Jaume Masia: “When I heard my words in Qatar, I thought, ‘Damn, how crazy are you?’ I was wrong. I was excited.”

Being a world champion is a privilege that only a few can claim. The last person to join the elite was Jaume Macia, who was crowned Moto3’s Most Valuable Player at the Qatar race just a few weeks ago.The fight with his rival was very tense Ayumu Sasaki And once he managed to achieve his life’s dream, he took out all his anger on the DAZN microphone. He didn’t realize it at that moment when the adrenaline was pumping, but the euphoria played tricks on him and many stayed on his word, his on-track performance being his most consistent. I didn’t pay attention to it. 4 wins. In an exclusive interview with MD, the Algemesh pilot told how he felt at every moment of 2023 and spoke about the challenges ahead.

Congratulations on your first title, how do you feel in the first few weeks as champion?

little by little. Everything is just becoming real and in the end this is incredible. When you enter the house, you will see small details such as the world champion’s helmet, and little by little you will assimilate it, but I think there is still enough left.

He is a champion who has fought for many years to achieve that. He raced in Moto3 from Honda to KTM and back to Honda for six seasons. Do you think it’s a reward for patience?

As I always say, it’s hard to beat someone who never gives up. Admittedly, my thoughts this year were just to have a good time. He was always focused on the championship and putting fun aside. So it was a shame to not be able to enjoy it, even though I was living the dream I had been fighting for since I was a child. I realized it wasn’t the best. It’s clear that the title has always been a purpose, and we’ve always made sure to have a good laugh.

What did you get in 2023 that was missing in previous seasons?

I got to know the team very well. I’m a very introverted person. For me, it’s hard to express what I feel instead of saying what I think, but it’s clear. However, it has always been difficult for me to express my emotions when I feel nervous or depressed.

On the other hand, I achieved a very important maturation. I also started working with a psychologist.Everything made a near perfect pack

What do you think was key this year?

It was definitely Austria. After losing two consecutive zeros, they now have a gap of more than 50 points from the leader. Once again it got away from me but I don’t know how I kept pushing so hard and we were able to overcome it.

“People tend to be hateful. That’s how I feel.”

Jaume Macia, MD

It was a very tense weekend in Qatar. I don’t want to go into his own comments after the race in which he became champion, but where does his anger come from and who is it directed at?

I have to say I was very nervous. I was very nervous. We think he’s a team against 20 bikes, a factory. This is real. Due to regulatory issues due to COVID-19, our bike is the same as 2019, but the 2020 bike is unrelated to this year’s bike, so we don’t know how well others complied. yeah. Additionally, Honda does a lot of filtering and testing, and the European brand is not afraid to fail. It’s because I feel helpless that I can’t do anything more. We are dealing with a factory with his group of 8 people. I need to know how many engineers there are in the factory.this is what i wanted to say

Are you worried that people will pay more attention to these statements than the performance of the track?

That’s too bad. People tend to harbor hatred. That’s how I feel. It’s part of our world to accept criticism, even if it’s not shared. The automotive world is a world of contact, and we don’t fight each other, but we risk our lives with every fairing. We had adrenaline, we had tension, we were very young, and most of all I had been conscious of my job since I was six years old. Unfortunately, my conscience and my conscience are very clear.

“These are statements we’ve been waiting a year for for that moment to speak out. All that anger takes a bit of a toll.”

From a distance, do you notice any changes in your behavior on the track or in the press area after the race?

Not on the track. Because while it’s true that I did something that might not get much recognition, I also won the race in the end. People forget that not only did I win the championship, but I also won the race, but the end result was good too. This was something my competitors had not achieved for 20 years. we will do something good. ”

Then I got really excited, which was a mistake. That was all that was in it. I guess I wanted to repeat the cold words and minimize people’s interpretations. But I’ve also heard that and thought, “Damn, I’ve lost my mind.”

These are statements we have been making for a year waiting for that moment to speak out. All that anger comes at a little cost.

Back to the topic, who was the first person that came to mind when you crossed the finish line at Losail?

my parents. Few people know, but I was very nervous that weekend, but I always push myself before a race. But I don’t know why that thought occurred to me before I got on my bike to head to the grid. I started crying when I thought about how happy the people around me would be if I became world champion. That’s very valuable to me, and it’s satisfying to know that all the work wasn’t in vain.

Next year he will make the jump to Moto2 from Edu Perales’ SAG team. What convinced you about this project?

He was really the only one who called me, more people came later, but he was the first. That says a lot, and above all, it conveyed a lot of energy of trust in me. Although it was a very modest project, it was one with great enthusiasm. I wanted the reassurance that my future was guaranteed. I’ve wanted to jump into Moto2 for a long time and felt ready to do it.Not thinking about the future allowed me to focus on winning the championship.

“We were a team against the factory.”

Jaume Macia to MD

Do you have any goals for next year? Wins, podiums, learning…

It’s always the stories about China that I learn from (lol). Everyone wants to win, and I want to win too. My realistic and optimistic goal is to be Rookie of the Year, which would be great at the end of the day. And instead of working on results, we want to work on consistency heading into 2025, like consistency in the top 10. Build a very good foundation.

Fermin Aldeguer, Alonso, Arbolino, etc. There are a lot of high-level drivers out there, but as you move up the category, you’ll find it becomes increasingly difficult to stand out. Breaking a tenth is very complicated on a bike that focuses on rhythm.

This is obviously the most enjoyable moment of your career, but what was the worst? Did you ever think about walking away from the World Cup?

The most complicated year was 2016/17. Because I was in his CEV of the Estrella Galícia team, which operated at zero cost, when costs were very high. I continued to train for two years thanks to Emilio Alzamora and his team, but I could not get any results. I had that offer at SBK’s Supersport 300 table, but it was an option until I got a call from Julián Miralles from Cuna de Campeones and offered me the bike.

Then another example was directly last year. Even with the best team, the KTM Ajo team, it’s difficult not to get what you want. Plus, I went back to Honda in the World Championship when it was all KTM, when the evolution was minimal, but I trusted the human group and it worked out.