Q:
How has the world championship changed since you arrived?
Pete Benson:
There are too many races. When I got here, I think we did 13 races a year, and now we do something like 18, with a lot more training sessions. It has become a 24/7 job, while before it used to be quite more relaxed, with a long break at Christmas. You just have to take a look at the hospitalities and everything surrounding them to see the amount of money that's spent now. I don't know if it's better or not, but these are the main changes.
Q:
500cc, 990cc, or 800cc?
Pete Benson:
It's been a long time since the 500cc bikes. I don't really care as long as the races are good and the technology improves. I mean, the 500cc's were these wild machines which many people were unable to ride. Now the bikes are probably easier to ride and you can see more people riding fast. But they are still grand prix bikes, at the highest level, and riding fast is what it's all about.
Q:
Do you think the electronics or the tyres have a greater influence than the quality of the riders?
Pete Benson:
No, because a rider's talent is still very important. I mean, everything is important as a whole. You can have the best bike, but if the rider is no good, he won't win anything. And on the other hand, you can have the best rider using the worst bike, and he won't win anything either. Everything has to be in place. Last year they said that some riders won because of the
Bridgestone tyres, and this year we've seen that it wasn't true. Michelin has done a great job, but it all has to do with how things change in this business. Technological development is happening at a much faster rate than before, so you have to invest much more in technology. But it's legal, so it has to be taken advantage of. Though I don't think this eclipses the riders. It may make some riders seem better than they really are, but at the end of the day, the best riders are always up there at the top.
Q:
It looks like this year there will not be so much talk about tyres...
Pete Benson:
No, no. I think there will be talk. We're only in the third race, and it will be interesting to see what happens when we go to circuits where one brand has done testing and the other hasn't. Then we'll see if there are differences between them. It will continue to be an important aspect, and will remain so while there is more than one brand. But I don't think it's as important as some people wanted us to believe last year.
Q:
There are two riders in the Repsol Honda Team capable of winning races. Do you think that affects the riders' performance and their respective technical teams, or not? Does this competitiveness benefit both?
Pete Benson:
I think it's manageable. At the end of the day, the riders always want the victory for themselves, not for a team or anything else. They want to win the world championship on their own. Everyone here is out to get the same thing: winning races. It's probably more difficult if you don't get any wins or you're not up in the lead, because the other rider receives more attention. In the end, they are all struggling for the same thing: they all want to win.
