maggio 20, 2025

Jaume Masiá: "I have fun riding in World Supersport. On my future? I am open to everything"

Finding himself out of the MotoGP World Championship after just one (troubled) year in the Moto2 class, less than two years after being crowned Moto3 World Champion. That’s what happened to Jaume Masiá, a fast and talented Spanish rider who in 2025 is living his rebirth in the Supersport World Championship.

On the Ducati fielded by Orelac Racing Verdnatura team, Masiá has been able to fight again for the top positions since the very first round of the season in Australia. After a few races where he couldn’t fully capitalize on the potential of both himself and the team, he secured his first podium of the year with a third place in Race 2 at Cremona. A maiden podium which was immediately followed by his maiden win in the championship in Race 1 at Most, where he beat Çan Önçü with a precise last-lap overtake. Sunday's race, on the other hand, ended with a crash, but Masiá still remains in a good position in the championship and, more importantly, is rediscovering the positive feeling he had in Moto3. Something that was missing in 2024, a year overshadowed by the troubles of the Gas Up/Preicanos Racing team and poor results (just 6 points and 28th place in the championship standings).

Palmen in Motorradsport had the opportunity to interview Jaume Masiá at Most, and we talked about the current season, his years in the MotoGP paddock, and even a bit about his future.

Hi Jaume! First of all, tell us about your victory at Most. Did you expect it, starting from 15th place?

No, I didn’t expect it at all, because I was starting far back and we hadn’t been as fast as the others in the warm-up either. Still, we made it, and I’m really thankful to the team for their hard work. Now we need to work even harder to become even more competitive.

How is this new adventure in the World Supersport Championship going overall?

So far, really well. It’s true that we’re still adapting to the category, since it’s a completely different world compared to what I’m used to, but I’m having a lot of fun and I feel really good with the team as well. I have a lot of confidence, and that makes me feel great. We’re making big steps forward, and I’m sure we’ll be even more competitive in the near future.

Have you set a specific goal for this season?

No, we’re taking it race by race. What we want, of course, is to win races, but right now we’re still a long way from thinking about the championship, since everything is new for me. The good thing is that we’re consistent overall and always trying to bring home a good result, while learning and gaining experience.

The move to Supersport comes after several years you spent in the MotoGP paddock and on prototypes. Let’s start from your 2014 season in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup: what can you tell us about that year?

That year, and the ones right after it, were very tough for me. I was still physically too small to ride a powerful and fast bike like the Moto3, and because of that I really struggled after the years I had spent racing in Spain with the 80cc and PreMoto3. Due to my weight, I had to race with ballast, and that didn’t help either. Still, I learned a lot, and that experience helped me grow and manage things better later on.

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup (2014). Credit: Red Bull Content Pool

In 2017, you managed to make your debut in the Moto3 World Championship, as you were a replacement rider for Fiorenzo Caponera’s World Wide Race team. How was your debut?

My debut in Austria was amazing, because I was immediately in the front group and even set the fastest lap, despite being a rookie. It was truly a great experience, also because I got along really well with Caponera and his team: they treated me as if I was their child. I have many good memories from that time, and I’m really grateful to them for that.

And how were your first full seasons in the Moto3 World Championship?

Tough, because when you’re eager to do well but still lack a lot of things, it’s difficult. You need some time to grow and understand how to manage races. That being said, already in my second year I was on the podium and even won a race (in Argentina, still with Caponera’s team, ed), and overall I was more or less always competitive in Moto3. At one point, I didn’t want to race there anymore, but during the years I spent in that class, I achieved some great results.

Why didn’t you want to race in Moto3 anymore?

Because it’s a really tough category. It’s more or less like the Supersport 300 over here: you see all the riders bunched up together, and sometimes you can't really see the rider’s effort. You also need a lot of luck, because compared to other classes, it’s even harder to keep other riders under control.

Yes, it’s a tough class, but you still managed to become World Champion in 2023 with Leopard Racing. What can you tell us about that year?

It was a fantastic year. We were truly competitive, to the point that we were the top Honda among the top ten or twelve riders in the championship, at a time when the front of the field belonged almost entirely to KTM. I had a lot of fun and we made the absolute most of what we had.

And how did you feel in those first moments when you realized you had become World Champion?

You have so many things going through your head that you can't really grasp what’s happening. Just think about it: even two weeks after the race in Qatar, I still hadn’t fully realized that I was World Champion.

Then came the Moto2 season, which turned out to be much more difficult. What can you tell us about that year?

It was more or less a rookie year, but it’s also true that we were in some rather unusual conditions. The truth is, a rider needs to have everything in the right place to go fast, especially in a championship where the level is so high. And in my case, things were kind of messy. On top of that, there was a lot of pressure despite having a package that was weaker than the others', so it was even tougher. It was definitely the hardest year of my life, but I still learned a lot.

But for a rider like you, who achieved great things in Moto3, how did it feel to go through such a difficult period during the switch to Moto2?

They were really tough times. A rider always believes he has the potential to get the results, but to actually achieve them, everything needs to be under control and we were definitely far from that feeling. At some point, though, I accepted the situation and kept giving 110% in every race, and that was the most important thing for me.

And how did you react to the move to the World Supersport Championship, after just one year in Moto2 and being a recent Moto3 World Champion?

In the end, this is the World Championship, and this is life — so many things happen, and there are a lot of factors involved. Maybe I don’t have the budget to pay for a seat, and this was the only opportunity I had. In fact, I actually consider myself really lucky to have found a ride, and for that I’m very thankful to the Orelac Racing VerdNatura team. That said, I went through some truly tough moments, which were hard to deal with and to accept, but hey… In the end, there’s been a lot of mental work behind it and a huge desire to keep moving forward, always.

And at this point, where do you see yourself in the future?

Now that I’ve gotten to know this championship, I feel at ease here and I like it, but at the same time, I still feel that I have unfinished business with the other paddock. In any case, I’m open to everything and I’ll give 100% no matter what happens.

What goal do you have now for your career?

After everything that’s happened to me, I’m just focused on the present and enjoying what I have right now. I can’t really think about the future. I think it would be a mistake to look too far ahead at this point.

Finally, who would you like to thank for what you’ve experienced and what you’re experiencing now?

I want to thank the team I’m with now for the opportunity, my family for all the support they gave me during the tough times. I also want to thank my friends, my coach and everyone who’s close to me and has helped me a lot to get through everything.

Palmen in Motorradsport thanks Jaume Masiá for his time and the Orelac Racing Verdnatura team for making the interview possible. We wish the rider and the team all the best for 2025 and the seasons to come.