RideFast June 2020

“It started off very difficult, it was
actually really tough to adapt to the
MotoGP bike when we did the Valencia
test at the end of last year. But each
day I improved a little bit and got a little
faster and then after the off season we
“I’M JUST STARTING TO GET
USED TO THAT NEXT LEVEL, THE
ELECTRONICS, THE SPEED YOU
HAVE, THE AMAZING POWER
YOU HAVE OUT OF THE CORNERS
AND ALL OF THAT. IT REALLY IS
ANOTHER BIG STEP.”
went to Malaysia for the preseason test
and things were much much better I was
a lot quicker, more comfortable on the
bike and I could really make sense of
what it was doing.”
“When we finished in Malaysia I was
just 0.7 off the best, about 17th position.
Then we went to the Qatar test and
each day I was a little quicker and then
on the final day I think I finished up in
9th position 0.4 off so I was quite happy
with that. It was nice to see that I started
to make steps forward and was getting
towards the front and also you know we
made a lot of changes on the bike, I felt
a lot more comfortable. The team and
everyone’s working great.”
“I’m just starting to get used to that
next level, the electronics, the speed you
have, the amazing power you have out
of the corners and all of that. It really is
another big step. It was unbelievable at
the beginning but is starting to feel a bit
more normal and I’m happy to say that
we are getting there slowly.”
It is easy to feel Brad’s wonderful
enthusiasm for the KTM MotoGP bike
and so understandable to share his
current frustration at the delay to the
start of his first MotoGP race. “It’s pretty
difficult. You know, after the season
“I AM JUST FOCUSED ON TRYING
TO MAINTAIN MY FITNESS IF NOT
IMPROVE IT A LITTLE BIT AND TRY
TO STAY RELAXED, TO EXERCISE
MY PATIENCE RIGHT NOW AND
HOPEFULLY ONCE WE HEAR THAT
THE SEASON IS GOING TO START
I CAN MAKE MY WAY OVER TO
EUROPE AND GET BACK INTO IT.”
ends in Valencia I normally take
a week or two of and then it is
basically a build up. You are trying
to peak in your fitness and have
everything perfect by the time you
get to Qatar for the first race. We
were in Qatar, all ready to go then
everything got cancelled.”
“I came home and now I am
training every single day trying to
do all I can to keep my fitness as
high as possible. At this moment
though when there is still no
calendar and no one really knows
what’s going on it is tough, it is
difficult to focus in quite the same
way, we don’t have that carrot in
front of us. We are just waiting
pretty much.”
“I am just focused on trying to
maintain my fitness if not improve
it a little bit and try to stay relaxed,
to exercise my patience right now
and hopefully once we hear that
the season is going to start I can
make my way over to Europe and
get back into it.”
“About the only other thing I am
doing is a project in the garage. We
have been working on some of the
cars and bikes. I have been building
up an old bike and had it all planned
to be finished when the lockdown
finished here in a couple of days
but now that’s been extended by a
couple of weeks so hopefully things
wont get too boring.”
“The mindset is that all you want
to do is race. That is all I’ve ever
really known but at the end of the
day the biggest battle right now is
to try and get rid of this virus. What
has been going on in the world is
unbelievable to say the least.”
“Right now everyone has to take
the lockdown totally seriously
and the sooner this goes away,
the better. I haven’t left the house
in more than three weeks. I am
certainly trying my best. The
sooner this is over, the sooner we
can return to real life.”
In closing Brad turns
back to the Rookies and
some words of wisdom:
“The advice I would give is that
you must work hard every single
day and every single lap. At the
beginning of your career when
things don’t go well it is easy to
lose your focus and start to sit
up in track, look for a tow and not
really work on your own. If I could
go back in my career then that is
one thing I would change, I would
just focus on myself and work on
being able to push every single lap
on your own and not worry about
where anybody is around you that
is a great advantage. It is a great
thing to learn and if you can get
that dialled in before you step up
into say, Moto3 then you definitely
have a big advantage on your side.”
116 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 RIDEFAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2020 117