Jaume Masia has spoken candidly about his frustrations competing in the Moto3 World Championship he’d go on to win in 2023, remarking that he ‘hated’ some of its more frustrating aspects.

The Spaniard came good on his wealth of experience at Moto3 level, cultivated from spending six seasons in the quarter-litre class, to emerge on top with Leopard Racing in a tight 2023 championship campaign.

Clinching the title during the penultimate round in Qatar, Masia didn’t win his first race of the season until round eight at Assen broke clear of rivals Ayumu Sasaki and David Alonso with three wins during the second-half of the year.

Having already assured himself of a move to Moto2 for 2024 with the SAG Racing Team, Masia admits he was very ready to graduate to the intermediate class having become tired of Moto3’s notoriously busy, tow-reliant races that led to big groups of riders fighting right to the flag.

‘I was hating the category a lot," he told the official MotoGP website.

"It is difficult to manage, even if you do work hard and do it alone, but at the end I was tired of things like towing, the very large groups and the fact someone could win having started last. 

“For me, signing in Moto2 gave me the confidence to have my future clear and then I don’t need to think on this, so I can focus only on winning the Moto3 title. It is like insurance, it is something you have and no-one can steal.”

Singling out Leopard Racing as deserving particular praise for working hard to improve his mental approach to racing in Moto3, he says the Italian-based, Luxembourg-licensed team operates like a MotoGP operation.

“They work a lot on the mental side. They have a MotoGP budget but they’re in Moto3. For me, I think, made the difference. 

“My mechanics at every single practice they come before to remind me that I was the best rider in the paddock, say ‘you’re the best, remember who you are’. They are like a second family.”

Masia is one of six riders stepping up from Moto3 to Moto2 next season, together with title rivals Sasaki (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team) and Deniz Oncu (Red Bull KTM Ajo), plus race winner Diogo Moreira (Italtrans), Xavier Artigas (Forward) and Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia).