Nicolò Canepa has decided to hang up his helmet. The Ligurian rider announced his decision to retire on Wednesday, sharing a long interview with us on the eve of the Magny-Cours Superbike round.
Many topics were discussed together with the Yamaha rider: from his debut on two wheels, through his experiences in MotoGP as well as in Superbike, up to Endurance, with anecdotes and interesting behind-the-scenes stories. Finally, the decision to close a chapter and then open a new one next year, always with Yamaha.
Here is an excerpt of what Nicolò told us.
“I started to mature this choice at the end of last season – he began – inside me I knew that this would be the last season and I lived it in a very serene and calm way. In fact, I raced without pressure and without the need to prove something. Now there is still one last race of the World Championship and I hope to close this Championship in the best possible way”.
In the Endurance World Championship you have made history, but there is also a record that still stands, that of Jennings.
“Wow, that’s true, what a memory! There’s this record that’s been standing for over ten years and it’s incredible that no one has managed to break it. I remember using the EBR.
Looking back on your career as a test driver, I imagine you have tried many things. Is there a memory that still haunts you today?
“I remember the first time I tried the Ducati MotoGP, since they called me to replace their test rider. Preziosi had invented a system that, to save fuel, the moment you touched the brake the bike would turn off. Imagine braking at San Donato, at 340 km/h, with the bike turning off and you no longer hear any noise: it was a traumatic thing. It was a very particular system, that I still remember today. Then there is another thing”.
Which?
“Once they asked me to do some straights on San Donato to see if the bike could get out of the gravel”
Among the pilots, who do you remember?
“Looking at Stoner’s data was impressive. I was young at the time and a little crazy. Most of the time I would launch the bike just to try to follow him. Of course, Toprak is also among the riders I have fond memories of, given that his style has always been unique and impressive to say the least. Thanks to him and our entire work group, we managed to win the title”.
What do you think of this Superbike?
“The advent of electronics over 10 years ago was important, and aerodynamics has changed a lot, as have tires. Production bikes cannot be limited, and it’s nice to see increasingly high-performance bikes. The fact is that SBK must not become a semi-MotoGP, thus avoiding exaggerating performance and leveling values.”
