Hiroshi Aoyama is changing to the MotoGP as 250cc world champion. What he’s particularly proud of, what he has to learn and what he’s really looking forward to, the 28-year-old Japanese discloses in the following interview.
Hiro, how does it feel to be World Champion – the 61st and last in the history of the 250cc class?
It’s a strange feeling … I was five years old when I first sat on a motorbike. Since then I’ve been dreaming of becoming World Champion, and now, 23 years later, I’ve actually managed it. Naturally, I’m totally over the moon about it!
Was there a big celebration for winning the World Championship title?
You bet! Right after the race – with the whole team. We partied the whole night through!
You must have received messages from all over the world congratulating you. What made you particularly happy?
I was really happy about the best wishes from Yukio Hatoyama. To get a personal letter from the Japanese prime minister doesn’t happen every day … that makes me amazingly proud.
GEPA pictures
Right after the season finale, things started up again in Valencia with the first MotoGP test drives for the next season. How did your first ride with the Honda RC212V go?
Well, it was a completely new experience for me. That’s why I was particularly careful on the first few laps. But it was still an awful lot of fun.
Is the difference between the 250cc class and the MotoGP really that big?
Yes, it’s amazing. The bikes vary in all ways. The MotoGP bike is much heavier and stronger of course, but it’s mainly when it comes to the brakes that’s such a difference compared to the 250cc class. I still have to get used to that.
Sounds like a huge challenge for you?
You could say that, yes. I have to study my new work machine in detail, develop the right feeling for it and learn how the brakes work. Until then, I won’t be able to dedicate myself to my main task, which is to get the maximum out of the bike, bit by bit.
You’ve already dueled with most of the MotoGP riders, such as Dani Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo, in the 250cc class. Is there someone you haven’t competed against yet?
Yes, Valentino Rossi. And I’m really looking forward to competing against him. If I beat him, another dream of mine will have come true.
Find out more about Hiroshi Aoyama and about the upcoming season at MotoGP
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