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Alex, to your way of seeing things, what qualities does a racer need to be an exceptional Moto2 competitor? Now, we have arrived at a point where many riders stay in this category for five years so in the end you have the bike and you know how to control it. The bike doesn’t change a lot as more than 50% of the riders go with the KALEX frame. I think in the end you need to stay really confident and to also believe in the bike because if you think your bike is shit you go right to the back. You need to really concentrate and believe in the team and the bike. To be successful against the other riders you need to have a really good technique. How is it to race in Moto2 where everything is so close and so competitive? Do you enjoy racing like this or might it be a bit better if things weren’t quite so frenzied? No, I enjoy it. Since I was in Moto3 and was racing in groups of 17 or 18 riders and so close together, I have enjoyed it. With Moto2 it’s a little bit different because the riders are more difficult to pass than in Moto3. In Moto3 it’s
easy to pass. I think Moto2 is different and you have to always really concentrate and not make mistakes. I enjoy this a lot in Moto2 but I need to learn more about all this. Are you an aggressive rider? Do you like to battle or are you more of a relaxed racer? It depends on the situation in the end. I like to battle with the other riders because in the end you need some competitors to make you better. If you win a race with some battles it feels nice. If you win alone, yeah, it’s nice because you get the victory, but in the end it’s a little bit different. What do you think of your competitors while you’re out on the track in the battle of competition? It depends on the rider. Some I have ridden [against] since I was nine years old. For example, Alex Rins, I know him really well. Also he was my team-mate in 2012 so I know him really well. In the end when I do battle with a new rider it’s a little bit stranger because you don’t know at which point he can pass you. Many