I would have probably stolen cars - it would have given me the same adrenaline rush as racing.

I have always challenged myself and it's also important to learn from the rivals. Every rider has his own style, and you have to count on some elements that cannot be changed. On the contrary, the bike or the tires can change and it's important to adapt yourself. It's up to the rider to understand what he can change and how much he can adapt.

In my opinion we are at the limit now, and 17 races is really too much. With all the testing that we do now, it means we're always on the bike and it's quite difficult.

You need to realise that, if you want to go on, you have to work hard. If you dwell too much on your past successes and say "well, I have won nine world titles and more than 100 races", you'd rather stay home. The sport, your rivals, the tyres, your motorcycle, everything changes so instead you need to work more to be stronger. If you don't, you're finished.

Once the races begin it's more difficult and there is never that much time for testing.

You need a combination of many things to get good results. Experience is one of these, and it can be very useful at the right moment. I don't know if it helps to go faster, but for sure it's an important element that has helped me a lot. Being experienced helps you to make fewer mistakes when you are on track. This is the positive side for being around for so many years!

If I test the car for a year I can be quite competitive the next season.