From Two Wheels to Four: Mick Doohan on MotoGP, Aussie Talent and Jack Doohan

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Okay, Mick doing welcome to Fox Sports. Thank you so much for joining me. You're absolutely pleasure

Now we're catching up with you ahead of the event that you're doing with Jacob Rauston and Sydney this weekend

And I love the title the master and the apprentice. It's so fitting

But I wanted to talk to you about what excites you about helping support the next generation of Australian riders coming through

Well, it's it's easy really we need to have

Continued flow of riders coming through Australia to can one to keep the race here and two to just

Just keep people on the track and you know Jacob's

He's a talented young guy

We've known each other now for a little while and in these early years in in Europe sort of helped him out a little bit now

So just

If I can support him to get get back there a little bit quicker quicker than

Then he's planned to then it's all a bit of for him. So

But also inspires the next group of young guys coming in behind him. So

If I can help it's easy

When you look at Jacob's career

Does it remind you of your own when you were that age starting and chasing that dream?

It's completely different now than what it was many many years ago

It is much more well. I don't know whether it's more difficult but the opportunities are more

Difficult the

One it's a lot more expensive the manufacturers don't pick you up at such an early ages as they did back in

In the 80s when I was was that sort of his age running around doing these type of things

I was racing in Japan and then the Japanese

Manufacturers would pick you up take you to Europe and

And next minutes. I was expedited really quickly through and and as there were a few other Aussies and

and then then the whole

Platform change then it's really moving you the whole family moving to Europe and pretty much Casey Stoner was

Really the the first of that next generation to make it through that step

Really he went and the whole family packed up and went to the UK

and

Barry Sheen I'd asked Barry Sheen who's the next guy because I was helping out with the sport of that time and advisor for Dora

and

And they were looking for the next

Next great hope I guess coming through because there'd been you know Wayne Garber Kevin McGee Darryl beating myself

And so on and so forth and some super by guys, but

Needed the next younger guy to actually do exactly what we're just talking about to keep to keep it going to keep you Australian riders right there

But Casey was there that went and then and then he was into Spain and then he was into the junior championship like

I have a Jacob's doing

so

It

And he made it through so it is possible, but it's a lot more work. There's a lot more stepping stones to get through and

And the budget's massive so

You know as in all motor sport today, but it's almost like a business every all wants you to go through these different steps

To take their piece of the pie, but

So it's quite often it's got more to do with the funding available and just pure talent

You know, it's very rare in this day and age in in either sport whether it be four four wheels or two wheels

We've you just get there directly on talent and it still is possible, but it's very rare

You mentioned there, you know, Barry Sheen and my brother

Christopher Mule and Barry helped me so I understand the connection and we see that now with a lot of the Aussie guys who are

Coming to help support and it's something that we love because I feel like as Aussies

We kind of rally around each other. We want to help each other succeed

But you mentioned they're casing having having to move and relocate

It's not always an option for Australian's right, but it

Did you think it's tougher now in this day and age to have to

For an Aussie to have to pack up and move just to be able to be seen like talent isn't enough like you said

I think there's no other option and

unfortunately for

For a lot of people there's plenty of talented people around um young riders

You know even young female riders who can go and do a few few options in in europe these days, but

But it's just typical you've got to pack up. It's a big commitment. It's a big commitment for the family

And um, you know forget about the air fairs accommodation and everything else. It's actually the

The competition side of it, you know the tyres you've got a full team you've got to you've got to support you've got

Crash damage you've got so you're talking you're talking anywhere from

You know in Australian dollars you're pretty much your starting point is around four hundred thousand dollars

And through to multi-millions if you're talking if you want to get through to gp

So mono gp, I should say and it's just ridiculous, you know back in the days

Gone by it was all supported by the the factories and so on and so forth, but now as I say there's such a business

And there's the Europeans are you know the Spanish especially in the Italians just uh

Uh, you know outweigh the Aussies by probably 50 to one who are there and um, and they generally come with a with a backpack full of money

It's crazy isn't it the whole miter gp in all the Spanish and the Italians, but I think we're lucky that we have got

Jack Miller flying the flag for us still in miter gp, so

And I think that's exactly right. That's why we need somebody like Jacob Rolston to come through

Because Jack's not a young man in in this year. He's a young man

But he's not a young man in in moto gp terms any longer and but it's good to have an Aussie there

And we need another Aussie to come through and uh, you know

Jacob's doing a little bit on super bikes here in Australia and going well

The young the young guy is very very talented. He just needs

The support and um and and and he's just a little bit of a break to uh to get through

It's it's really you know time in his everything

So if he can be even be there and something happens and you step in for somebody you get a result

That's you know quite often the way as well here once you once you're the chosen one it

It makes it a lot easier

I thinking back to last year some of Jacob's results and when he was so close to getting you know that top five finish with that podium finish in the heart break when it was a

Engine failure or something totally out of his control

I think Australia as a whole we've been rooting for him this whole time

But let's just touch on our Aussies in moto gp just quickly because we just mentioned jack there and I don't know if you know this

It's his 200th grumpy start this weekend in Brazil ahead of the Brazilian grumpy and you mentioned there

You know, he's not a young duck anymore. He's 31 of veteran in the Moto gp class, which is crazy

In your opinion to hear from you. What do you think has allowed jack to say at this top level for so long?

Look, I think he clearly and this is just my that's why so I think

In one easy, you know, he's a good lad

People like him color being around, but that doesn't sort of that doesn't turn into a longevity

He clearly understands what goes on developing a bike, you know, whether it was with to caddy to caddy then sort of

You know, unfortunately wasn't him performing on it, but they certainly seem to find their way

Yamaha now having

Developing really what is a new format for them as well with the b4 engine

So you know, unfortunately, I believe that you know, he's super talented and he certainly got the ability to run closer at the front

It's more difficult with the Yamaha he's got this year, but

But you know, he shows signs of brilliance and he's quick on a lap

Um, he understands what goes on with the bike. He can give good feedback from what I understand. So that's what's kept him around

And then we've got Senna AGS in Moto 2 and Joel Kelso in Moto 3 so we're lucky

We're fortunate. We've got an Aussie in all the categories of Moto 2

Are you seeing the similar progression with Senna and Joel? We know Senna's had that race

When now Joel last year was pretty high up in in the championship fight

I think we've got a strong Aussie's making their way up through to Moto GP

Yeah, well Senna said he seems to be going he's just going for a strength the strength. There's also he's fully young that

So um, you know, it'll be great to see him

You know picked up or on somebody short list for Moto GP. I think you probably go better on something like that

um

You know, unfortunately Joel he's a he's a great young guy. I've known him since he's been about 12 years old through

He was a friend with Brock Freany. I'm sorry Brock Freany the the the V8 supercar driver these days um

Yeah, when he was riding dirt bikes. He's always been quick. He's just um

You know, I'm not sure whether a Moto GP would be the right fit for him just because he's uh

He's not that tall in stature

So, you know, and it's not to say that he couldn't ride at the but we've seen guys in the past would have a little bit

limited and height and

And there's a there's a happy medium there too short to tall's not good and he might just be in the too short basket for that

Where Senna seems good, but but likewise he's fast. He's always in there

Um, he hasn't had the best bikes being Joel

um in the past few years, but um, you know last year he seemed to have a good bike

So look, you know, would it be interesting to see him go if you can step up to Moto 2 and then see what happens from there

But but uh likewise, I'd like to see him sort of start to get a few more wins on um on the Moto 3

He certainly capable of it, but it's just such a uh close feel in that in that uh in that series

Oh, some of the best racing is something that we always try and promote because you're on the edge of the seat the whole time with these Moto 3 kids

But I wanted to ask you your opinion on the rule regulation the changes that's happening in Moto gp because we know

You're known as the real racer

With going back to the eight fifties the reduced error etc etc

Do you think we're going to see a big change next year and some of that real racing again?

I would hope so, you know, the real racing is still there. I know it's it's different, but

It's still the same but qualifies a lot closer and whatever else, but that was happening that has been happening for decades and

There's still one or two guys would dominate regardless of what

What electronics or whatever else is on there

I'm not sure that uh, I don't believe the the wing the arrows much different than what it currently is the engine sizes a bit smaller

So does that make it any better?

it um

Off the turns. I'm not sure or you know reduce electronics. I'm not sure what's

You know, I think you can pick up. I don't know much about really the full regulation breakdown. So

um

But generally the things are remain the same. It'll be nice

If the if the changes are large enough to be able to bring the the Japanese manufacturers back in

I think they lost their way during the pandemic

um just and loss their way maybe is a big

To broader the statement, but they they stopped development. Whereas I believe that the the European manufacturers kept going

So hopefully this all then reduce the plant or even up the plane field and and uh and uh, we have more more candidates

buying for wins

Now we can't not talk about your jack your son jack who is the

Test and reserve driver for the has f1 team this season

Now I I'm you're a racer your son's a race. I've been around races

I'm sure he is itching to get back out on that sighting grid

But is is this his way to get back into that full-time seat next year?

Look anything's possible. That's the plan for him is he's working towards getting back a full-time seat in 2027

um

You know some testing this year as you say

They're limited and and perhaps you know long 24 hour on this type of thing just to keep to keep competing

um

But it's uh, it's again, it's not an easy position to be in um

And there's a lot of politics more so in Formula One than there is in

Then there is in Moto GP and especially um in the junior categories, but you know Formula One Moto GP

It's it's you know one it's difficult to get there and then two

Um in Formula One especially there's a whole bunch of other factors would come into it versus just pure talent

So he's hoping that has a providing a great platform for him

Um, he's enjoying working with them. So that's a start and uh and hopefully vice versa

And then you can get back in a seat and uh and he can go and enjoy racing again

Well, we'd love to see him back on the grid as well

Australia supports Jack just as much as we sport our other jacket Moto GP

So we love it, but Mick before we let you go the event this weekend

That's why we're here the event the master and the apprentice with yourself and Jacob Ralston and Sydney

For anyone who's thinking about coming along. What can they expect from the night?

I think just a pretty laid back Q and A

um event, you know a bit of a few laughs and a few stories about Moto GP and

And um and what it takes to get there some of the the adventures along the way

So look it's it's you know, it's really all about Jacob and uh and what

what can be um

Well, how we can help him out to get himself back into Europe and back on the back on the scene out there. So um, you know

I really hope that

That some money can be raised and we'll continue to raise it before and after this so that he makes your way back

Into a class and he can show what he's really capable of and

He can get a career out of out of motorsport

We love it. Oh, thank you so much for Mick for taking the time to chat with us

We can't wait to talk to you again soon

Or do it

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