In 2019 the riders and teams in the intermediate category are all starting virtually from scratch with the change in engine size. Also, in your case, you’re making the switch from British Superbikes. Is there a big difference between the two championships?
There is a huge difference. The bikes in BSB are street bikes turned into race bikes whereas the KTM is a race bike, built specifically for that purpose. There are lots of differences, from the engine, which is 765cc rather than 1000cc, to the tyres, which might be the biggest change for me. I am going to have to work hard with them, to understand how they work and keep improving my feeling so that I can push them to the limit. Off track, the GP paddock seems more quiet, more calm. In BSB there are a lot of support races and even though there are a lot of fans here too, you don’t tend to see the riders much because everybody is focusing on their own job.