1645 days since his final Moto3 race win at the Aragon GP in 2019, 70 GP starts since moving up to the middleweight class a little over four years ago and a total of 20 podium finishes in the category with that elusive top step so close, yet so far away. This is how long Aron Canet had to wait in a real rollercoaster of emotions, until a memorable Sunday at the “Autódromo Internacional do Algarve” that saw the 24-year-old Spaniard finally become a Moto2 race winner for the very first time in only his second Grand Prix with Fantic Racing.
The Moto2 World Championship Leader shares his feelings before it’s go time again at the Grand Prix of Americas in Austin on April 12th to 14th.
Aron, how does it feel to be a Moto2 race winner? Can you put your emotions into words now that you had two weeks to let it all sink in?
It feels very good and it is another important step in my career. It was also very emotional after quite some podiums in Moto2, also because a lot of time had passed since my last win in Moto3. Now we just have to keep working in the right way.
You were so close to make it happen several times but the victory kept slipping away. Did you always believe you could do it or was there ever a moment of doubt?
Sometimes there are moments when you ask yourself if you are really capable of winning but you have to believe in yourself, you have to follow your dream, you have to work on your physical form and training method – and I give my 100%. You have to be focused on the way of working more than on the results. The results will follow, you just have to fully believe in yourself, rather than listening to criticism. If there was one thing I could say to the Aron of 2020, I would tell him to never give up, to train in the best possible way and, by doing so, the results will follow.
There was a time when you had planned on wearing a bow tie in parc fermé as long as you had to wait for that first win but you put it away at some point. Can you explain the story behind it?
That bow tie goes back to the time I was 20 years old and people looked at me in a bad way, labelling me as a gangster just because of my tattoos and piercings. Nowadays it’s considered quite normal and especially young people like it, that is why I put on the bow tie to show that also with tattoos, piercings or even yellow hair, you are not worse than others and you can still be a good person. In some way I would like to stand for all those who are discriminated because of their physical appearance.
What has changed since you joined the Fantic Racing squad? You seem to feel very much at home within the team and it reflects in the results with the Pole Position at the season opener in Qatar and your win at the Portuguese GP. What is your secret of success?
Joining Fantic Racing changed me more than I would have thought. I have found a very pleasant atmosphere; I would even say a family that never doubted me. Starting with [Team Manager] Roberto Locatelli, [Project Leader] Stefano Bedon and [Crew Chief] Jairo Carriles, they all push me to bring out the best of me and they work a lot for me. We have already won in Portugal and I am confident we can have more success this season.
With your masterclass in Portimao you also took over the lead in the Moto2 rider standings. Of course, it is still very early in the season but how do you feel about going into the next GP as the championship leader? Are you confident you and your Fantic Racing crew can be in the fight until Valencia?
We are leading the championship and we are going to Austin, a track I have already won on in 2019. My dream is to win again as soon as possible but first of all, we have to keep the focus high. We can’t afford to slow down because, yes, we are leading, but the others don’t sleep. Our goal is not only to win races but to fight for the title, it would be a first for Fantic Racing, and if we keep working this way, I believe we will have a chance to be in the fight until the end of the season.
