John Hopkins got his first MotoGP podium with a third place in China earlier in the season, and that had been a long time coming. The 24 year old Anglo-American has had a tumultuous time over the past five seasons in MotoGP, struggling with the development of the four-stroke Suzuki GSV-R and battling with personal injury. He scored more points last year than any other Suzuki rider in the 990cc era, which made it his best season to date.
Young Hopper has had a brilliant start to the 2007 season, gelling with the new 800cc machine and getting pretty much close to race pace in the pre-season tests. Is there more to come from John? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Foxy went to Donington Park to catch up with John, find out about how he get's his kicks, and put forward some questions from the forum members.
Foxy: First I’d like to ask you, how are you feeling about this weekend?
John: Really good actually, everything so far is going well, the weather forecast isn’t that great but the Suzuki works really well in the wet. If we can just get a good set up and get the tyres to work, it’s definitely the greasiest track on all of the 19 circuits once the water hits it, but yeah, I’m feeling really good about it.
Foxy: You were doing pretty well in qualifying this morning...
Right, your first question
BigSV: The performance of the Suzuki’s is strong at the beginning of the race but seem to tire mid-distance, why is this?
John: Yeah... basically, it’s not like the tyres go off or anything, it’s just a matter of a lack of horse-power right now. At the beginning of the race when every ones tyres are good, we’re able to run a little bit higher corner speed and brake a little bit later into the corners, but once the tyres go off, it kind of takes that advantage away, so we not able to pick it up out of the corners like the others... we lose a bit of the advantage towards the end but, I mean it’s been holding out a lot better this season, a lot better than it has previous seasons...
Foxy: You seem to be settling down on the 800cc rather that the thousands though... Are you getting on with the bike better?
John: Yeah, definitely... I mean I enjoy riding the 800, I like having high corner speed, I like the high lean angle... it’s more like riding it like a two-stroke, you definitely carry a lot more corner speed coming out and going into the corners quite a bit quicker...
Foxy: Yeah, we’ve noticed you getting your elbow down quite a bit...
Next question...
BigSV: Does the injury to your wrist/hand affect your ability to ride to full potential of the bike for race distance?
John: Nah, I wouldn’t say that, not on the road-race bike. I would say that at the beginning of the season it really did hinder it a bit, when I first got to Qatar it was very, very painful. If anything it helped me out because it smoothed out my riding style and got me to ride a little bit smoother. But right now I can’t do anything until I’ve had surgery at the end of the season, I can’t ride my motorcross bike, can’t play golf or really do anything recreational.
Foxy: That’s bad...
Andrew&7: Does riding your MotoGP bike ruin your ability to ride any other motorbike? Where do you go from there, because everything else must feel soft and not as powerful...?
John: Yeah definitely, I get my kicks basically by riding my motorcross bike; I mean you don’t really want to fly through the air too hard a MotoGP bike (Laughs). I get to fly through the air, I grew up on motorcross bikes so, motorcross and supermoto’s my main form of riding other than MotoGP.
Foxy: That’s cool...
Danno: If you could race any other GP riders from any era, who would you like to race against? i.e Schwantz, Rainey, Doohan or any others?
John: Oh... I would definitely want to race against a mixture really, I mean, it would be a mixture of Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheen and, Kevin Schwantz and Wayne Rainey, I mean, both era’s I would have liked to have raced against
Foxy: It was pretty special racing back then eh...
HighwaySurfer: Do you feel that your loyalty to the Suzuki Factory team has hindered your chances for getting more podiums in this year?
John: Erm... Nah, nah, I think that the Suzuki bike is definitely made progressive; it’s had substantial progression throughout 04, 05 and 06 and now in 07. It’s good to be with a bike that has made that progression and for me to be a part of that progression, and I’m happy to go out on a bike that’s a non-proven winner and to be able to do it this year, saying rather than going to another bike that has definitely won races in the past.
HighwaySurfer: How do you stay race fit?
John: A lot... I have a personal trainer; I do a lot of cycling... I cycle about 150 miles a week and also run about, mmm, I don’t know, about 20 miles during the week, well a six day period...
HighwaySurfer: Where is your favourite place to surf or snowboard?
John: Manmouth, California, just because it is a place that we took family holidays when I was growing up and that so, it was good... Manmouth is definitely my favourite cos, if I go there now I get the sensation that I did when I was about three or four years old on the skis, so it’s good.
Foxy: It’s always nice to get that familiar feeling isn’t it...
John: It sure is...
AfroR1: Did you get in trouble for stomping on the bike after it broke down last year?
John: (Long pause) Errr... Nah, Nah... I mean, I just got the finger pointed at me for a little bit and a slap on the hand, but I think everyone understood in the team, they understood the frustration... If you’re just able to walk away from problems and not care about it, well you don’t really care much about racing.
Foxy: For sure...
Johnse1: Did it actually make you feel better?
John: Nah... It just broke down, I mean, it was just one of those things and it just makes you come back stronger and wanna do even better...
Jay: What is your friendship like in the paddock with the other riders?
John: Very good you know, as far as the team goes, Chris and I get along very well. Alex Hofmann and myself I would say were best of friends even off the race track, I mean he’s buying a house in California, so me and him a really, really close friends. Colin Edwards and myself get along really well and it’s good, there are a few that you don’t really talk to at all, but on the most part I get along with everyone...
Jay: If so, what do you get up to when you go out together? Sports or?
John: Yeah, definitely, we go out and we get on the motorcross bikes, get on the mountain bikes and go battling on the bikes... We’re always very competitive and then in the evening we go and have a couple of quiet beer’s...
Foxy: Go and chill out a bit then...
Jay: How is it on your personal life leading a jet-set life style?
John: It’s alright now, it’s a lot calmer now that I got a crew that travels with me all of the time, I got my personal trainer, and my girlfriend who’s British now and it’s perfect..
Foxy: Apparently one of the guy’s on our website used to date her sister...
John: Yeah?! (Laughs)
Foxy: Yeah, quite crazy really...
Jay: Where do you feel at home the most?
John: When I’m at home in California... Yeah in Southern California when I’m just relaxing with my buddies and mates, and just having a good time.
Foxy: What car or bike do you ride when you’re at home?
John: I just drive car’s... I don’t even have my motorcycle licence in America...
Foxy: Really!!
John: (Laughs) Yeah...
Foxy: So what car have you got?
John: I got a Toyota Tundra but it’ set for like off-road which is about 18 inches, like two feet of travel and it’s set for going out into the desert and that, like doing 100 mile an hour over the desert and stuff.
Foxy: Right, what music will you be listening to before Sunday’s race?
John: It’s funny, I never really grew up listening to and I don’t listen to it at home... but, I always listen to trance just before I go out on the bike...
Foxy: We always wondered... (Laughs)
Foxy: Last question John... Do you have a favourite film?
John: (Long thoughtful pause) Erm... I’d have to say it’s ‘Anchor Man’, it’s a funny movie, I’m into comedy... That one has made me laugh and I still quote it to this day...
Foxy: John, thank you so much for taking the time out to talk to us and it’s been nice meeting you...
John: You’re welcome!
We would like to thank John Hopkins and Rizla Suzuki for giving us ten minutes of their time this week end for the interview.
Here's how John got on over the weekend:
Friday:
John had a good day in practice on Friday in the wet, and made the best out of both sessions to test both the bike and tyres to the max. Bridgstone gave him a new compound rain tyre for the soaking wet sessions, and he was very happy with the results with him being eighth fastest by the end of the day.
Combined Free Practice Times:
1. Casey Stoner - Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 43.749s
2. Nicky Hayden - Repsol Honda Team 1m 43.781s
3. Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda Team 1m 43.870s
4. Randy De Puniet - Kawasaki Racing Team 1m 44.302s
5. Chris Vermeulen - Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 44.371s
6. Colin Edwards - Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 44.445s
7. Anthony West - Kawasaki Racing Team 1m 44.498s
8. John Hopkins - Rizla Suzuki MotoGP 1m 44.716s
9. Marco Melandri - Honda Gresini 1m 45.684s
10. Valentino Rossi - Fiat Yamaha Team 1m 45.718s
11. Alex Barros - Pramac d’Antin 1m 45.774s
12. Alex Hofmann - Pramac d'Antin 1m 46.254s
13. Toni Elias - Honda Gresini 1m 46.777s
14. Loris Capirossi - Ducati Marlboro Team 1m 46.811s
15. Shinya Nakano - Konica Minolta Honda 1m 46.926s
16. Carlos Checa - Honda LCR 1m 47.027s
17. Kurtis Roberts - Team Roberts 1m 48.464s
18. Sylvain Guintoli - Dunlop Yamaha Tech 3 1m 49.604s
Saturday:
With his confidence high from the possitive practice sessions the day before, John looked strong out on the track in the in the afternoon before qualifying. He made a slight mistake during his qualiying lap which took away his chance of being on the front row for Sunday's race.
Qualifying 1 - MotoGP - Donington Park:
1. Colin Edwards - Yamaha - USA 1'28.531
2. Valentino Rossi - Yamaha - ITA 1'28.677
3. Daniel Pedrosa - Honda - ESP 1'28.863
4. Nicky Hayden - Honda - USA 1'29.025
5. Casey Stoner - Ducati - AUS 1'29.061
6. John Hopkins - Suzuki - USA 1'29.073
7. Carlos Checa - Honda - ESP 1'29.281
8. Randy De Puniet - Kawasaki - FRA 1'29.415
9. Marco Melandri - Honda - ITA 1'29.498
10. Toni Elias - Honda - ESP 1'29.711
11. Shinya Nakano - Honda - JPN 1'29.718
12. Chris Vermeulen - Suzuki - AUS 1'29.793
13. Loris Capirossi - Ducati - ITA 1'29.900
14. Alex Hofmann - Ducati - GER 1'29.911
15. Alex Barros - Ducati - BRA 1'30.071
16. Sylvain Guintoli - Yamaha - FRA 1'30.271
18. Makoto Tamada - Yamaha - JPN 1'30.800
Sunday:
With the rain tipping it down all morning, the race was declared wet. They all lined up on the grid for the start of the race with full wet tyres. Hopkins got a fairly good start and held his own in the top five for most of the race and even getting to a poduim postition by mid-race. As the track started to dry up he progressivly went backwards, the gaps between the riders was large enough for him to still finished in a respectable fifth.
MotoGP Race Result:
1. Casey Stoner - Ducati - AUS 51'40.739
2. Colin Edwards - Yamaha - USA + 11.768
3. Chris Vermeulen - Rizla Suzuki MotoGP - AUS +15.678
4. Valentino Rossi - Yamaha Factory Racing - ITA +21.827
5. John Hopkins - Rizla Suzuki MotoGP - USA +35.518
6. Randy De Puniet - Kawasaki Racing Team - FRA +36.474
7. Alex Barros - Pramac d'Antin Ducati - BRA +38.094
8. Dani Pedrosa - Repsol Honda Team - SPA +38.992
9. Alex Hofmann - Pramac d'Antin Ducati - GER +39.239
10. Marco Melandri - Honda Gresini - ITA +1'01.526
Related Galleries:
» British MotoGP, 2007 #1
» British MotoGP, 2007 #2
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