Bartosz Zmartzlik: I was tearing my hair out, even though I was almost bald. My life was shortened by five years

– Things like this never get boring. After what happened in Vojens, I really wanted to win in Toruń. Not only to defend the title, but also to win the competition – says Bartosz Zmartzlik, who won his fourth world champion title on Saturday.

Maciej Kmisek, WP SportoweFakty: Does this success in Motoarena look better because of what happened at Vojens and the unfortunate exclusion from the Danish Grand Prix?

Bartosz Zmartzlik, four-time individual MotoGP world champion: I think it’s a bit like that.

I’ve already won four world championship titles. Does each one taste different?

definitely. All of them won in different circumstances. There is no doubt that each of these four gold medals has a different flavour.

Was this season special for you? Without participating in a round, you will still win gold…

I won five rounds. I think I had another good season and I’m happy with it.

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Is it even more fun to celebrate on Polish soil, here in Toruń, because after a three-year break, you have once again clinched the IMW title in your homeland?

History sometimes repeats itself. I honestly admit that Toruń is a special place for me. I have great memories from here. When I enter this stadium they come back, and now I have added another story.

Considering what happened in Vojens and the reason for your disqualification, did you check carefully before the last round in Toruń whether everything was in the right place?

Please don’t laugh, but I checked a few times to make sure everything was okay. I’ve already checked everything ten times to make sure nothing happened that would ruin my day. However, I approached it in a somewhat humorous way. When someone asked me, I said I got the right Kevlar today.

Was there a greater desire to win to rub the noses of the FIA ​​authorities?

I didn’t want to rub anyone’s nose in their face. However, I have to admit that I really wanted to win this round. Not only to defend the advantage in the title fight, but also to win the competition. I wanted to prove something to myself.

It was clear that you were deeply affected by the exclusion in Fogens. How do you adapt to it?

It wasn’t easy. It cost me a lot of stress. I was tearing my hair out, even though I was almost bald. During that day in Foggins, my life was probably shortened by five years. It cost me a lot of my health. I did not speak for two days, neither at home nor with the world. The most important thing was to calm down, because I knew that a beautiful day could still come. However, these two weeks need good experiences.

Can you say that a stone has fallen from your heart?

After the situation that happened in Fugins, I blamed myself for allowing this to happen. There’s no point even speculating on whether I should be excluded or not. I took him on my shoulder. It happened and it was difficult. That’s why, as I mentioned, I was interested in this tour of Torun and the gold defense. This victory was a challenge for me.

Hence the words in the press conference that there is pressure on me, and not just the ability to win?

It was certainly a result of the events that took place at Vojens. All season long, I kept repeating that I don’t have to do anything, but I can. This is what I am guided by. For the first time in my life I felt like I had to do this to prove many things to myself.

Perhaps this victory was not easy at all, but was born with precise pain?

I have to admit that in recent weeks I haven’t felt particularly fast, even though in the most important moment of the season, I was the Partick I like to be.

Tony Richardson’s record for grand prix victories has been broken, and Jason Crump’s record of 23 equaled. She has overtaken the Australian in the number of titles, and could catch up to the Swede in just two years. Is this also a motivation for you?

Winning is like an addiction. Things like this never get boring. Everyone is used to winning and breaking some records. I’m still trying to find my way through this and do my job. I want to better myself every year and take what each season has to offer.

Maciej Kmisek, WP SportoweFakty

See also: Final Grand Prix Series Rankings
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