EXCLUSIVE: Jeremy McWilliams - Interview

Jeremy McWilliams, rider coach for John McPhee's British Talent Moto3 Team, and talent scout for Dorna's new British Talent Cup, spoke to Crash.net at the launch of the MotoGP organiser's new initiative in London.

Crash.net:
How does it feel to be part of this new project?

Jeremy McWilliams:
Carmelo [Ezpeleta - Dorna CEO] summed it up well when he said that all those years ago GPs were full of British riders doing well. Since then there just haven't been so many. Lately numbers were dropping again. There's not a pathway at the moment for riders to come through from Moto3, Moto2 and onto MotoGP. I guess this is the perfect opportunity for that.

Crash.net:
How did you get involved?

Jeremy McWilliams:
Originally Javier Alonso [ex-Dorna managing director] phoned me. He wanted me to come and meet him and Alberto. My initial meetings were with Javier and Manel [Arroyo - Dorna's managing director]. I had to meet with Alberto. Obviously we need to be talking of the same hymn sheet. I guess Alberto had to work out whether he could work with me and vice versa. Riders don't always get on! But we struck up a good relationship. We do think the same way and we have the same philosophy. We have the same hopes for John, and [we know] how to achieve that. And that works well.

So far it's been a good relationship. But I've known Dorna for many, many years. Carmelo and the guys have been so supportive of my career. To be honest I think that's something that the spectators, the fans don't realise. Behind all of the British riders in MotoGP at the moment, Dorn have been very supportive, in helping them find pathways into teams, financial support for those teams, etc etc. I had to thank Dorna for the help they gave me through my career so it's fitting that I'm coming back here and doing some work with them again.

Crash.net:
Can you tell us a little about the guys that'll be manning the British Talent Team in the Moto3 world championship this year?

Jeremy McWilliams:
I know some of them. One in particular - Roger - he worked for Honda for many years. If you look in the paddock, you'll always see the same faces. The good guys tend to stay or move about, or stay with teams for the duration. Then when it's time to move on, they go into another team. You'll recognise all of the guys as soon as you see them. They've been in the paddock for a while. Alberto has been behind putting that team together. He'll be at more events than me. He kind of knows who he wants to put in the team. He's been looking and asking around through the season [2016] to build a team. He's certainly got a good team around him.

Crash.net:
You've helped out with several younger riders in the past. In your opinion what's the most important feature of guiding them?

Jeremy McWilliams:
It's being there to support them and help with their confidence. Young riders tend to lack confidence. Young riders don't have a big belief in themselves until they have achieved things. Whereby it's trying to get that belief out of them and to be there for passionate support, and to just be there for them, to help them make the right decisions.

Thinking about how to prepare before the race and what's the best preparation. Even all the way down to things like nutrition. Those kind of things that we learnt the hard way. There is much more out there now. It's much easier to get that information. It wasn't when we were riding. Really, there is a lot of behind-the-scenes support that goes on that you don't see.

It's not just that corner on track. It's that preparation off track. It's being in the right frame of mind. Having the right preparation, the right training programme. Just trying to build up that self belief and confidence, and having the energy to be able to achieve it.

Crash.net:
You have had a chance to work with John. What are your impressions of him?

Jeremy McWilliams:
Well, you can see what he's been doing with the machinery that he's got already. I guess that when you put him on a factory Honda it just makes it that little bit easier for him to move forward. But when you're moving forward into a more competitive bunch at the front, [and are there] continually, it's no easier than where you were on the bike before. He's just moving up a notch with the machinery, with the support. The team support everything around him. It's not going to be any easier for him because he's on a factory Honda, because it's so tight at the front in Moto3.

Crash.net:
You said on stage that you're aiming to finish in the top ten or top eight in the opening races and build from there. Have you agreed on those expectations as a team?

Jeremy McWilliams:
Let's be realistic. We've got to start somewhere. What I'd prefer to say is that once we see where the performance level is, we can start to make a few achievable goals and move forward. I think it's like any team. You want to be there for the support and basically find out what he's capable of once he's started to lay down those results.

Crash.net:
John's the only Brit in Moto3 this year. Are there any younger riders that could step up to the world championship in the coming years that have caught your eye?

Jeremy McWilliams:
Rory Skinner. Dan Jones. Charlie Nesbitt, who has got support from Scott Redding at the moment. There are already other riders that are capable of doing this, certainly, at a very, very good level.