While he has just celebrated his thirtieth birthday on January 6, the first Moto3 World Champion in history (in 2012 on KTM) managed to brilliantly convert to Supersport by winning the world title in this discipline in 2018 on a Yamaha R6 from Kallio Racing. But the 2020 season seems complicated after an honorable year in Superbike.
Sandro Cortese competed in a total of 13 full seasons in Grand Prix, including 7 in 125cc with 3 races and 116 victories, 2 in Moto1 with 3 races, 17 victories and the title, then 5 in Moto5 with 2 races, no victories and 88 podiums.
In Supersport, he won 2 races in 2018, reached the podium 8 times and was crowned at the end of the year.
Then finally last year he raced in the Superbike World Championship with a Yamaha from the GRT team to finish twelfth in the end, with a best result of sixth place in Jerez (first Yamaha rider).
Currently Cortese has nothing for this year, except a vague possibility of becoming a test rider at Aprilia, instead of Bradley Smith who would be entitled to replace Andrea Iannone. “Maybe Aprilia will give me a MotoGP test one day” he sighs. “They will be missing a driver if Iannone is suspended. »
“I continue to receive requests and calls », assures Cortese. “A lot of people ask me if I can bring money or fly without pay. But so far there have been no interesting offers. I don't want to accept an offer where I have to pay or ride for free. I can not do that. No one brings their own money to work. »
Cortese would like to test a current Moto2 with the three-cylinder Triumph on occasion. Currently, Sandro spends weekdays at the RKU university and rehabilitation clinic in Ulm, “so that my operated left shoulder returns to 100%. »
“I'm really always quite exhausted at the end of the week, because we do shoulder physiotherapy in Ulm from 8 a.m. to 17 p.m. But it really helps. I have my Specialized Tarmac racing bike with me, so I train two hours a day after the online program – SWIFT. I had surgery on the muscle that secures the head of the humerus in the socket. Since the surgery, I feel like I have a different body. The discomfort is gone! »
Photos © Yamaha Racing
Source: Speedweek. com
