Crash.net:
How did your race in Macau go?
John McGuinness:
I came home second which was a good result, I got on the podium. I had a good race with Steve Plater. I qualified third, Michael Rutter was on pole and Thomas Hinterreiter was second, I was third and Steve Plater was fourth. I was looking for a good race; I got a good start, got to the front, Steve past me, I got him back, then Steve past me. It was a good race, real hot pace at the front just reeling the laps off.
I broke the lap record on lap thirteen which is good for me as usually by then I'm knackered and out of breath! Last year I was really out of shape and finished sixth and really didn't enjoy it. This year I enjoyed the race and Steve did the business – fair play to him. He was a bit loose but that is Steve Plater, he clipped a wall a few times but he did a fantastic pass on two back markers on the last lap going into the hairpin. There was no way I was getting through, I wouldn't have even attempted it but Steve did and he pulled it off.
He did the business and won it. It was nice for me, I did a 2min 26secs flat, took 1.7secs off the lap record, so going into winter now I can sit back and know that I can still ride a big bike. I got the lap record there, Lap record at the Ulster, Lap record at the TT on the big Superbike so yeah I'm happy.
Crash.net:
Are you hoping to stay with Honda for next year?
John McGuinness:
I don't know at the moment. I'm still contracted to Honda until the end of the year, I'd love to stay with Honda to try and be an ambassador for Honda and carry on doing what I'm doing. But it looks like Honda hasn't got the budget to do the TT so that is fair enough. We all knew that and we knew it was going to come, maybe get a little bit of support from somewhere along the line but I know Clive Padgett will do it with me. I haven't agreed anything with Clive yet, it is probably looking like I'll do something with Clive.
