Back and right foot contusion side lined Efrén Vázquez from Moto2 competition for quite some time as the Bask decided on natural healing as opposed to having another surgery, as team has told us. This weekend in Le Mans he is substituted by Danny Eslick, with whom we had an opportunity to have an exclusive talk.
Can you describe your first experience in Moto2?
Definitely been thrown to the wolves here. I didn’t expect to come out here run in the front - even though you always want to - but these guys are the best guys in the world. To step out on a motorcycle and a race track that I’ve never been on is a little bit overwhelming. It’s not like anything we have in America, you pull out here and there’s 100,000 people, or how many it is that are already here. It’s a lot to think about.
What do you think about the Team and the Bike?
I know I have a good opportunity on the Suter chassis and have really good group of guys, the crew chief Massimo and the crew working hard, it’s just up to me, It’s a lot different. The chassis is really stiff and rigid compared to the Superstock, the more production street bikes that I ride at home.
What do you mean by different?
These bikes aren’t very loose. I think some of it has to do with the tires. The chassis’ are very stiff and rigid, the chassis’ are proper race bikes, and the tires to me here are a lot better, a lot higher level than what I’m used to riding on at home, back in the USA.
I grew up racing flat track, so the bike moving around doesn’t bother me so much, but it’s just getting a feel for it. When it slides going into the corner is one thing, but from the middle of the corner once you get to the throttle off, it’s a big difference. And these 600 Hondas they don't have a lot of low RPM horsepower, you really have to have them high revs and lots of corner speed. I think once you break the thing loose, in some of the slower corners, or in the middle of the corner, it doesn't really have the power to pull that tire. So it’s easy to highside yourself.
What other factors that you find different?
Again, it’s not just a new machine to get used to, it’s a new track. And the grand prix tracks are a lot different to most of the ones in the states.
How different is it (the track) compared to what you raced in the states?
The track here is definitely different, turn one is really fast. It’s really the only GP track I’ve ever ridden, other than the ones in the states. It’s sixth gear into turn one and you’re hauling the mail getting into there. Even me, the slowest guy out there, I still feel like I’m going fast. What is it, 30-something guys that are all on their game? They’ve all had some experience, probably most of them, at this track and with their bikes. It’s a big learning curve.
So, what is your strategy?
Just trying to take the steps up the staircase. Sometimes you can skip a step and maybe get away with it, but sometimes you skip that step and you end up hitting your head. Nobody wants to come over here and tear the bike up or hurt yourself. We have the championship at home.
Does this mean that you are not giving 100%?
I’ve always, whenever I went to British Superbike or the Brazilian Championship, it’s like, the first day go learn the track, kind of get familiar with the bike. Once you sleep on it and come back, usually it comes a little bit easier the second day. But the same thing’s going to happen with these guys. They’re going sleep on it and do their homework, and their crew chiefs are, and they’re going to be even faster. So even if I get out there and go a half second or second faster, the top guys are going to go even faster.
