Kev Coghlan: "If I can get on the podium in Assen I will be happy,..."

Kev Coghlan started his 2014 season with a podium in Australia, and then he was one of the main contenders for victory in Aragon. Despite the incident with Cluzel, Kev was able to finish the race in fifth position and left Aragon not only in points, but also leading the championship. In tomorrow's race at Assen Scot starts from the second line of the grid.

TWN: Are you satisfied with how the race in Aragon ended, even considering the fact that you did not win, but now you're leading the championship?

K.Coghlan:  No, I wouldn't say I was satisfied with the result in Aragon, I was satisfied with my performance but not the final result. Leaving there leading the championship helped to cheer me up a little but it doesn't really mean anything else, it's too early in the season for championship position to be of any real importance, I'm just disappointed at not getting the opportunity to fight for my first win!

TWN: How you feel about such incidents as between you and Cluzel?

K.Coghlan: Incidents like this happen in racing, everybody makes mistakes, including me, but I believe this particular incident could have been avoided.

TWN: What you think about next Assen race, are you confident that you could win there?

K.Coghlan: Assen will be a test for me. I know I won't be as strong in Aragon because I don't know the track as well, and I don't expect to fight for the win. If I can get on the podium I will be happy, and that will prove to me that we will be strong at any circuit.

TWN: What are you goals for this season? Could it be possible that you’ll add one more tittle to your collection?

K.Coghlan: My goals for the season are the same as they were in January, to finish in the top five in every race,something we still managed in Aragon even with a crash![laughing]. And to win at least one race before the end of the year. We have had a good first two rounds but need to keep our feet on the ground.

TWN: You’ve competed in three different national championships BSS, CEV and RSBK, you’ve got tittles in two of them,  but which championship was Which was the toughest ?

K.Coghlan: When I was competing in BSB it was at lower level, in 125GP class, other races were just one-off or a few odd races but it's defiantly one of the strongest championships I have raced in, just lacks a bit of level in the smaller bikes (Moto3). Spanish championship is generally very good for young riders progressing to GP, however the 600 and 1000 classes are not as strong as in BSB for example. RSBK is a very young championship, it needs a lot of work and a lot more focus on young riders before it will start getting anywhere near the level of other national championships, in terms of both organisation and the level of talent.

Kev and Vladimir Ivanov on RSBK podium

TWN: When you competing in national championship, how much time you need to spend in the country to be fully ready?

K.Coghlan: To compete in a national championship you don't need to spend any time in the country, look at the world championship, every weekend in a different country and always fast, in the end we are riding motorcycles on asphalt, it doesn't matter where.

TWN: How's it to be a part of Russian-English team? Do you like Russia?

K.Coghlan: It's a good team to be a part of, they focus a lot on developing me as a rider and a sportsman and I think that is really important. I like spending time in Russia and from my time in RSBK have made a lot for friends there, I always have a great time whenever I go!

Kev in RSBK

TWN: You’re Scotsman riding for English-Russian team, which race from WSS calendar you can call your “home”?

K.Coghlan: Yes, I don't really spend much time in one place, I have a big grey suitcase which I usually call home but that got lost on the way here to Assen so I guess I'm homeless now!!! [laughing] 

TWN: You’ve moved from BSS to Europe, do you miss BSB atmosphere?

K.Coghlan: I never really spent much time in BSS, I was only riding 125cc in the UK before moving to Spain. I guess I miss home sometimes but not the BSB atmosphere, it's not something I every really enjoyed, when I was there it seemed like all the riders thought they were "rock stars"!

TWN: How you see your racing future in five years for example?  

K.Coghlan: I don't really think about my racing future, I've tried that in the past and it never works out as I plan. I hope I can do a good job this year and that my efforts will reward me with good options for 2015, that all I can really do.

TWN: You’ve already been in Moto2 once, is it any chances to see you back to MotoGP grid in future?

K.Coghlan: I don't have any great rush to get back to the MotoGP Paddock, I didn't have a great time there before, most due to just a few individual people, so if one day I do go back I will make sure to do it on the correct conditions.

TWN: As far as I know you’re in great relations with your teammate Vladimir Ivanov, this season you working with new teammate Alexei Ivanov, you get along well? You always get along well with your teammates?

K.Coghlan: Usual I get along quite well with most people, I've known Alexey for a few years now and we spend quite a lot of time together so yes we get on quite well, he is a good guy! With Vova it was a little different, I didn't know him much before last year but generally we got in pretty well, but he is a fast guy!! So I had to work my ass off to stay in front of him, he was my team mate but he was also a rival. I still got on well with him and I think that rivalry was good for us both, to push each other, I suppose now that we are not racing each other it's a bit more friendly.

photo: DMC Panavto-Yamaha, sbkrussia.ru