Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

"I thought the most difficult work was done - but at the finish of that year, for whatever reasons, Wayne decided that he didn't want me the next year. I think it was more political than anything, but that's something I don't even want to argue about. "So, basically, for 1998 I had nothing. I had lots of privateer teams interested. I even had a contract, with a pen in my hand, for a V-twin ride, but I decided not to sign. I didn't want to take that step back. "Then, in January, poor Takuma had the accident... how much probability is there of that happening, that you're the only guy out there looking for a job, and one guy from HRC has an accident which of course I feel absolutely sorry for, and that's not the nicest way, but that's life, it puts you into these situations. I could have signed for the other team, and then when Takuma had the accident, I would have been committed. "The bike was made for Takuma, and at the beginning I had some chatter problems. But by the end I had a podium at Jarama, and we had some good results. "At the end of that year, I had the possibility to go to Sito's team, but I stayed with HRC thinking it was the place to be. We developed a twin that suited me. And in the first races I was fighting with the top guys and getting fourth and fifth. I was happy that bike I made with my team and my guys, and it was competing with the top V4s. Then Mick Doohan had the accident, unfortunately, and again I was in the correct place at the correct moment. "Once you have the opportunities, you have to grab them, because they will go as fast as they came. First race I battled with Kenny [Roberts Jr.] he was leading the championship, and at Mugello we finished fifth and sixth. Second race I was third; next race I was battling Kenny again and finished third. Then the V-four bit me in Donington and I got hurt. Then at the end of the year I ended up fighting to win some races, with Max [Biaggi] in South Africa, and in Brazil for the podium. "Nineteen ninety nine was an awesome year. I was fifth in the championship, and everyone in Spain - the press and everyone - thought I was going to be the next guy up there. For 2000, at the pre-season tests, we were fastest everywhere we went on the 1999 bike. But as soon as they brought in the 2000 bike - it was bad. "I had the opportunity to leave HRC at the end of 1999, to join Telefonica MoviStar Suzuki for 10 times moneywise what I was getting at HRC, and a two-year contract instead of one year. I want to say that because now there are many people behind me that are saying I just took the money. That's bullshit. "I race for proving to myself I can make it. And for the money - no one would race for free in a dangerous sport like this. But you need to have your priorities, and always my heart has been bigger than my thinking about money. I decided to stay at HRC because I thought it was the right choice. And it proved wrong. The whole of the HRC squad did bad in the year 2000. "I didn't complain - I've argued, but I've kept my head down. Because that's my way. I don't give excuses - we all have excuses when things are not right. But many people live from excuses. I don't. And then when you don't give excuses, people say: He's saying nothing. It's him. It's him. "I want to prove them wrong by results. I will never do it by talking. And [inl the year 2000, I reckon I did a good job, and if Telefonica and Suzuki gave me another opportunity to join the team, maybe it was because I did something right. "This time, I made the move - and once again, the luck is not helping me out. I've been in the best places at the worst moments. "That's something a rider has to assume is part of the job - to put himself in the best position to win. If you haven't done it, you'd better put your head down and solve the problem, whatever it is. Either it's you, or the bike, or both. And that proves the best riders from the rest. "Our situation this year is not the easiest. But I still think we're doing good, with all the problems we have, and how competitive the 500 class is these days. For whatever reason, I am in front of the World Champion in the championship. In my first year with Suzuki, I cannot be mad at myself. I always try and put the bad things away and focus on the good things. And work on them. "If you focus on the bad things, you get into a mood where you're never going to get better. I'd rather be ready when the changes come. If your mood is positive, you're working on your riding and mental preparation. And then the good bike arrives you'll be stronger than anyone out there. We just have to try to make that moment happen - to prove everybody wrong. "We all have reasons to do bad, but there's the one guy who gets his shit together - whatever the shit is - and wins. And the other guys didn't. That's what I have to do - and one day when that happens that will be my way to talk to everyone. You have to look for solutions, not reasons. "I am privileged in many aspects. I am in the GPs. I am one of the top riders. And so on. And you can never forget this, and this makes me think I can get even further, and work harder to be even better. I think, and I hope, that all the experience I am getting with these bad years is going to make me real strong. I'll be patient and wait. I'll take all the shit from everyone. Because, like I said, I'd rather win, and that will be my answer." Sete pauses for breath, giving the opportunity to remind you that a week after this conversation, that is exactly what happened. It wasn't that the Suzuki became fast all of a sudden, but that the wet-dry race favored the right tire choice, and the person who was prepared to ride the hardest. That was without a doubt Gibernau at Valencia, in a sustained effort that yielded not only the win, but also the fastest lap last time around. So what exactly has been the problem with the Suzuki that has prevented this happening before? What is all this stuff he and Roberts Jr. say about the poor throttle connection? "It's easy to understand. Chassis setup has to go around the problem we have with the engine. Many people say we chew up tires because of the chassis. That's true. But the chassis is like that because we have an engine problem. "We don't have a connection that allows us to open and dose the throttle, and open it again. Which you need to do when you have a 500 with used tires. You need to be cautious - to open and dose until you feel where you want to be. If you dose the throttle, the bike has to come back in line, and if you open more then it will slide more. You have to feel that connection, from the throttle to the tire. "You get grip on a 500 when you put a certain amount of pressure on the tire, constantly, and that makes the suspension work. And you put on more and more until the tire starts to let off. And that has to be - smooth power, not sudden power, that comes and goes. We can't do it. The engine character doesn't allow us to do it. "We don't have the power at 10,000 rpm that enables us to play with that. To accelerate with the other bikes that have that power you have to have a lot of traction, and to be able to open the throttle completely to go past that rpm. On new tires, we can do that. But later in the race, we need to be at higher rpm to have the same amount of power, ~nd to take that the chassis has to be set up in a different way. It's not the same to have 10,000 rpm and have a certain horsepower and to have 12,000 rpm and the same horsepower - the bike is very touchy. When you dose up and open again - it's WHAARPI "At Barcelona [Gibernau's previous best Suzuki ride, challenging for the lead and finishing fifth), I think we had by far the best set-up bike on the whole racetrack - and we were only able to get fifth. The layout of the track also helped me there. Although there are long corners, they are touch and go, in and out. You slow down into the apex, then fire it out. At Barcelona, you go through the problem, but most racetracks you can't do that. "I don't want that to sound like an excuse, but you have to understand the problem. Like I say, I want to prove a lot of people wrong by winning." Earlier in the season, Gibernau had threatened to leave Suzuki without some improvement; then after he, Roberts and the sponsors received a personal letter from a top factory director, promising that next year he had ordered his staff to build a bike to beat both Honda and Yamaha, he took the unexpected step of publishing it. Meanwhile, the team insists he already has a contract for next year. What is the true position? "Right now we're deciding what's happening with Suzuki, and hopefully we'll get things right. We received a letter from Suzuki, and this guy signed it. I'm going to let the whole world know about this. Now his honor is on the line. If he just gives me a bike that just enables me to fight with the top guys, I'll be happy with that. Why shouldn't Suzuki be capable of that? I want to believe that they can." One difficulty might be what we have already seen - a massive increase in pace this season. Where did Sete think the extra speed had come from - is it just the tires? Or is it because Rossi's forcing the pace? "It's machines, and tires. It's really competitive this year. And we have all the best riders. How many World Champions have we got in the 500 class? Rossi, Biaggi, Criville, Capirossi, Jacque, Roberts, and Aoki. Seven World Champions. When has that happened before? Which is nice. It's hard, but it makes the sport nice. If it wasn't Valentino, it would be Max. There's all the guys, who are pushing real hard. Everyone is making the whole thing work. Valentino has the talent, and he's been able to be with the best bike in the best position with the best people. "This 500cc class is best motor championship in the world. I was eighth in Czecho. And I was 15 seconds behind the front guy! In Catalunya I was 3.5 from the leader, and I was fifth! All the races have been real close. And in the 250s, you have two or three guys, then a 30- or 40-second gap to the next guy." What about the four-strokes - any views? "I don't like four-strokes too much. I think a real racing machine is a two-stroke. I have raced a fourstroke once in my life, in the Suzuka 8 Hours in '98. I finished second with Barros, which makes me happy, because I did good with a four-stroke. I'll be ready for it whenever it gets here. "But I believe it will be the same guys winning. It could be even closer, because they are easier to ride. It's going to be faster. Of course. If you make a fourstroke 500, that'll be slower. But if you make it 1000cc, of course it will be faster. It will be a rocket." CN cue. - n _ _ lIS • OCTOBER 10, 2001 43

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