I believe that confidence is only when you stop to think. It’s something that doesn’t pass during the whole season. Because between the GPs, the tests, the weekends, there’s very little time to reflect. Sometimes, when I train alone, on my bike in the Pyrenees, I think about my riding career up until now.
I can’t ask much more out of life. I have an amazing family and a perfect life. But, as a rider, I still have a lot of objectives. To arrive at these, confidence is crucial. I’ve raced in MotoGP™ for ten seasons, but never like today. I’m involved in an ambitious project and I believe that confidence is a fundamental part of this challenge that we all have to become glorious.
From Noale, the home of Aprilia, to the podium, or maybe even the win, with this family, which is much more than a team. The people of Aprilia and around me live every day with maximum passion. Between us, there is a lot of confidence and this is the most important thing when nothing goes well.
Arriving at Aprilia without fanfare and without the pressure that the top riders have. But, since the start, I saw they had a lot of confidence in me and the two years previous, in Suzuki, were an important lesson to become a mature rider. Because of this, I have to thank Davide Brivio and the whole team. Without them, I couldn’t work like I do, today, with Aprilia.
I have a great deal of confidence in a project that started a long time ago. They are in no rush and they improve consistently every year, with a tradition that is an example to our rivals. I follow Romano Albesiano’s words. I have so much confidence in him. Also, I have confidence in our new structure, that Massimo Rivola has set out. A key person that is working in an exemplary manner, as a boss. In a team manager like Fausto Gresini, passionate, with a lot of experience and a successful record, it’s impossible not to have confidence in him.
Later, the confidence in the people who work with me, together is everything in professional sport. It strengthens us. Without this, we would be weaker. I can’t hide, in our case, the strength of the factory is lower than that of our bigger rivals. We are small but we are strong, together I believe that Aprilia can win.
I can’t hide it but, for me, identity is important. Ours, that of Aprilia, is strong and deeply rooted in tradition. I admit that having the Italian flag on my livery is something strange but beautiful. I own this feeling deeply, feeling part of a country, of a nation, and representing the colours of this country in the world. Racing and competing with the confidence in the work that they do in Italy, in Noale, in the factory, gives me the peace of mind to focus solely on giving it gas. And, thinking about the great Aprilia story, of the victories and the titles of the past, the confidence in what my team does every day, energises me every day.