© Photo by Honda.
On the occasion of the 57th birthday of Freddie Spencer, inducted MotoGP Legend, Motorcycling returned to a long interview carried out in 2014, in which the American pilot had confided. Here is an excerpt.
You grew up in the most French state in the United States, Lousiana… Do you have a special relationship with France?
I feel it a lot in the South, in New Orleans, in Baton Rouge, in Lafayette… I obviously feel at ease in France. It was great to win the Le Mans Grand Prix. I also won at Paul Ricard. Having two victories on the two main French circuits is very good… In my best era I had three successes in France, two in 500c and one in 250cc. Being from Lousiana, you inevitably feel a connection.
When did you realize that you had a “gift” for motorcycles?
Well, I never asked myself in those terms... In fact, for as long as I can remember, I always told myself that I should be a pilot. I haven't forgotten my broken hand at the age of two, when it was completely burned and I had to have several skin grafts. My sister constantly consoled me, it hurt me. But I was already thinking about riding again on my little circuit. I really felt at home on the bike. Additionally, I loved the relationship I had with my father and with other people in the industry. I remember my first race, at five years old.
What is your favorite circuit?
Spa, without a doubt. It's a magnificent circuit, with a history, and where I won my first 500cc Grand Prix, on July 4, 1982. My favorite corner is the fast double left at Blanchimont. These two curves are a concentrate of what driving can provide in terms of sensations. The crucial moment in this area is the entrance. If you enter well, the rest of the corner opens up and for me the driving is this: what you do in one place influences what happens next.
Your father was an amateur racer and you started racing dirt track at the age of four. So you have a special talent for controlling the motorcycle's skids. On the other hand, your relations with the press have never been very good... These two elements remind me of a certain Casey Stoner... What do you think?
It's possible... I have respect for Casey, he has a gift. There is no doubt about that, but it is true that it is sometimes difficult with the press. I can only speak for myself, but it's like any relationship: there has to be good communication. I was very young when I started running and it made me more interesting to journalists. It's true that I wasn't very comfortable with this situation.
Did you know Stoner?
Yes Yes of course. The first time we met was at Laguna Seca, when I was a commentator for Speed Channel in 2007, and he won the race on the Ducati. I remember him getting out of his truck, he seemed like a good guy. He then told me that he loved the 500c era and the purity of the mechanics of that era.
You have said a few times that you regret not having stopped at the top, after your two simultaneous titles in 250cc and 500cc in 1985. Do you still think that you should have left like Casey and stopped competing at only 23 years old?
This is a good question and the answer is very simple: yes! I think this would have been the best time to stop. I was already starting to have problems with my right wrist. In the same way that I had the intuition that I should move to Honda, I then had the intuition that it was time to stop.
© Photo by Motociclismo.
