Hopkins: “Marc never expected it”

The 2019 GoPro British GP didn’t disappoint, did it? Another sensational final corner move decided the race and on Episode 29 of the MotoGP™ Podcast, John Hopkins is on hand to debrief an instant classic. Simon Crafar is back with his track talk after Silverstone’s new asphalt was put to the test for the first time, and Sama Qatar Angel Nieto Team’s Jake Dixon sat down for a chat ahead of his first home Grand Prix.

“Going into that last corner on the penultimate lap he went around the outside of Marquez and you could see that was where he had it in mind, that’s where he knew he was going to make the pass, and Marc never expected it,” comments Hopkins.

“And it was funny, I think Marc…all the corners leading up to it, he was so defensive, right up taking the inside line, making sure Rins had no opportunity to pass him prior to that but Rins kind of faked him out and did the outside on the penultimate lap, Marquez saw that, he thought he might try that again but then he shot straight up the inside and just pipped him right at the line. It was perfect, a really perfect calculated move.”

They guys also caught up with Dixon on Thursday at Silverstone, to get an insight into the Briton’s career as he continues to progress through his first year in the Grand Prix paddock.

“I never really raced motocross full time, the odd race here and there and not really take it too seriously. I just used to love riding motorbikes, I wasn’t really interested at the time in racing. My first ever motocross race I started crying on the grid and my dad said, ‘ok we won’t do this one then’ and walked me off!

“Then I did Supermoto in 2007 and I remember my dad saying to me ‘it’s completely different, you need to take your time’. First race meeting I was average and I said I was going to win the Championship. He was like ‘no, you’re clearly not’. By the end of the year I actually won the Championship!

“In 2010 I did a full season, crashed a lot. A lot. And then ever since, from then…there was a 450 class the year after in 2011 then took the step to STK600 in the British championship. And here’s another story with my dad, again, at this point I was probably quite cocky…I was 16. Thought I was an absolute hero, riding round on my STK600. Did no testing…a day at Mallory and I was like ‘YEAH! I’m ready to ride a 600’. Turned up at Brands Hatch Indy, the first round, and I was like ‘Dad, I’m gonna win this weekend.’ Again, he says, ‘You need to stop thinking like this because it’s going to end in a bad way.’ I put it third on the grid, and then the race was wet. I’d done no testing, I rode warm up in the wet and I was 23rd and I was thinking ‘Oh my god’. Come the race, I won it by ten seconds! Complete opposites.”