Five months have passed since that day in June when the six-time world champion Max Biaggi suffered an big crash at the circuit of Il Sagittario, just outside Rome, while he was riding Supermoto. The Roman Emperor’s injuries were much more serious that originally thought with multiple fracture to his ribs and the related complications.  

After a long recovery, Biaggi is much more relaxed. The former factory Honda and Aprilia rider had a lot of time to think in the hospital and then at home and has learned some lessions. “The bike has represented all my life and I have run many risks. But one thing is to take risks when you are fighting for a championship, another thing is to risk your life when you are just having fun.”

“This time it was really scary. And you understand how serious it was when all you family members, that you didn’t see since in ages, come and visit you..”   

Biaggi the gladiator, who won his second WorldSBK title at the age of 41, was deeply touched by the crash. This time he has finally hungup the helmet.  “My focus is my family and my kids,” he says, and his new job as Mahindra Moto3 team manager and as Mahindra Ambassador.

We met him at Vallelunga, a circuit just outside his home town Rome, for the last CIV Championship round It is also his home circuit where he started riding his first bike back in 1987, and the venue where he announced his retirement in 2012. In the middle, four world champions in the 250cc class, clinched in succession from 1994 to 1997, and two in Superbike in 2010 and 2012, plus 42 GP wins in 500cc and MotoGP and a memorable battle with his Valentino Rossi.

We talked as the MotoGP World championship comes to the end. One question is compulsory…

Is Marc Marquez human?
“When he arrived in MotoGP, he won an incredible amount of races, despite a bike that was not always the best bike. How do you see which is the best bike? If Marquez wins and Pedrosa finishes fifth or sixth this is the value of the machine, while it’s Marc who makes the difference. So I’m wondering how many races would he have won, if he had the best bike?”

This year the championship was balanced with at least four riders in the title fight, at least till the last races. Did you see a faster bike than the others?
“It has been a balanced championship where we saw several riders leading during the season. At the beginning Yamaha dominated, then Ducati started to dominate with several wins of Dovizioso and finally Honda with a double win at Misano and Aragon, and then Marquez who can makes the difference, as he has shown in Australia. Tyres have made the championship more open and complicated. Vinales seemed unbeatable in the winter test and the first races. Then the tyres changed and they seemed to struggle more.”

How do you see Jorge Lorenzo?
“Jorge has never given up, even when results were not coming. He has always been optimist and now he is competitive. He was really fast at Misano before he crashed, at Aragon he was leading for many laps and he finished on the podium. I’m sure a win will arrive soon. Once he will be able to set up the bike as he likes, he will be in front. And next year he will be a serious contender for the title.”  

Now that you are working with young Italian riders in Moto3, how do you see the new generation?
“There are many Italian riders in Moto3 and also here in the Italian championship. Who can be the next world champion? It’s difficult to say. I see a bit a lack of determination in the young riders. These kids are 15 or 16 years old. It’s also a critical age. The team becomes your family during the race weekend but then you have to deal with the parents and the family that also affect the rider.”    

How has your first year as team manager been?
“Unfortunately both our riders crashed at the first round in Imola and injured themselves. When Alessandro Delbianco returned racing he was only at 60 per cent. Finally in the last rounds of Mugello and Valellunga we were where we expected to be. We finished with two wins and two podiums.”

Your original plan was to do one year in the Italian championship and then make the debut in Moto3 in the GPs. What happened?
“This was the plan, but there has been a reduction of places in the Moto3 grid.”
 
What are your plans for next year?
“We will go with this project focused on raising young talented riders. This sport has given me so much. Bike racing has represented all my life, so I want to give something back. These kids are lucky because we provide them a professional structure. When I started I was alone. I like to pass on my experience. I speak a lot with them, but I think they also need to have a technical knowledge, understand the data – an unknown language for them. Regarding the plans, we will decide soon if continuing in the Italian Championship or the Junior World Championship.”