Route to the Old Continent for non-European MotoGP riders, between consolidated routines and first transfers for the entire season. Some examples.
There is less and less to go to the first tests for the new season of the MotoGP World Championship, for all categories concerned. To better prepare, several non-European drivers are moving to Europe, between those repeating a well-established routine and those who for the first time will spend the whole year in the Old Continent. This year we can also speak of a further motivation, given the current pandemic affecting any move. Let’s take some examples.
Just yesterday there was the presentation of LCR Honda starring Takaaki Nakagami. It was the Japanese driver himself who explained his situation during the event. “I live in Spain, only at the end of the season I went home for about a month. I spent some time with my family and friends. Now I’m back in Europe, even a little earlier than usual, to prepare for the new year.” We can certainly also mention Jack Miller, who moved several years ago to chase the dream of two wheels. This year is certainly no different, as the latest training sessions on the Spanish tracks show.
NOT ONLY MOTOGP RIDERS
We are also talking about Moto2 rider Somkiat Chantra: the only Thai representative of the World Championship has just left his country, headed to Spain to continue preparing for his third year in the intermediate class. Another example is Eric Granado, a Brazilian rider ready for a 2021 split between MotoE and ESBK. “A new challenge begins,” he wrote on his social channels. “I will spend the whole season in Spain. It will certainly not be easy to stay away from my country, my family, my girlfriend, friends … Now I will continue my usual preparation, but this time on the other side of the planet and with the best.”