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Five-time 500cc world champion Mick Doohan joins Renita Vermeulen to talk about the state of Australian motorcycle racing and the riders carrying the flag on the world stage.
We discuss Jack Miller reaching 200 MotoGP starts, the rising Aussie talent of Joel Kelso and Senna Agius, and the challenge of building a career in Europe from Australia.
Plus, Mick explains why he’s helping support young Australian rider Jacob Roulstone as he works to get back onto the world championship grid
For more about The Master and The Apprentice, visit: https://www.aus.givergy.com/masterandtheapprentice/?controller=home
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Welcome to the pit talk podcast brought to you by Shannon's insurance for your dose of all things F1 and Modo GP
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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