Last month in Cartagena, the former Grand Prix driver, Alexis Masbou, supervised the three young French representatives in ETC (David Da Costa, Gabriel Pio and Enzo Bellon), as part of his retraining as a coach for the French Federation de Moto (FFM), which we had the opportunity to discuss in the first part of our interview. The second part of our discussions, this time dedicated to Alexis Masbou's projects on the track, but not only…
Since his retirement from Moto3 at the end of the 2016 season, Alexis Masbou has spent seasons in the Motorcycle Endurance Championship, looking for new challenges to take on on the track. At 37, looking for a new challenge for 2025, the Frenchman talks to us about what will perhaps be his last year on the track, he who is now fully focused on passing on his knowledge to the younger generation.
Apart from your job as coach for the FFM, you have other hats…
“Exactly, my flying school, in Albi, for adults and children. Now, I have less time to do adult courses, but I still try to keep this program. I try to teach at all levels, and to all generations. I focus a little more on young people, because we need young pilots to train future old pilots (laughs). It's not at all the same way of doing things, not at all the same approach. Even with drivers of the same age, depending on the levels, the approach is completely different. I think that’s what I like. »
What does being a good coach mean to you?
“Being able to spend days with a beginner adult, who has everything to learn, and move on to a twelve-year-old, who wants to move towards competition. And the next day, delve into much more detail with the drivers of the French Team. I like to move from one to the other, and adapt to each audience. For me, being a coach is more about adapting to the driver you actually have than being present at the trackside. Many of us can see what's happening on the side of the track, but conveying it with the right words, depending on the audience, is another story. And it's really interesting. »
Alexis Masbou and Johann Zarco in Cartagena
You also have Stamina.
“I also have Endurance on the side. Since the end of 2016, the beginning of 2017. Just after my Grand Prix career. I also take great pleasure in the brands and structures with which I work. It is a good supplement to maintain good vision. Sometimes it seems easy at the side of the track, and getting back on the bike reminds us that it's not that simple. »
With all this, can you still find time to train properly?
“No, that’s just my problem right now. Between all my activities, it's difficult to find time for my personal preparation. But at some point, you also have to know how to prepare for what comes next. I think my career is behind me rather than ahead. I have done some great things, and I have the advantage of having a lot of technical background, inherited from all my years of Grand Prix racing. My physique still holds up, thanks to all the years of preparation. But whatever happens, we're in a competitive environment, and if you don't train enough, it's difficult to keep up. I try to do my best, but the younger generation that is coming up is pushing me to find solutions to find the rhythm. »
What are your Endurance plans for 2025?
“Precisely, it’s time for discussions. For me, the goal of this offseason is to find motivating goals for this year. This is something that I was already looking for a lot in Endurance in recent years. Having good bikes, programs that force me to get involved technically, and in terms of riding to find that motivation to go for something more. »
Alexis Masbou with the drivers of the French team
When you're your age, what's a motivating goal?
“It would be either a brand, or a team, which wants to develop new things, rather than staying in comfort. I've been with No Limits for a few years, and I think we've kind of reached the end of our work together. So it would either be staying with Honda, on another project, or with another brand, but on something a little different. Currently, it's finding what will make me want to get to work. I managed to find the motivation this year to do the job, but I feel that as the seasons go by, it's difficult to keep the flame burning. This is why I find it all the more admirable to see drivers like Johann
[Zarco]ou Valentino [Rossi]who manage to stay at the top of their level throughout. »
Is it a question of rigor in the preparation?
“Obviously, as the years go by, you have to be more precise in your preparation and manage it well. It requires more investment. When we are young, we tell ourselves that a lot is asked of us. When we are older, we have to be rigorous. As soon as we do less, or not precisely enough, we feel it much more quickly. Whether it’s nutritional, physical, or on the bike. »
And perhaps questioning…
“The best drivers in the world, who have remained at the very highest level for a long time, are those who have always managed to question themselves. Who never said to themselves that something was acquired. Once again, we see it with Valentino and Johann. Marc Marquez is another example, although he is still relatively young. However, this is the time for him to improve his driving and his way of doing things. This is important in a pilot's career. »
You wouldn't be saying that 2025 will be your last year on the track?
” Maybe. »
All the teams of eleven drivers present in Cartagena
