), I'm 43 soon, so the calendar suits me well and I'm happy. There, we will test on 12/13/14 in Almeria, then we will do 2 days of testing in Jerez but unfortunately I will not be there because I will be in Qatar, and then we will do 2 days at Le Mans before I leave for Argentina .”
So, what are the objectives?
“Honestly, it would be good to get closer to the 3 teams with the Bridgestones, and to be able to fight for the podium on a regular basis. Honestly, I think we have the capabilities. Afterwards, Dunlop has also worked a lot, so we'll see, but we shouldn't get carried away either. But I know that there are ways to do beautiful things. In addition, they had a year of experience where there were quite a few mistakes made, so they corrected things well, and overall I think that fighting for the podium on a regular basis is the goal. And then why not better? We'll see. We are 3 fast drivers, we get along well, that’s important, so it’s going to be nice.”
A quick word about Florian who is ultimately a somewhat unknown rider, but of high level, since he participates for example in the development of the factory Kawasaki in Superbike…
“Yes, he does all the tests for the KRT. Florian is a very good driver. I think that, when he was younger, he should have been a little more driven, because today he has a lot of potential and I think he didn't exploit all his potential, and unfortunately it ended for him in endurance, whereas I think it was not his goal at 25 to be in endurance. But that's how it is. Afterwards, he's a bit stubborn (laughing) so you have to be a bit more careful. But there you go, we get along well and he listens. He's a driver who is also motivated, so that's important, he has the drive, he drives fast, he holds up well in the 24-hour races, so I think yes, he's a driver who is under his belt, hoping that this year, by having a good season, he proves to everyone that he is someone strong in endurance. Because hey, today I did my time everywhere, and when I see how he rides, he gets involved and everything, that the official teams are not interested in him, I find that a bit of a problem. bit weird.”
