Ana Carrasco: “My dream is to be world champion again”

05/02/2022

Pubblicato in: Bikers, Interviews

A few days ago Ana Carrasco confirmed her participation in Moto3 2022. We interviewed the Spanish champion a few days before and found out a lot about her career and her dreams.

You are a symbol of strength but above all resilience. Your recovery after injury has something of the miraculous about it. Do you think that in some cases it is also determination that makes the difference?
Yes, I think it is always determination and the goal you want to achieve that make the difference. An injury like that, in a sporting career, is a difficult time, especially in a sport like motorcycling, and in fact for me it was a complicated phase. I knew I wanted to be competitive again, I wanted to try and win races, and I think it was the will that helped me recover quickly and return to racing at a good level.

At Misano last year you managed to get back on the first step of the podium 10 months after your terrible accident. What emotions did you feel?

It’s hard to explain, because for me the victory at Misano was one of the best moments of my sporting career, and of my life. I had won before and of course when I won the World Championship in 2018 it was definitely the best moment, but at Misano the feeling was different from all previous experiences. All the times I had won before I had felt proud for the people, for the work I had done and for my entourage. But at Misano I felt proud of myself, of having overcome the injury after a long recovery period, of having set myself the goal of winning and having achieved it. So the feeling was completely different from the other victories. I always feel a lot of gratitude towards others, but on that occasion I felt proud of myself and of having succeeded.

Your victory at the 2018 World Championship made us all proud. To see a woman on the first step of the world podium is something very rare. Do you think things will change in the future for female drivers and that there will be more opportunities for them to be protagonists?

I think they can change, yes, and these events make things change and go in a good direction. It is true that getting to the world championship is difficult, you need help and many means, many opportunities. It is complicated to reach an equal number of pilots and female pilots, simply because there are more boys than girls starting out in this sport. So, it is complicated. I believe, I am convinced that girls in the world championship who achieve results and play an important role, help open the door for other girls. I always think about my beginning: when I started, I didn’t have any girls as a reference to get to the world championship, because there weren’t any, and it’s difficult when you realise that you are the first person to do a certain thing. So, the fact that there are girls in the world championship, who achieve good results, allows other girls to believe in themselves. So, I believe that thanks to the steps we are taking in recent years, it will be more normal to see more girls on the starting grid, with more means and more opportunities to get good results.

Have you always had clear ideas about what you were going to do in life?

I think so, because apart from the fact that sport in general has always been what I liked the most, I started competing when I was very young, and I always knew that I wanted to dedicate myself to it and that it was what I wanted to do, even though in the early years I didn’t think I would become a professional, or that I would make it to the world championships and experience what I am experiencing now. I did it as a hobby, I enjoyed it and I wanted to dedicate my time to the sport. But then… call it a job, call it a talent… or whatever you call it… well, I was able to grow in this sport, I had so many opportunities that I was able to take, and I never doubted that I wanted to dedicate my life to this sport.

Your victory at the 2018 World Cup made us all proud. A woman on the top step of the world podium is not a common thing. Do you think these things might change and become more common in the future?

I think they can change, yes, and these events make things change and go in a good direction. It’s true that getting to the world is difficult, you need help and many means, many opportunities. It is complicated to reach an equal number of pilots and female pilots, simply because there are more boys than girls starting out in this sport. So, it is complicated. I believe, I am convinced that girls in the world championship who achieve results and play an important role, help open the door for other girls. I always think about my beginning: when I started, I didn’t have any girls as a reference to get to the world championship, because there weren’t any, and it’s difficult when you realise that you are the first person to do a certain thing. So, the fact that there are girls in the world championship, who achieve good results, allows other girls to believe in themselves. So, I believe that thanks to the steps we are taking in recent years, it will be more normal to see more girls on the starting grid, with more means and more opportunities to get good results.

How do you handle the pressure when you are on the grid?

That’s difficult, because I think all riders get nervous, from the first one in MotoGP to the last one, for sure, it’s something you can’t control easily. It’s true that with experience, with the years you learn self-control, you know what are the things that help you and those that don’t help you to keep your concentration. Personally, in recent years I have been able to grow a lot in this aspect. Even when you feel confident in your work, you know that everything has been done well before the race, that your team has worked hard and that you are fast on the track: this generates confidence, which in turn also gives you peace of mind. I’ve had periods when I was very nervous, because when you feel that you don’t have everything under control you get more nervous, but I’ve also had the good fortune to live through a very good phase in my career in recent years, in which I’ve learnt to manage my emotions better, to trust the team, the people who work with me, and in the end this gives you an extra boost of confidence that allows you to control your agitation.

What are the characteristics a driver must have to compete at a high level?

Difficult! I think every driver has his own characteristics, good and bad… I can’t tell you in general what characteristics he should have. Talking about me, I can tell you that I think work is the most important thing. To be in the world championship you also need talent, and for me your entourage, the people who work with you, your team, your trusted people, your family… I believe that all the people you have around you allow you to be able to get the best out of yourself.

You have achieved a lot in a few years, but what is your biggest dream?

Right now, my dream is to be world champion again. I think it’s a difficult dream, but realistic. I’ve been fighting to win titles in Supersport for many years, and I think to settle for just one title is difficult, so my dream is to relive that feeling and be world champion again.

What advice would you give to female bikers who want to follow in your footsteps?

Advice is also difficult! Each race is a world apart, each person is. But I always say that you have to enjoy the road you ride, because when you start in this sport or any other sport you are young, you have a lot of hope, you live the sport in a certain way, then when you reach a certain level and become a professional and the sport becomes your job, you live it differently. That’s why I think enjoying the journey until you become a professional, it allows you to enjoy playing the sport and, most importantly, it definitely gives you more opportunities to succeed.

Could you say hello to all the girls in the MissBiker community?

Certainly! I send greetings to all the Miss Biker girls, I am so happy to be here with you today, I wish you all the best and I hope to see you soon! A kiss! Thank you very much!