Superbike
The Japanese rider was at Motegi, making the final arrangements for his return to MotoGP in 2013.
Hiroshi Aoyama is on the verge of completing a deal to seal his return to the MotoGP World Championship in 2013, after a season spent riding in World Superbikes.
The 2009 250cc World Champion left the GP paddock at the end of the 2011 campaign to ride for the Ten Kate team in WSBK, but his transition proved a tough one and he failed to fully get to grips with the CBR1000RR.
Aoyama is hoping his year in Superbike won't prove to have been a wasted one however, as he has an eye on the CRT category in MotoGP.
Here in Japan I am trying to finalise which team I am going to...
The 30-year-old was spotted in the Aragón paddock a fortnight ago and was present at the Grand Prix of Japan over the weekend too, where redbull.com spoke to him to find out what his plans for next season are.
“I went to see some teams in Aragón and had initial contact, and here in Japan I am trying to finalise which team I am going to,” said Aoyama. “This week we're working on this, and I think I will sign up in the next few days. If not it's going to be in Valencia, but I hope to sign sooner than that.”
Aoyama is optimistic the knowledge gained in WSBK can benefit him in 2013.
“The results were obviously not so good in Superbikes this year. I didn't have a good feeling with the bike, the tyres, and I struggled a lot. We never reached the kind of positions I should have been,” he said.
“Nevertheless it was a good experience with the Ten Kate Honda Superbike team, and I learned a lot of things with the team and the bike so I want to use this experience for next year, because the CRT is based on the modified street bike. So I think this can help me to go fast in CRT, and I already know the racetracks and the guys here.”
With CRT teams I have some possibilities and at the moment I cannot say which team I am close to signing with
Aoyama's desire to make a swift return to the MotoGP paddock was clear to see.
“I really want to ride in MotoGP, but to be honest it is not realistically that easy to get into MotoGP,” he explained. “With CRT teams I have some possibilities and at the moment I cannot say which team I am close to signing with, I don't have the authorisation to do that. My target is to get back in the MotoGP paddock and try to race in MotoGP again.”
With the CRT category having split opinion during its first season, Aoyama believes the progress has been evident.
“I was expecting the difference between the MotoGP and CRT bikes to be much bigger. I thought maybe at a circuit like Sachsenring, where it is very tight, small and a quick lap time, you could be getting overtaken by the top guys,” he said. “But when I see the races the gap is there, it is a lot, but it's not as big as I thought it would be.
“It seems like that gap is getting smaller towards the end of the season and for sure next season it will be closer as well, but I don't know how much closer it can be to MotoGP. I'm thinking more ahead to 2014 when they change the rules with the ECU, and this will work more towards the CRT teams.”
I am thinking for 2014 and to be in a good position for then
Watching an eventful Moto3 race while chatting, there was just enough time to ask Aoyama what his expectations for next season were before attentions were well and truly distracted by events on track at Motegi.
“Of course if I'm racing in CRT I want to be the top CRT bike, and then try to be as close as possible to the MotoGP bikes,” said Aoyama.
“Depending on the race maybe sometimes I can be top 10. I think this is the realistic position I can race in. All riders want to win races, but I am thinking for 2014 and to be in a good position for then.”
