Just four years ago I arrived in the World Championship with my six Spanish titles. Everyone was comparing me with Marc Marquez. There was a lot of expectation and despite all that, my debut was pretty promising. Second in Austin in only my second Grand Prix, I repeated that at Assen and was regularly in the top ten.
At 16, however, it’s easy to let yourself get swamped by the pressure and that’s exactly what happened to me. To make matters worse, I injured my right ankle in a crash at Misano and that meant I had to sit out five rounds. From then on, everything seemed to get that bit more difficult for me. In 2018, I was able to hit reset and everything went from there. At the start of July, my manager told me we’d been offered the chance to move to MotoGP™. I’d just had two fantastic races and they gave me so much more confidence. I was surprised and excited at the same time, and I also had to keep it quiet. In the end it all worked out and here I am, a MotoGP™ rider! None of this would have been possible without Petronas, Sepang Racing Team, Yamaha and everyone around me. I’m incredibly grateful for the trust they’ve shown me and I hope I can do them proud.
Since I got on the M1 for the first time in Valencia, it’s been a dream come true. My adaptation is far from complete but it’s coming along ‘step by step’ as the mantra always goes! I have no doubt about the potential of this bike and I’m surrounded by great people. And from my side, I’ve worked hard during winter. One thing is clear: I can seem casual, but I’m not lacking in ambition and I’ve learned a lot from the past. I’ll never let pressure get to me again. I may not have been around to see Valentino Rossi’s first title but age isn’t everything in MotoGP™! I want to show you what I’m capable of at 19.