The first day was a disappointment when we completed a load of laps for nothing. The second day, we went back to the settings we used when we led the testing at
Jerez. It worked perfectly and I was able to improve my times by one second and lead the way. The last night, I was careful with that first race so close. We completed some tyre testing and a race distance with no big dramas or anything crazy. I was second fastest and my time from the night before was the fastest of three days.
Before I left for Qatar, I sat down with my trainer to work out how my body would cope having to practice, qualify and race at such different times to normal with our race starting at eight o’clock at night rather than eleven o’clock in the morning. It’s worked brilliantly and I’ve certainly been alert while riding but, once I stopped, all I wanted to do was get to bed.
I’ve been getting up at nine and then having breakfast before going for a run and a swim. Then it’s a power nap for around an hour before leaving for the circuit, which is about ten miles from the hotel out in the desert. Between sessions, I’ve been eating cereals and, when we‘ve finished on the track, it’s time to eat again and then get to bed for a minimum eight hours sleep.
It was a big move for me to leave the Repsol Honda team after two years of grands prix racing with them. I was worried about moving to Polaris World Aprilia, but I should not have been. The team have been fantastic and we gelled immediately. I was really honoured when they approached me last year and I aim to pay back the faith that a Spanish team have put in a young English rider.
The really big step has been the bike, which has already proved a grand prix winner in the hands of the team. Also, being the only rider in the 125cc team, we can use all the data obtained from their four grand prix victories last year and everybody is just working for me, which has already been a really big help.
