A fifth place in the final standings with four podium finishes, one of which was an excellent maiden victory under floodlights in Qatar: this is Jordi Torres’ impressive tally in his debut WorldSBK season.

After these remarkable results, Torres was named ‘Rookie of the Year’. The former Moto2 rider has higher ambitions for the immediate future, now that he has properly settled in the category.

“At the age of 28, I’m not sure if I can consider myself as a rookie, but it is true that I haven’t been racing at international level for long” Torres begins. “In any case, I’m really happy to have been awarded the Rookie of the Year. I love the WorldSBK paddock and my goal is to stay there next year, with much higher ambitions. I would like to win something in 2016. Being the best debutant is enough for this year, but I’ll surely be looking for more.”

The transition from Moto2 to World Superbike came with many challenges, as the Spaniard explained. “We did our very best to make this season a successful one. I struggled at first with all the new things to learn, but the tracks were suiting my riding style, with a higher mid-corner speed. In the central part of the year I had my share of difficulties as we encountered more stop-and-go circuits and others that needed a more versatile riding style. We had to find our way around electronics as well, an aspect of riding which needed a bit more experience from my side. Overall, we never backed down and did our best from the very beginning until the very end. It went well in some occasions, worse in others.”

In recent years, the number of riders who decided to go from MotoGP to World Superbike has increased, with Torres being one of them. Former MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden is about to do the same and Torres welcomes this new addition very positively. “I reckon it’s a good thing that he’s making the switch to another championship,” Torres continued. “I think in Spain, unlike in the rest of the world, people consider Superbike as a ‘B League’: the two series are just very different, on and off the track. It is good then that MotoGP riders decide to try their skills in Superbike and vice versa.”

“Nicky is a great rider and has a huge experience. Lately he has been racing aboard not-so-competitive machinery but he has kept his head down as always. I’m sure he still has something to prove and he cannot wait to show it again.”