“Alex Marquez is unbelievable, but his bad luck is that his brother is extraordinary.”

– Valencia has arrived, the course is over and it’s time to evaluate. As you have said on other occasions, do you think Liberty Media is focusing more on programming than on the sports side? Or do you just want to turn your investment into a profitable business?

– What I imagined will happen. We were all hoping that Liberty Media would bring in the funding and that it would somehow lead to progress. The reality is that she has invested a lot here and wants the money for herself. I think there will be tough times ahead for Moto2 and Moto3 as they want to keep them away from the paddock. If you look at their sponsors… they’re just there so you can watch MotoGP later. If you do not allow this, smaller categories will be loaded. Only pilots whose families can afford it will arrive. I don’t know if this improves the show or spectacle.

-Valencia?

-Great memories. In 2005, I won a race in front of an incredible crowd. He finished ahead of Hayden and Valentino. Michael Jordan was there too. Everything was a party. It was like being in a movie. I had hoped to meet Marquez this time, but unfortunately that won’t be possible. After struggling with injuries this year, I need a rest because I have been giving it my all.

-Recently, an article titled “Life Beyond MotoGP” was published on ABC. Now that you have tasted the nectar of success, what changes will happen after you retire?

– When I stop running, I don’t know what to do and I get scared. In my case, it started at a very young age. Being too young, it may be difficult for you to move on to a new life. Fortunately, I have always cultivated many passions outside of MotoGP. In fact, he continued his music career even before he retired. It’s a world I’ve been attached to since childhood. I love you, DJ. Of course there is also racing on enduro bikes. It’s a hobby, but nothing else. You know, we’ve been making music with other people for a while. I want to keep experimenting with this and see where it goes.

-The fear of stopping running is very poetic.

– But it’s true. I think many drivers stay in that environment even after their career is over because they are afraid of being forgotten. To avoid that, I sometimes do jobs that I don’t really like. Fortunately, that’s not the case for me. I want to learn new skills and discover the world.

-Others already know. At the age of 15, he won his first Grand Prix at Assen, before Alzamora, riding a 125cc. When you turn around and look at that teenager…what do you see?

-Although a child, I feel like he was already an adult when he was there. I don’t know, it’s something very strange. Sports help people grow rapidly. It makes you feel like a man, even if you aren’t.

– And he arrives in Aprilia. Post Rossi, you have always emphasized that you are a completely different person from Valentino. In what sense?

-Yes, that’s true. Years ago…I wouldn’t say it was fragile, but it was very closed off. I don’t know, but I couldn’t impose my ideas on him. It built up and built up… and logically exploded. It happened to me often too. We were together thousands of times in the team because he didn’t have the strength to say things at the right time.

-Did the 2002 World Cup bring you maturity in every sense of the word? Great fight with Fonsi Nieto.

-Yeah. From there I started developing that ability, yes. It’s about knowing how to impose on yourself when you need it. He did it for the benefit of all, not out of malice or arrogance. He was not a volcanic person.

– Let’s talk about victory as an anthropological phenomenon. Buffon once told me that for him it was not an explosion of joy, but just a release. Was that the case for you in 2002?

-What Gigi Buffon says is true. Even if you win, you won’t enjoy it right away. The first thing that happens is to release the anger that has accumulated during difficult moments. Yes, it’s a strange feeling. It’s contradictory. Happiness always comes cold, after everything has been metabolized. For me, since I stopped running, I’ve really started to enjoy everything that happens. Not aggressive. This is because they focus on what is not going well and try to improve it.

-I remember the first time I interviewed him for Relevo. He was talking about some colleagues. Your words about Carlos Checa caught my attention…

– He helped me a lot and you should not take it for granted. Sure he was my partner, but this is an individual sport. Usually your partner will be your first big rival since they ride the same bike. Competition can be fierce. That’s why I say it was the other way around with Carlos. He helped me more than anyone else.

-I see it again today. In other words, it’s a rivalry. I think the competition will continue. I didn’t expect the Marquez brothers to come, especially Alex.

– To be honest, I think so. I’m not surprised. If you look at him in Moto2 and Moto3, he’s already beaten Pecco and Martin… He’s won the world championship. To be precise, he’s not just anyone. His misfortune is that his brother is out of class, and this is a complete and absolute phenomenon. To many people, Alex is Marquez’s younger brother, but he accomplished incredible things as a driver. Not just now. Moreover, he still maintains the regularity that has always characterized him.

–His versatility, skill and quality have made him outstanding in both satellite and official teams almost equally. Of course, you said there were more benefits before that. When he was in the Gresini team, he received a used Rossi engine. So is it easy to win there today?

-I received some frozen food today. Yes, you can use the new engine for the whole season if you have all seven. Moreover, development in my time was much faster than now. The official team was several steps ahead. Look at what Ruben Zaus said at the time. “When there was competition in tires (Bridgestone and Michelin), there was one for satellites and one for official tires.” Not all were the same because satellites paid to get their satellites. Today everything is more unified, but officers always have a little more.

–Joined Gresini Honda in 2005. In the Moto Mondiale Championship, he finished second behind Valentino Rossi (Yamaha). Hayden and Edwards were third and fourth, respectively. Biaggi, 5th place. There you overthrew Gibernau, who, by the way, belonged to the official party. That’s why I want to emphasize that there were more benefits in the past than there are now. Despite competing in Series B, this was the closest he came to winning MotoGP.

– What a great year! After that, I really wanted to go to Repsol, but they were looking for Spaniards. Then Dani Pedrosa arrived. Not that they specifically wanted him, but that they were betting on the Spaniard. He found himself in the right place at the right time. I have to admit his great talent, but I was unlucky.

–Relations with Gibernau were more or less good.

When I arrived, he treated me a little bit the same way… You know, I was a boy and I was going through some difficult seasons… True, on paper I started as second driver. He monopolized all the attention. Later, when I was as fast as him or faster, there was some tension, but I was always in control. It can be defined as a healthy rivalry with Sethe.

-When Rossi was active, the whole country followed him. In a way, that took the pressure off me. On the other hand, their success was minimized in the media when it happened. When Melandri won, it was like it wasn’t news.

-That’s true. Valentino was definitely very good as he grew and improved MotoGP. The system benefited from that. However, the treatment was not the same for everyone. Valentino addiction existed.

– the system also needed them…

-Yes, but as an accessory to decorate everything. We valued the main character more.

–The press was also with him. he was untouchable. Recently, your loud remarks about the Malaysian controversy with Marc Marquez became a hot topic in Spain. He said that in Sepang in 2015, the image was sold that compatriots were victims, but in reality…

-Yes, he was the culprit. It’s a reality. Race management, international federations, TAS… they all hold him accountable for what happened, as they later sanctioned him. It’s just TV, newspapers, radio…they’ve been telling us things that aren’t true. People who cheat on someone usually protect that person to the death. I don’t know, if I had been there, I could have done much worse, but when I look at the concrete facts, I think so, and I think so. Many people think so too, but don’t have the courage to say it.

–I don’t think the situation with him is a pleasant one.

-I don’t have any problems with anyone. With Valentino…the door is always open. I’m ready. know? For me, racing and being outside are two different things. You see, I do this with friends and I do this with myself. In my case, I realize that I made a stupid mistake in Alzamora in 1999. Nothing happens, that’s what happens, that’s life, everything moves very quickly on the asphalt. We are human and sometimes we lose our minds. You ask for forgiveness. no problem.

–To do this, you have to be humble and above all, very strong.

I don’t understand. That’s normal for me. Just looking in the mirror before going to bed at night can make you feel better.

–In 2006 he had a chance encounter with Toni Elias.

-It’s great to be with him. Both on and off the course. We lifted each other up. It was a lot of fun. Great memories from that era.

–2008 Ducati. It’s always very complicated, except when you’re talking about phenomena like Casey Stoner. He first ruled Borgo Panigale.

– We arrived just as we had just won. All the problems that happened were my fault. Then the pilots started landing one after the other… Seeing everyone having the same luck as me, they started to realize how difficult this bike was. They understood that what I said was correct. As for Valentino, they definitely confirmed that something was wrong. Motorcycles, nothing more.

–What did they do about it?

– They changed a lot of people. Luigi Dall’Igna arrived and we have seen results since then. Marquez’s current success begins with their arrival. There’s no doubt about that.

-In addition to the Marquez brothers, there will be new incentives for the 2026 World Cup. Let’s take a look at how Bagnaia and Jorge Martin start after tough years for different reasons. Other proper nouns include Aldeguer, Acosta, Morbidelli, Bezzecchi… What are you waiting for?

-I don’t know, it’s difficult. I think Fermin Aldeguer is a great driver. I said that to Gresini when we lost Marc and he is proving it. Martin can also do important things with Aprilia, but he needs to check his emotions and other alchemy. Bezzecchi, for example, is a big surprise. I would have liked to see Yamaha compete at the front, but it seems like the V4 is a little below expectations. we will see.