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place. This year I've tried to cre- ate more of a community around me of people I like in Portugal. Robertino has been helping me with that." That stability has been wel- comed, especially after a hectic end to 2020, when Aprilia at- tempted to lure Roberts to their MotoGP project in late Novem- ber. Did the fact that a factory courted him provide a confi- dence boost, knowing they saw he was potential premier-class material? "MotoGP, man, can mess with so much of your head," Roberts said. "Yeah, I had the oppor- tunity to go. But it wasn't the right time. And to go that late in the season wouldn't have been cool to my team now. It was the wrong timing. I've come a long way in my career. Just in the last couple of years I've gone from riding around at the back to be- ing considered as someone that can fight up at the front. I think it's something that is nice, but it brings a whole different mindset and different pressure. But the validation from a MotoGP team— this paddock is so up and down. You're hot then you're not. I tend to block all that stuff out. You definitely get looked at a bit differently when you walk around the paddock so that's nice." Despite showing promise, Roberts is still awaiting his first top three of the year. What has been missing so far? "What I'd love to improve is my outright one-lap pace. Our end-of-race pace is good, it's just that one lap that is missing. Maybe that affected me in Mugello. The bike they set up isn't usually a qualify- ing setup. I've not really been strong in qualifying all year apart from the rain, where I was third. Last year was the opposite, I was killing it in qualifying, with three poles. It's a different way. To make the bike faster over one lap is a direction that I'm trying to go in with them." So, what would represent a good end of season for the Amer- ican? "We've been on the cusp of a podium a couple of times now," he said. "In Mugello I got on the podium, but the Stewards took it away from me. That was not cool. In Portugal I was super close there. A nice little move from Remy put me out of that one. I think it's right there, man. On paper it's like, 'Oh, Joe hasn't got on the podium.' But there are places we've come so close. I can really say a podium and win would be nice. I stayed in the class because I wanted to win. It would be nice to get that." CN INTERVIEW I ROAD RACER JOE ROBERTS P102 JOE ROBERTS' 2021 SEASON RESULTS RD 1 .....QATAR—6th RD 2 .....DOHA (QATAR 2)—DNF RD 3 .....PORTUGAL—4th RD 4 .....SPAIN—8th RD 5 .....FRANCE—DNF RD 6 .....ITALY—4th RD 7 .....CATALUNYA—10th RD 8 .....GERMANY—DNF RD 9 .....HOLLAND—DNF Aprilia's interest in Roberts was flattering, he says, but Roberts still feels he has unfinished business in Moto2.