It's been almost thirty years since I started my adventure in the world of motorcycles. Three decades go a long way. Throughout all this time the philosophy of dedication has been one of the cornerstones of my career. Success and dedication go hand in hand in a non-negotiable way and I have never considered breaking that binomial. To reach glory you have to know how to suffer, and to strive to the maximum is an essential tool to achieve your goals.
I was barely three years old when my father showed me the way and, a short time later, to start winning in the Aprilia Cup, I had to learn to give up many whims of a child of that age. It was just the beginning of an obstacle course that I learned to overcome to put myself among the best. In the darkest hours, like when I suffered a bad accident when I was 14, I had to clench my teeth to not throw in the towel. I was willing to pay any price to achieve my dream: to be a World Champion.
Measuring myself against riders of the calibre of Pedrosa or Stoner in 125cc allowed me to evolve very fast and the crashes in my first year in 250cc forced me to mature mentally. I had always felt very safe, but I was beginning to be aware of the risk of injuries. It was then that I decided to shore up my preparation and, apart from emptying myself physically, I decided to start working on a psychological level as well. The results were almost immediate. Shortly after I could taste my first two world titles in the hands of Aprilia.
Then came the jump to MotoGP™. The reward for so much work was there, but I wasn’t willing to settle with it. I was well aware of the challenge that came with sharing a team with Valentino, but that challenge and knowing that I had to push myself to the limit once again, it was all a gift to my competitiveness. Maybe, like I’ve said before, it was the youthfulness that I was so unaware of that gave me wings, although the crashes in my first year threatened to cut them off. I had to prepare myself more than ever for the most demanding category. And the results didn’t take long to come. Two years later I was already champion.
The mental strength and the exhaustive work with my team allowed me to lose the Championship crown and recover it on two occasions. Nine years in Yamaha had gone a long way and then the time came to join Ducati. I had to reinvent myself to be competitive with the Desmosedici. The challenge was exciting for me and I was able to adapt to its characteristics at the expense of moulding my riding style. For that, I invested a lot of time and an enormous effort. The results were slow to come and the frustration threatened to linger in my mind. Last year, honestly, was tough and I went through a period of emotional instability. I could have thrown in the towel, but that’s not who I am. Not how I will ever be. Many wanted to see me gone, but destiny had a different plan in store for me.
Signing with Honda has been a massive injection of motivation. I’m convinced that, through my mentality, ambition and sacrifice, I can be very competitive with the RC213V. Fighting with Marc is a challenge for any rider and, at this point in my career, it’s a great boost. Perseverance is the key. I have had an unusual preseason due to the wrist injury, but there is enough recovery time to dream. Step by Step. So far, I'm the only rider who has managed to win a title against Marc. Nothing is impossible and with effort, I want to prove it again.