GO MCWHEEEEEE!
It’s funny to think that the diminutive John McPhee is now one of the most experienced men on the Moto3 grid, isn’t it? Now riding for the British Talent Team, John wowed all of us at the opening round in Qatar, coming within a whisker of taking his second-ever GP win.
John’s speed has never really been in doubt, he’s been there or thereabouts on many occasions over the years but, sadly, he has often suffered from the usual malaise that the majority of British riders have experienced for decades – never quite the right bike, or the right team, or just poor timing. It feels like we’ve waited an age for him to succeed, which he did last season, finally taking the top podium spot at Brno with his first win.
Yet his performance in Qatar at 2017’s opening round suggests this could change this year. Okay, the team’s bikes don’t look too far off what you’d expect to turn up at a club race but, you know, we quite like that. He now has a team around him dedicated to making potential success a reality. He no longer has to play second-fiddle to more sponsor friendly continental team-mates – this squad is all about pushing British talent to the fore. Top job!
The way John made his way through the pack after an average qualifying, step by step, showed the marvellous poise and maturity of the man. We write this the day qualifying in Argentina begins for round two and, quite frankly, we’re possibly more interested in seeing whether John can keep this going than we are in Rossi et al’s antics. This is your year, John, go grab hold of it!