“A rider will lose a second for every child born”, said Enzo Ferrari, one of his many famous quotes and one that continues to be proved wrong as the years pass by. Times are changing in fact, and many riders are choosing to embark on the adventure of parenthood while still young, and with a long racing career still ahead of them.

The confirmation

This is a trend seen in the MotoGP paddock for one, where Aleix Espargaró is the father to twins Max and Mia, who are almost three. The Spaniard is now riding a competitive Aprilia RS-GP and is showing real potential. Brother Pol already has a daughter and both Maverick Viñales and Alex Rins will soon experience the joy of fatherhood.

Cal Crutchlow was the first to become a parent, daughter Willow often joining him in the paddock during race weekends. She was born in August 2016 and shortly afterwards, at Brno, the British rider scored his first MotoGP win. And then there’s SBK legend, Jonathan Rea. He has scored six consecutive titles and is happily married with two children, so yes, perhaps we can say that times have definitely changed.

Translated by Heather Watson

Troy Bayliss: “MotoGP is becoming more like Moto3”