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He has not yet fully recovered from his left hand injury sustained last year in Malaysia, but Jeremy Alcoba is still looking forward to starting his new adventure in World Supersport. The positive feedback obtained in the tests at Jerez and Portimao, riding the new Ninja ZX-6R with 636 cc engine fielded by Manuel Puccetti's Kawasaki WorldSSP Team, have given a lot of confidence to the 23-year-old Spaniard, who told us he is convinced he has everything he needs to relaunch his career after the uninspiring three-year period he experienced in the Moto2 World Championship.
Jeremy, how is the recovery from injury going?
"I am improving. In the tests at Portimao and Jerez I saw that I was still not 100 percent with my left hand, however, physically I am fine and I am in top shape. I'm missing a lot of kilometers on the bike but I haven't had any impediments with my hand, although I still can't strain it very much and clench my fist. This is also thanks to the fact that we did a little work on the grip, to allow me to be more comfortable. In Phillip Island I think I will be about 70-80 percent with the hand, but I don't know exactly how much it will be able to affect me, because in testing I felt it a little swollen after two days."
In what spirit do you start this new adventure in Supersport?
"I am very charged up, I have a lot of desire to do well and to leave behind the difficulties I encountered in Moto2. I think I have the bike, the team, the potential and the speed to do well. I am very happy with the new Kawasaki 636, because this year at the engine level we won't lack much more than the others. We will be close enough to them and have the pace to be more competitive. But I'm missing a few days on the bike, also because in the four days of testing we did the weather didn't help us: it rained a lot and it was very windy. So, I couldn't ride intensively. The two days of testing in Phillip Island will be very helpful for us."
Expectations are high for this new project. Have you already begun to get an idea of the championship, your opponents and where you might be placed?
"I honestly don't know, because there were riders coming from Moto2 who did very well and others who did not do as well in this category, so I don't want to think about coming in and winning. I don't think about it at all, because the level is growing so much, mine is the only Kawasaki and then, as it is a new bike, there is so much to work to do on it. The others start from an already broken-in base, while for me it's all new: I don't know how the bike behaves and many tracks I don't know. We will need a bit of time to see, but the desire is there and I think we can do well. In the end, the fast riders will be those coming from Moto2 and Superbike, along with Manzi, who in theory would be the favorite, having fought for the championship already last year."
Is this Kawasaki that much different from the Kalex you rode in Moto2?
"It is quite different, especially in the position in the seat. That's something we're working a lot on because it's more of a street bike, it's not so much racing, and so the tank felt very strange to me at first. In Jerez, I watched a little bit of video to see why I didn't feel good on the bike, and on the first day of testing, the guys and I left the box at 11 p.m. just to work on the position on the bike. Fortunately, it's already better now. Then, I have to say that I was expecting it to be a little softer bike, because by training with other brands' bikes I could feel the bike's movements better than with Moto2, which is too stiff. Instead, I immediately found this bike to be quite stiff, maybe even too stiff, and I had to get used to it. The first day I was a bit lost, because everything was strange, even the track and the temperature. So I couldn't push completely, and with this bike the more you push, the more you get the feeling you're looking for."
However, the jump between Moto3 and Moto2 seems to be much bigger than the one between Moto2 and Supersport. Do you agree?
"Yes, Moto3 and Moto2 are completely different, in terms of riding, weight and power. Here the bike is already bigger and the wheel diameter is similar, so you know more or less how to ride. Between Moto3 and Moto2 there is really a lot of difference, and I would say it changes a lot between Moto3 and Supersport as well. Especially at the weight level, in corner entry and the way you have to corner the bike, because the more you stress, the more you make mistakes and the slower you go. In Moto3, on the other hand, you don't, because everything is more reactive: you brake later and accelerate earlier than in Moto2, where you have to be smoother with the throttle and also figure out how to manage the tires in the race."
What was the biggest difficulty you encountered in Moto2? What did you miss in those three years?
"I think what I missed the most was not having continuity in such a difficult championship. In three years I was in three different teams for so many reasons, both internal and external to the teams, and I think I definitely could have done better, because I fought with different riders who won races. My problem was that I was not good in qualifying. In the race I had a good pace, but unfortunately it was complicated to catch up by always starting behind. This was my big weakness in Moto2. I hope to be able to find a solution soon to make the races easier for me."
Do you have any regrets left, like maybe only coming close to the podium in the intermediate class?
"Yes I am left with it, because I know that in so many races I could have fought to get on the podium. I think I had the potential to do that, only in Moto2 there is not much regularity: the one who wins one race doesn't win two or three in a row, but maybe once he is first and then he is sixth, or tenth. I think it depends not only on the rider, but also on small external details, because teamwork makes a big difference. In any case , yes, I am left with regrets, because I think and I know I could have done better."
Would you like to go back one day, or do you see your future now in Superbike?
"I don't know, because I never say no to anything. I'm open to everything. But I'm here now, focused on this category, and I want to thank Kawasaki and Puccetti for this opportunity. I want to give my best, because both they and I think we can do well and we deserve to have a good championship and think about Superbike."
Speaking of Manuel, can you tell us how your partnership came about?
"My manager contacted Puccetti, who liked the idea and I also saw that it was a good project, because they have become the official Kawasaki team in Superbike as well and I know they would like to field another very much in the premier class next year. So this is a concrete project, with support behind it and the peace of mind of knowing that by doing well there is a chance to continue. In Moto2, for example, I didn't feel all that peace of mind: I always had the pressure of having only five months, six or seven races, to figure out where I would be the following year. Here, on the other hand, I have the peace of mind of knowing that the project is there, that the bike is going well, and that I could maybe have a future in Superbike."
