MotoGP Feature - The De Puniet Interview
23/10/2006
Of all Bridgestone’s riders, Randy de Puniet had the most to learn. The Frenchman who hails from Maisons Laffitte on the outskirts of Paris, was not only new to Bridgestone tyres and his Kawasaki ZX-RR MotoGP bike, but also to the class as a whole.
De Puniet shouldered the burden, in spite of some set-backs as well. Twice the innocent victim of collisions in the early races – including his home GP at Le Mans – he found himself carrying injuries as well.
De Puniet is a high-level graduate and five-times GP winner of the tough 250 class. He came back fighting.
We spoke to him at the penultimate round, in Portugal.
What do you think of your season so far?
I expected better after the winter test … but I had some injury in Jerez, in Le Mans, and it was difficult to recover. Since Malaysia I have come back on a good level. If I can finish the last races well, the second part of the season will be not so bad.
Coming from 250s, what was the most difficult thing to learn in MotoGP?
Many things, but I think the most important is to work with the tyre. You have a lot of possibilities and you need to find a good choice. And also you need to ride when the tyre is … not destroyed, but used. And to continue to do a lap time. This is for me is different.
Did you have to learn a new way to ride?
You need to change from your normal riding style. You need to pick up the bike quickly out of the corners. I think the MotoGP class is very hard. You need to stay close from the start until the finish, and to do a very consistent lap. This is the key for go to the good race and good result. In 250s, there were five or six riders on the top. In MotoGP, it is 15. and sometimes when you are not very fast, you finish 15th!
Was MotoGP always your aim?
Yes. When I started my goal was to win the 250 world championship. I finished third. Now my target is to be one of the top riders in a few years in MotoGP, and to fight for the title.
How did you find the switch to Bridgestone tyres?
Good, because all the technicians listen, and this is important. We have a good support and also Bridgestone improve a lot, each year, but also each race. They won some races with Ducati, and got podiums with Suzuki and Kawasaki. I think Bridgestone do a very good job.
What were your best and worst races?
The best was Malaysia, because Shinya pushed me on the gravel on the first lap, and I returned to the track in last position. I did a very good race after that and eventually finished 13th just thirty seconds from the race winner. The worst was Le Mans, because I qualified fourth, and I had a good start, but my race stopped in the first corner. This is was very bad…