4) What is your experience with the rear brake?
“When I raced in Moto2 I never used the rear brake. Probably because of the frame or maybe due to something else, when you touched the rear brake it created a lot of complications in terms of the ride. Besides, that bike (editor’s note: it was a Honda 600 engine) already had a lot of engine braking on its own, so there was already a lot of drifting going on.”
5) And in MotoGP?
“From the very start I felt the need to use the rear brake - and a lot. On left-handers I use my foot, on right-handers I use my thumb. It’s a balance that I found because on right-handers, because of my riding position, I’m unable to use the pedal. I’d like to because you apply greater pressure, but on the other hand, the thumb is extremely helpful and I’m able to be more stable, whereas with the foot there are more vibrations.”