A roman´s dream
New rider of the Repsol Honda Team, Max Biaggi, admitted that his dream for many years had been being part of the Repsol Honda Team and wearing its charismatic colours.
Excited like a kid with new shoes, Max is intensively preparing the 2005 season between Malaysia and Australia with his team. The Roman knows that he and his team have a lot of work ahead, but he shows himself motivated and optimistic. What would you tell your thousands of fans around the world about your arrival in the Repsol Honda Team and the 2005 season?Being in this team is a great opportunity; you may laugh now, but let me tell you that Ive always wished to be part of this team and to wear the Repsol colours. This has been one of my biggest dreams and also one of my secrets, something that finally has become true. Now Im here, in the best team of the World Championship, with the support of Honda the number one factory and with such an important sponsor, who has achieved so much success in this sport as Repsol. I know that we have a lot of work ahead; last year things didnt work out very well for the team, so well have to work hard to make the Honda be once again a winning bike. You cannot make it in just two days, were talking about a slow process that isnt free of difficulties, but Im sure that well make it. Were moving forward, and thats always important and positive, and fortunately we still have two months ahead. How is your foot injury doing?Its doing well, Im almost recovered, lets say that right now Im at a 90% of my best shape. It was a complicated and painful injury, but Ive been working hard, so here I am, back again, riding fast and without trouble. I had some discomfort during the first tests of the year we made here, but its forgotten. Have you found big differences between the bike you rode last year and the official one youve just used?Not for the moment, I dont see big differences between them. But were testing countless new parts and were allowed to do that because we are the official team. I couldnt do that in the other team to evolve my bike because I wasnt in the official one. And thats the big difference. Now we have the chance to choose something we think is going to work well and make it evolve in our direction. Thats how you can get a tailor-made bike that adapts to your needs, gives you confidence and therefore allows you to be faster on it. On what level of evolution is the Honda right now?Yesterday was the first day we started to work on the 2005 bike although the base is basically the same as last year. There are no big differences between one and the other; they look almost alike. Right now were testing countless elements, from engine parts to tyres, different chassis and geometries… Were looking for the right direction; once weve found it, well go deeply into it and create a winning bike. This isnt something we can achieve in only a couple of days, we need some months of work, testing and more work. Youve been in the premier class since 1998. Is the best Max yet to come?Yes, Id say 99% yes. Lets see what happens in the next ten months… This may be the best chance youve had so far to be World Champion in the premier class…Yes, thats true, it probably is. At the end of last season I had several possibilities on the table, some with major remunerations, but Im not here to become rich and be often on TV; I know very well what I want and Im conscious about the fact that this is the team that can offer me everything necessary to get the MotoGP title. I want to be the number one, the World Champion at the end of the season. Right now its Rossi and his Yamaha who are number one and my aim is with no doubt beating that pairing and become number one myself. The way to get to your aims is never easy but well try it as a team. Now were starting to work and get to know each other; we have to try to get as much information as possible during these tests to make it as easy as possible for the engineers in Japan. But we have to move on fast and find the way to improve some aspects of the bike as quick as possible to be faster every time. Improving and developing the new bike is our main objective right now. What do you need from Honda and from the Repsol Honda Team to become World Champion at the end of the 2005 season?Working with Honda is with no doubt something incredible and Im excited with the idea. The team is completely renewed compared to the previous seasons, so were now trying to adapt ourselves and to become a close team. We hardly knew each other only a couple of days ago so we have to look for harmony and balance between all of us. Its important to achieve it because well be much more competitive working that way. Lets not forget that the team always plays a very important role in this sport, especially during race weekends, where we only have four hours to get the bike set and any mistake may set us back. Good communication within the team and a competitive bike are most of the times the key to be in the front. Look, I signed the contract with Honda because they came to me and told me that they wanted me to ride for them to try to get the title together this year. And thats what we are here for, both Honda and me, to try to get the title, so I think that Honda will be the first one wanting to give me the necessary tools to try it with guarantees 12 people in your garage, a bike that is completely dismantled and mounted in a few hours, working times from 8.30 in the morning to 10 oclock in the evening in the circuit… Honda is giving 100% but youre corresponding with an intense dedication…Yes, thats the way I work, I always try to give my best and to transfer as much information to the team as I can be sure of, and as quick as possible. Its not easy to improve something that is already good; most of the times you can only give it some little touches to improve a tenth or two… You build a wall stone after stone, youll never make it at once, just like appearing from nothing. Well, its the same in our case, if you dont plan things right, working methodically and seriously, you wont get the result you expect. It may happen some day, but then it wont be something that can offer you continuity and you probably wont know why it happened. Thats my style, always trying to be very precise with what Im doing, getting to know and looking for an answer to what has happened. Thats why I insist: communication is of vital importance; we have to communicate and talk about things that happen and how we can improve. I guess that the presence of Erv Kanemoto, an old friend of yours, will be of vital importance for the team this season.Yes, weve known each other for a long time, Ive learned a lot from him and we largely agree in several working aspects. Look, Ill be very sincere: I know how to win the World Championship, and to do it I need the support of a factory and to be surrounded by the precise people, people like Kanemoto. Theres fluent communication with him. At the end of a test day, we often talk in the evening. Being relaxed, I analyse things I have seen on the bike and tell him. Hes like me in this aspect, he lives his job intensively, he likes it and he always wants to improve. What about the relationship with your new team-mate?Good, Nicky is a nice team-mate. We already knew each other before because I use to spend some time in the United States and we had already been practising Supermotard together. Hes young, hes only been a couple of years here and I think that hes a good team-mate. Weve been talking a bit about these tests today, about how things are going on for us and what problems and solutions we have… Sharing information on a general level. The fight for the World Championship will be between Max and…Valentino is the Champion and the man to beat. Starting from this point, I think that Gibernau, and I hope that myself, will be fighting for the title. Maybe Barros, Hayden, Capirossi, Tamada will be there as well… How do the Repsol colours fit you, how did you see yourself the first time with your new colours?Well, they fit me very well. The truth is that I liked the way I look with these colours. I think that the Repsol orange favours me a lot and I love this colour.
