Having suffered a series of crashes and injuries since the start of the year, Filip Salac, Moto2 pilot from the ELF MARC VDS team, has yet to get his season off to a flying start. However, despite the lack of success that has hampered his performances, the Czech rider of the Elf Marc VDS team remains optimistic.
You've just finished tenth in the Austrian Grand Prix. That result must have felt good...
Yes, especially as it was only my second top ten finish of the season, and one of the few races I managed to finish. I hope now that the bad luck I've had since the start of the year is behind me. We're only at the start of the second half of the championship, and I hope to finally be able to reap the rewards that are expected of me.
How do you explain the succession of injuries you've suffered?
It's difficult to say because the injuries aren't really connected. First of all, I started the season without being 100% fit. I had an operation for compartment syndrome at the start of the year, but it wasn't done properly and I had to go back to another surgeon. When I started to recover, there was that crash at Mugello because of a brake problem caused by contact with an opponent. Then another crash in the Netherlands that left me with a shoulder injury. I missed two races, and when I came back to England I crashed again... I think it's hard to be more unlucky than that.
Like other riders, you don't seem to have fully assimilated the riding demands of the Pirelli tyres that have replaced the Dunlops this year...
I think it's difficult for everyone because these tyres don't work in the same way. It's all the more difficult to get to grips with them because their performance varies enormously between two runs. As soon as they cool down and you get back on the track, they don't react in the same way. It's difficult to adjust the bike in these conditions.
Has the riding of the bikes changed?
Yes, you have to push harder on the front and also on the rear because these tyres were designed for Superbikes and bikes that are heavier and more powerful than Moto2s. With less power, it's difficult to use them properly. And they also wear out quicker. I'm often fast at the start of a race, but much less so in the final laps.
The riders coming in from the Moto3 class seem to be doing pretty well these days...
There are far fewer crashes with the Pirelli tyres because the front end provides good warning. And even if you're a bit optimistic about braking, you can always put a bit more on without any problem. It also means that the general level of the category is higher.
You can see that from the times set in practice and in the race...
Yes, the Pirelli tyres have good grip, but they also offer less support. And for a rider like me who likes to feel his bike in order to attack, I sometimes have the impression that I'm riding a bike with double suspension.
How do you plan to improve between now and the end of the year?
I'm already hoping to be able to do more laps of the track than I've been able to so far. It's by riding that we'll find solutions and make progress with our equipment. The Austrian Grand Prix was good and so was the test session that followed. I'm still not 100% with my knee since my last crash in testing at Aragon, but I'm remaining positive. I'm lucky to be in a great team with experienced technicians. My objective for the end of the season will be to crash less and enjoy myself. Then the results will follow.