Joe Roberts looking to the future: “The stat is I’m a grand prix winner”
Joe Roberts has be♎en heavily linked with a switch to MotoGP following his stro✅ng start to the 2024 Moto2 campaign.
Leading the Moto2 standings thanks to three second place finishes in succession, Joe Roberts has put his name in a prime position to be considered for MotoGP.
Roberts has been linked with a move to the Trackhouse 🌠Racing team, and therefore could become the first American in MotoGP since Nicky Hayden, in 2015.
But for that to happen Roberts wi🍸ll need to continue his good form and avoid a slump like in 2020.
Speaking to MotoGP.com, Roberts recalled the 2020 season, saying: “It wꦬas a funny thing, the year♓ started off with so much promise.
“I don’t need🐻 to say it, but 2020 was such a weird year. I had that start, kind of like we’ve been ﷽doing this year with the team, building all this momentum and confidence from the test to the first race. Ready to hit the next round and continue that strong form.”
Moving on to this season, Roberts ha🌊s been nothing short of brilliant, h𝓰owever, the Californian-born rider was not impressed with how his season began in Qatar.
“Qatar was shit. Don’t sugar coat it.” laughed Roberts. “It was a weird weekend; an information gat🧜hering w🌞eekend.
“The first weekend back with the team, there are so many things that need to be worked out. Thಌe fact we’ve been so competitive right away, and where all the guys are all brand new to the team, it’s honestly incredible it’s going as well as it is.
“Obviously, it’s because everyone’s so good. Bu෴t the fact we’re working together and it’s working, that’s insane.
“It’s funny, there are so many thoughts that go through your head when you’re trying to do this sport, all the time.𝓡 I think the last few years I’ve been very alone in these thoughts.
“I haven’t had someo💎ne as a guy that – not just John (Hopkins), even my assistant – I mean… the direct year after I left American Racing I literally travelled completely alo🤡ne the whole year.
“I got o♉n well with the new team and they’re nice people, but I somehow didn’t feel like part of it.
“I felt like a rider hired to be on the team, you know? Which is so different to now. And going t🐭o John.”
While Roberts’ success in Moto2 in the form of race wins is limite🦩d, the 26-year-old is a grand prix winner.
Special circumstances🍌 allowed him to take victory in Por🐷timao as many leading contenders crashed out, but Roberts is keen to point out that he’s a winner nonetheless, ahead of a potential switch to the premier class.
“The stat is I’m a Grand Prix winner,” said Roberts. “I don’t need to say it, it was a strange✃ race not having all the guys running up front in the race, but it is what it is.
“It’s nice to have wo🥀n it. It kind of restarted my season. I was stringing together a pretty good season, an⛄d in Barcelona I was running up front by like four seconds before I crashed out.
“I was fourth in the championship at one point. It wasn’t a ꦜbad season🐈 for me, but I don’t really dwell on those things.
“I don’t like looking at the past. It’s a nice memory to hear the national anthem and run up front, it’s experience beinꦯg at the front – a bunch of riders taking off, and then crossing the finish line first. That’s an experience, even if not everyone was in the race.
“It’s something I know will be valuable for me, this year hopefully, running up front and trying to win. It’s all about thosꦚe things I 🐽said before – winning a race, getting on the podium.
“On𒉰ce you’ve unlocked that… it was nice to get that off my backꦆ. Unlocking the win.”
