Given the plan proposed to resume World Championship activity on the weekend of July 19, Jorge Martínez “Aspar” reviews the current situation and highlights the motivation of the Aspar Team riders before the return to competition.
Dorna has presented a proposal to return to the competition on July 19. If this plan is approved, we have just two months before we see World Championship races again. How does it feel to hear that?
Above all, I feel great excitement and a lot of joy to see that we have the possibility of returning to the track soon, and more so knowing it would be in Spain, at the Jerez - Ángel Nieto circuit. All teams expected great news like these.
How do you value Dorna's work in these months of uncertainty?
During these months I have been in contact with Dorna, talking to them and learning first-hand about the ideas they were considering, and I can only say that I am happy and proud to belong to the great family of the Motorcycle World Championship and to have Dorna and IRTA (International Road Racing Teams Association) at the forefront of the competition because they are making possible a great evolution of the championship itself and they have reacted very well to this situation.
What do you expect from this restart of the championship? What are the objectives of the Aspar Team?
I think the important thing for us is that we were able to start in Qatar and we completed the first grand prix of the season, where we also achieved victory with Albert Arenas and with Aron Canet we got a great result in Moto2. The objectives and plans of this 2020 season remain the same: we aim to be world champions in Moto3 and to fight for podiums and victories in Moto2. The start of the season confirmed that our prospects this year are to take a big step forward.
During these weeks he has continued to maintain contact with his pilots. How do you see them?
I am very excited always after talking to them, because every time we talk, I see that they are even more eager to return to the track and to resume the racing routine than me. It is very positive to see them eager to get on a bike, it is a great sign that they have a lot of ambition and I am sure that once we compete again, they will fight for great results.
What would you say to motivate them? Or with the plan to return to compete in two months, will they already be motivated?
I am sure they are highly motivated. The important thing, for them and for everyone, is to be able to start on July 19 in Jerez, those are the great news. Later on, we hope to have a calendar that tells us how many races we can complete in 2020. From there, we will draw up a plan for the season, which will be different from what we had planned for a year with twenty races. If in the end everything is done in Europe, it will be about ten Grands Prix; if we can go to Asia or America in October or November we would go to some more. We sure will change the way we approach the season.
In this time without physical races, Dorna has held several virtual GPs. What do you think about this new proposal?
It is always positive that Dorna is involved in initiatives like this, that bring us closer to youngsters and that will surely help to create new fans of our sport. It is part of the evolution we are living in society and Dorna is carrying out that evolution with success. In addition, it was a nice way to make up for the absence of races because fans have been able to enjoy our riders again, although in a different format. Last week they opened the competition to the Moto3 and Moto2 categories and the truth is that they were two very fun races, I really enjoyed watching them.
It's been months of fighting against the virus and there have been hard times, especially for all the doctors and essential personnel who have been in the front row, working non-stop. What would you say to them?
I would thank them, first of all, for having saved so many lives; although the figures are scary, without them it would not have been possible. I want to thank them for having taken the risk for us because unfortunately some of them have also passed away. We should all be proud and grateful for everyone who has made this possible, from doctors and nurses to cleaning personnel and the police forces... It is a bad dream. No one could have imagined, not even the most pessimistic, that we would live what we are living. I want, from here, to pay them my most sincere and humble tribute. And now that we have managed to flatten the curve after the common effort, I would ask everyone else to act responsibly: do it for you, do it for everyone.