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After his recent adventure in the 2022 Dakar, his debut in the most iconic Rally in the world, Carlos Checa has already set his sights on the start of the preseason of the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. In this interview, Ducati’s last WorldSBK Champion evaluates the return of Alvaro Bautista to the Italian brand, the debut of Spaniards Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge at HRC and looks at the hopes of the main candidates on the 2022 grid.

2022 PROSPECTS: Razgatlioglu and Rea favourites, Bautista leads the rest

Looking forward to the 2022 WorldSBK season, Checa looks forward to action kicking off and seeing the battle reignite: “The level of Rea and Toprak is the highest. Sporadically, there were other drivers who were ahead, like Redding, van der Mark or Locatelli, which surprised me a lot, but not with the consistency that the two of them had. I hope that Alvaro Bautista can be in that fight. I think Locatelli can grow alongside Toprak in the Yamaha garage. For me, the unknown will be the BMW and the Honda.

“We are going to see if Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge can cause any surprises. I don't know if they’re going to be able to take that bike to the top positions in WorldSBK. It would be good, they are riders capable of fighting for a Championship, very fast, they have shown it in the past. Obviously, winning the Championship is something else, but I think they are at a level where they can fight for the podium. Hopefully, Honda surprises us, turns the issue around and have a bike that gives them the chance to be in front.”

CHECA ON DUCATI: “They have a very competitive bike, very balanced and complete”

Commenting on whether fellow countryman Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) could lead the way, Checa kept an open mind: “Let's see if, with the partnership formed by Bautista and Rinaldi, they’ve found the winning combination. I think that now the Championship is at a very high level and every little detail counts a lot. There are many things that make a rider a Championship contender. Rea and Kawasaki have been invested there for years; the same for Yamaha with Toprak, but also before. Ducati have also been working with the bike for many years. Now they have a very competitive bike, very balanced and complete. I wish I was ten years younger so I could use it! There are other important aspects that we must see how they combine, to know if Alvaro or Rinaldi can achieve it.

“I defined Ducati with a phrase: 'Everything is possible, but nothing is certain'. Now I would say it in the sense that Rinaldi perhaps should have taken one more step last year, I don't know if he will take it this year, he still has to take two... and Alvaro is obviously an unknown quantity. If he finds the feeling that he had at the beginning of the 2019 season and can maintain it, he can have options. I would bet more on Alvaro, because he has already won many races and led the Championship, whilst Rinaldi’s been very fast in a timely manner, but not constantly. Obviously, they are both great and super-fast. It would be necessary to be closer to give an opinion on how they are and what performance they can give. Looking at the results of 2021, the level is set by both Toprak and Rea, but I would say that Alvaro has had that level, and that it’s easier to recover it than to reach it...

There are riders who always act for themselves and others who share and like to be for others, and Chaz is one of the latter. He is an open guy, very honest, collaborative… he doesn't have a big ego, and this means riders lean on him from the start. I think he can contribute a lot. Chaz has a very analytical vision and can be very precise in his comments to improve any point that’s needed. We’re talking about tenths, thousandths; any small detail that he can help you to build, to refine the set-up. I think he fits this job very well and that he’ll do it very well. From a sporting point of view, it is a very good decision on the part of the team to have him.

OTHER CONTENDERS: Redding, van der Mark and one of 2021’s big surprises

Talking about the other riders who could be in contention, Checa didn’t shy away: “Well, the BMW has great power and now with Scott Redding and Michael van der Mark, the team has a very fast and young duo. From the outset, I would put them in the best position, just like Axel Bassani, who had a great season as a rookie. I think that this year he’ll try to go one step further and gain the confidence to make it to the factory Ducati team, which is what’s on his mind. Last year, he did enough to be there, let's see if Ducati gives him the necessary support. I think the ones I have named are the ones who are going to be at the front, but if there is any surprise, either from a brand or with other riders, it’s welcome!”

DAKAR RALLY: “an unforgettable experience, Lascorz the hero of the Dakar”

Looking back on his Dakar Rally experience, where he was among the top 30 for most of it, Checa said: “It has been an unforgettable experience and the truth is that I do not regret anything, I had a great time. I don't know if I'll do it again, but there it is, I've enjoyed it a lot, I've been able to get to know from the inside what it's like to do the Dakar and be a driver in the Dakar. We had very good days, others not so much, but the sum of all of them has given me knowledge and experience of this race like never before, and this is what interested me. Being able to do it by car has also been new. The speed that I could have with that vehicle through different areas, in the dunes and on broken sections, is incredible. I am very glad I was there!

“One of the options I had to do the Dakar was to race with him. That was one of the first ideas or proposals I had. I would have loved to be with Joan, because apart from the sports theme it would have been a very nice personal experience to live. For me he is the hero of the Dakar. There are many heroes in that race, but on a personal level and knowing a little about Joan's situation, what he has done is like a true Champion, people cannot imagine it, it is an enormous effort, and he should be congratulated.”

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