Sebastián Porto ready for his final assault on the 2004 title
A victory and a second-place finish in the last two races have moved the Repsol rider closer to the 250cc leadership
Now that the Championship is on its final straight, what is your analysis of the season so far?I think that the results achieved so far are quite positive, but the real balance will be made at the end of the season. I cannot be dissatisfied because weve won three races, weve set six poles and we have been several times on the podium, so everything is actually working well. At least from my point of view, which I think matches that of the team. Do you think that Elias arriving to the leading places may favour or hinder you in your fight for the Championship?From the beginning I thought that there would be several riders in the lead and that the fight would be much more equal. In fact, this is the season with the highest level as regards official bikes and winning riders. Nobody expected Dani Pedrosa’s performance; it was a surprise for all of us, and De Puniet is there, fighting race after race. Now theres Toni as well, one of the riders I thought would be in the leading places from the first races and we have to make the best of it. Toni is another rival for me, so Ill keep on doing my job and following my path; but if hes in the front and we can take some more points from the leader, so much the better. Five races left, 125 points at stake and a gap of 36 points to the leader. Do you think that it is possible to close the gap considering the venues of the coming races?The situation isnt easy at all, but it isnt impossible. Weve made up several points in the last two races, so that now that there are 125 points still at stake, anything can happen. What really matters is a good working bike, but I also hope to have luck on our side. What can you tell us about the remaining circuits before the end of the season? Which are the most and which are the less favourable for the Aprilia and why?Of the five races left, the less favourable is Motegi, because it is a Honda track. But the truth is that anything can happen in these races. As I said, the most important is a good working bike. Anyway, Portugal wasnt a favourable track for Aprilia either, but we were there in the front, throughout the weekend. Qatar is a new track for all of us so I cannot make any analysis. Malaysia, Australia and Valencia are favourable tracks for Aprilia, although as I said, everything is relative. Is the pressure growing now that were getting to the final straight of the Championship?No, not at all. Im very calm and concentrated, just as I started the season. This is my first chance to clinch the title and Im fine so far. I havent felt any extra pressure, just the right one. What makes me feel very calm and confident is my team and Jorge as well; he gives me good advise and I always try to listen to him. I try to listen to the people that give me confidence and trust. On which level of evolution is your bike? Do you think it will develop much more from now to the end of the Championship?I wish it would, but I know that it wont be easy. Aprilia has been working a lot since the start of the season and we have mane loads of tests allowing us to make several improvements, so now the bike is much more competitive. Im confident that Aprilia will keep on working and improving until the end of the Championship. Jorge Martínez Aspar, manager and former rider usually gives you a lot of advise in the garage, while youre working. Is his work important in the fight for the title?Jorge helps me a lot. He usually doesnt get involved in things but whatever he tells me, gives me a lot of confidence and I learn from him what I need. As a former rider, he has been in my current situation several times. Jorge is a very clear person, he doesnt speak much but whatever he says gives you confidence and that is very important for a rider. He usually anticipates what will happen and that is obviously very important for me.
