Jordi Torres interview: “This is the opportunity I have been waiting for”

Humble and hard-working, Jordi Torres makes the step up to full-time Grand Prix racer this season after several years in the shadows. The Spaniard, now 25, has worked his way through his national championship and after impressing as a stand-in rider over the past couple of seasons he finally has his big opportunity on the world stage. Not only that but he does so with the MAPFRE Aspar Team, one of the biggest and best in the paddock. After consistently featuring amongst the top ten in preseason testing Torres is determined to make sure he is here to stay.

Preseason is over, what’s your feeling after so many days of hard work?

I am really happy. Finally I have been able to bank a full preseason as a Grand Prix rider. Up to now my only experience at this level was as a replacement rider, coming in halfway through the season. I have tried to make the most of every single minute on track. We have done a lot of work with the set-up, trying to adapt as much as possible to this bike and learning what we need at any given moment. We have put a lot into finding a base setting we are happy with and that means I can go into the season feeling like I know the bike 100%.

Are you ready for the first GP of the season?

Now I understand the bike and have confidence in it I am ready to ride it hard. The amount of testing we have done has allowed us to establish a good base for Qatar and the remainder of the season. I don’t know the circuit or the conditions that we will find in Losail but I have heard all sorts about the weather, the grip, the sand and all the rest of it. But I don’t see any of that as a handicap to me. I am highly motivated and looking forward to drawing my own conclusions when we get out there on track.

What would make Jordi Torres happy on the Monday after Qatar?

The main objective I am setting myself is to finish in the top ten. As the year progresses and we make improvements I am sure we’ll be able to set more ambitious targets but if we can go to Losail, a circuit I have no experience of, and finish in the top ten I will be satisfied.

Who are the favourites for the Moto2 title this year?

You only have to look at the stats to see that there are a lot of riders in Moto2 who have won races in the past, some of them are World Champions, and there are plenty of guys capable of going fast. It’s difficult to make predictions – everybody in this class goes out with a knife between their teeth.

What is the new Suter like?

In my opinion it is much better than last year’s bike. I love the new chassis, it gives us a lot of feeling and it’s faster and more stable in the corners.

What other differences are there compared to last year?

The best way to describe it is as a more precise bike, although we still have to work on transferring weight to the rear. In general the Suter is a bike you can rely on and it still has a lot of room for development and improvement.

What are its strong points and where can it be improved?

If we could get it to turn a little better and get on the gas earlier it would be perfect. It has good traction and turns well but it could be better on those aspects. In the fast corners it’s impressive. You don’t need to get it too far leaned over to get it to turn and it feels secure in the turn.

What is your objective for 2013?

It’s a cliché but I just need to learn as much as I can about this category now that I am dedicated to it full time. Having Nico as my team-mate will be an advantage and I will be able to learn a lot just from watching him. He will be a strong contender this season and one of the guys to look out for in Moto2 so the big objective is to try and be close to him.

After two half seasons you are now a fully fledged Grand Prix rider with a full preseason under your belt. . .

We finished preseason testing inside the top ten but results aside we have met our objectives in terms of getting everything ready for the start of the championship. As the year progresses all the hard work we have done in preseason and the fact that I am part of one of the best teams in Moto2 will allow me to keep progressing towards the front of the pack. One thing for sure is that this is the opportunity I have been waiting for and I will fight tooth and nail to defend it.”

What do you think about the new minimum weight of 215kg?

I think it’s perfect. If you have bikes with the same power but no minimum weight then the lighter riders will always have an advantage. I am quite a big rider so last year I was carrying up to twenty kilos more than the lighter riders so it’s good that we now have weight restrictions.

Source: Aspar Media