EXCLUSIVE: Jordi Torres - Q&A

An exclusive interview with Red Devils Aprilia's Jordi Torres conducted at the recent World Superbike round at Motorland Aragon...

Crash.net:
How did you get into motorcycles when you were a child?

Jordi Torres:
My father was a rally driver with the cars. When he lost all the money - because it's expensive, the rally - I start with the pocket bikes. When I was six years old and my brother was five, I see all the weekends my father playing with these bikes. He made a little championship. I wanted to try. My father said, 'Ok, this is for gas, this is for brake.' He put on one helmet and in the first corner... Aaah! A crash. This is the first time I get one bike and I have my first crash because I hadn't ridden a bicycle yet. After this my father teach me to ride a bicycle and after that a bike.

Crash.net:
With a lot of Spanish riders we first see them come to the MotoGP paddock as teenagers and progress through the classes. You came to the world championship a lot later. Why was this?
Jordi Torres:
When I ride in Moto2 world championship I made ten years in the Spanish championship. When you have one idea in your career it's very difficult to do it. In MotoGP you need someone to help you. Or one manager that catches you and puts you there. I try a lot of years and I made [won] two Spanish championships, two European and finally I had this option to run two years in MotoGP. I wasn't young when I started in Moto2 but I had a lot of experience. The Spanish Championship was near the bikes in Moto2. Before, I did the Superstock 1000 in Spain and before [that], Supersport. This experience helped me to understand things fast. I understand fast the Moto2 because in 2013 I make three podiums in my first complete year. In my second year, the last year, was shit, one to forget because we had a lot of problems with the team, the money. It was a big bowl of shit.

In my career I needed to search a different way. At the beginning my manager said we had this opportunity with Aprilia. At the beginning my idea was no, I wanted to run in Moto2. I wanted to show what I could do there. My manager step by step said more things about Superbike. When I try the Aprilia I think, 'OK, this is my side.' Perfect. It's easy to ride, well more or less. When you need the last second it's not easy. It's easy to learn, it's easy to make one crash [laughs]. It's easy for all! But you need to search for the limit with your mind. You need to find the limit. This is the difficulty of these bikes. All is more or less easy but you need to have the limit in your mind. The bike won't explain nothing to you.

Crash.net:
What area of the bike are you still adjusting to?

Jordi Torres:
Here in Motorland it's more or less the first track that have all corners. Because in Australia I enjoy this. In Moto2 I make a good result in Australia. Only in Australia there are two hard-braking points. In these two points all the people pass me. Ok, this is one problem that I need to work. We go to Thailand and there we made good results because there are only three hard-braking points and they were more or less the same. Here I know this track is more difficult for my riding style and to get this feeling on the brakes. We try to understand to brake too late. All the people like Sykes and my team-mate Leon [Haslam] brake hard. But they stop the bike completely on the entry to the corner. When you release your brake these guys stop it more than when they are straight. I need to understand this!

Crash.net:
Were you surprised by the Aprilia's level when you first rode it?

Jordi Torres:
At the beginning, my first time, it's crazy. The first time I rode the Aprilia was in Portim?o. And Portim?o...[puffs out cheeks] Woo! The bike was small but it's incredible that one thing is small can have a lot of power. The electronic devices I wasn't waiting to work. I was expecting it to be worse but later it was very fluid. The technical people work very good. You don't feel nothing from the movement of the engine. Only you feel you have more or less power [which] depends on the track. This is what surprised me, the management of the power.

Crash.net:
The early season results have been encouraging to say the least. Is this what you had anticipated?

Jordi Torres:
When I finish these two races in fourth place [in Thailand] I'm not happy because I think I'm happy when I more or less ride with my enemies, the other riders. Now the riding style is completely different. You see that I have too much speed in the middle of the corner. When I'm braking I don't stop the bike. Only braking and the exit of the corner is full on, in a straight line. So I will be happy when I change my riding style completely to become more fast and use less the tyres or tire myself out less. To make fourth position is good because these were my first races but I'm not happy. Maybe when I see my riding style near the other's riding style I [will be] more happy because my mind understands that we have the same guns, the same army.

Crash.net:
Were the electronics this biggest thing to get used to?

Jordi Torres:
Big, big difference... in Moto2 you don't have nothing! Is this the biggest difference? Yes! What do you make to become more fast? Or what happened that made you go more slow? It's difficult. You don't know when it help you or when it disturb you. But this is not my work. We have more people in the box that can work on this. I need to understand my objectives, my plans to help to do this. But if I explain something [they can see it] is wrong.

Crash.net:
Did you have any experience riding with electronics in your career before you came to World Superbike?

Jordi Torres:
When I ride in Supersport it's a long time ago, in 2008/9. We don't have electronic devices in the Spanish championship then. This is the first time that I've had this. But it's really good to use this. When you develop these things, after it's for the people on the road. It's perfect for the people to come and watch and then for the people to use on the road.
Crash.net:
In some ways is it nice to be a class rookie again when expectations are lower than, say, Moto2 for example?

Jordi Torres:
Yes. I am in one team. This team is for winning. I have one bike and this bike is for winning. The pressure is completely full! These are my first races but we are a good team. We have a nice bike and the people work a lot - it's incredible how these people can work. We need to try and stay closer to Leon. It [inexperience] is not an excuse to make one fourth, fifth or seventh. These are fair races; it's not an excuse.

Crash.net:
Your results in 2013 suggested you would be a consistent front-runner the following year yet the results never materialised. What happened?

Jordi Torres:
The biggest problem is that we don't know what is the problem! We try all the season at the races and tests. Last year Dunlop changed the front tyre a little [but] only a little. Dunlop didn't say anything because I asked them. [I said,] 'I feel the difference on the front wheel.' [They said,] 'No, no, it's the same.' But it was different.

After we did a test with Aspar with Dunlop standard, it was the same [tyre] from the shop but it was from 2013. We got the difference between 2013 and 2014. The 2014 front tyre was difficult to find the feeling. It had a lot of movement in every corner, in every brake [zone]. Me and Nico [Terol - ex Aspar team-mate]. We have the same problem all the year and at all the tracks. Only because Dunlop changed the front tyre a little. You think when one little thing changes a little it can change a lot, [it changes] all.
Crash.net:
So the problem wasn't so much with the Suter chassis?

Jordi Torres:
It was more the tyre. The Suter I think is a good bike. They only have one this year. But it's a really good frame and I liked it. You need everything to go fast, it isn't valid for all the tracks.

Crash.net:
In these situations is it easy to look at the other frames available and think what you could do with that rather than focussing on what's available to you?

Jordi Torres:
Yes. The Kalex is more for all - all the people, all the riding styles. I have one Suter. [So did] Nico Terol. I have one frame, 2014 'Evo 2.0', new and Nico use the same frame but at the beginning of the year. Luthi use the 2013 'Evo' with carbon. Zarco use the 2014, the same as me. Suter have a different way to work. In Kalex they only have one. In one part you only have A, B or C. You don't have more. In Suter you have a lot of different settings that you can put on your bike, your own personal Suter. Mine was completely different to Luthi's Suter that year. But sure Aspar needed to change something on the bike or the work to solve this problem. But we made the same work all the year.

Crash.net:
In this series you are the best placed Spaniard in the championship and Spain's best hope of podiums and victories. Does increased pressure come with this?

Jordi Torres:
No. All the pressure is from me only because I think I need a good result here, at this track, blah blah blah. [People say,] 'This is your picture on the poster, you have an Aprilia that can win'. I know that I need to work a lot. I work a lot. I know that Nico will make a result. It's difficult but this is racing. We try in every moment to learn more and go more fast.

For example, I have one riding style. It is to release the brake earlier and then turn. I have more time in the middle of the corner and then, ok, I know it's not good to be here. I change. In Thailand I make a good step to change this. In my mind I know that I am a good rider. [Does] My riding style makes a good performance? No. We are one bike, one team and my riding style. These three parts we need to all make good performance. I am not a star. I am a normal person, a normal guy. And I make one job - riding! Only this. If the mechanics say I need to change this then I will change. All the people that work together push in the same direction.

Crash.net:
I guess it must be nice to have the option to completely change the set up if necessary.

Jordi Torres:
We have factory parts. There are a lot of 'Evo' components to try.

Crash.net:
Do you see your future in this paddock?

Jordi Torres:
Yes. I don't search my future in Superbikes and MotoGP. I want to stay in Aprilia for a long time, as long as I can. I like the way Aprilia are working.

Crash.net:
What would represent a good season for you?

Jordi Torres:
I think I would stay happy when I make some battles with these five or six strong guys in the championship. Maybe I don't win or I make one crash but I fight with these guys. This is my objective for this season. This is important! We can make four, five, ten laps fighting like this and after I go to the rear but I want to fight with these guys.

Crash.net:
So fighting with the top guys here is more important than the results?

Jordi Torres:
Yes.

Crash.net:
Do you feel a chance to step on the podium will come soon?

Jordi Torres:
It's difficult because [Alex] Lowes is very strong. Chaz [Davies] is very strong. [Jonathan] Rea, Haslam, Sykes... Now I am near from these people. But I'm not prepared yet to make one battle with these guys. In Thailand you see race one Lowes and Chaz make one crash. In race two Chaz and Tom [Sykes] run out of laps. But I don't make one battle with one guy or these five or six guys because I'm not prepared for this. I need to get more feeling with my bike. With the tyres, the electronic devices and come closer.

Crash.net:
Finally Jordi, you have become something of a twitter sensation with your 'Knee Down' pictures. Where did the idea for this come from?

Jordi Torres:
In 2013 it was the first time that I rode at Le Mans. I made one lap with a scooter. I made one picture with the scooter and the team with 'Knee Ground' - my knee on the ground with a helmet of course and I put on Twitter. One guy said, 'You are crazy, touching the ground with your knee on a scooter. Did you do it?' Do you think I can do this riding? So I start to make a joke about this with a lot of different pictures. It all started with this one guy saying this: 'You are crazy.' [I said,] Sure!