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Nicolò Bulega's spontaneity and freshness, still intact, risked flooring us before the interview at the Motor Bike Expo in Verona even began: “do you have a chewing gum you could give me please?”
With no gum to chew, his attentive and omnipresent father Davide, a former world championship rider, satisfies his son's request, who then tells us: “in the end, when I need him by my side, he's always there. There's never a time that my father's not close by. He and I talk about everything, we communicate a great deal at the races - my dad is very important to me”.
In what way do you think you're similar to Davide?
“I hope I'm not similar to him in any way, or I'm in trouble (he laughs, as does his dad). I don't remember how my father races, I guess I'm similar to him in terms of my level of courage”.
You're starting your second full season, where do you think you need to improve?
“I'm training more from a physical point of view, I go to the gym and to the ranch with the other VR46 guys. This year I'll already know the tracks and so will be on a level with my rivals, at least in the first practice session”.
You mention training, is Moto3 physical?
“Let's say that I struggle more than others because I'm very tall and have trouble tucking myself in on the bike, I have to use parts of my body that are not normally used in riding. I feel it at the end of a race in which I've given 110%. But then perhaps a bigger, heavier bike is even more physical than a KTM Moto3”.
Are you still growing? Girls like tall riders...
“Yes, maybe by a centimetre. Something like that. But my weight is still the same. I know that girls like tall riders but for now I want to focus on being fast with the bike, I'd prefer to be ten centimetres shorter".
There are categories in which height is useful…
“It's true, my goal this year is to be consistently strong and competitive. 2017 will be important for me, the results I obtain will determine whether or not I can move to Moto2, bigger and more suited to someone of my height”.
How do you think your Moto3 season will pan out?
“Firstly, I'd like to be more consistent. That means fighting for the positions that count. I'm aiming for top five. The highest step of the rostrum? I'm working on getting there, I hope to do so. I prefer dry races but want to be quick in the wet too. To be fast in the wet you really need to be sorted with the bike setting, otherwise you're rowing”.
You said that, if you won a race, you'd cut your hair…
“I said that but… I've changed my mind - to convince me to cut my hair I'll need to win more than one race, so from the second race win”.
