Jake Gagne is under no illusions about the remainder of the 2018 WorldSBK season; he’s racing for his future. The American has had a challenging rookie campaign, and it is almost certain that he won’t be retained by the Red Bull Honda squad for next year.

That being so, the San Diego native is excited to get back on track this weekend in Portimao, and use the final four rounds of the season as a springboard for his future.

“It’s been a hell of a ride,” said a smiling Gagne. “It’s no joke racing in WorldSBK. I don’t think that I’ve not shown what I can do yet. I’ve not reached my potential yet because there’s so much for me to learn.”

“Whether it’s bike, tires, or tracks ,you’re going up against riders and teams that have that experience. It takes time to learn and there’s a lot to learn. It’s a huge step from MotoAmerica, and it’s bigger than I thought beforehand.”

“I knew that I was jumping in at the deep end but the depth is so much better. The bikes and the variables with them are more complex. In MotoAmeica, I didn’t have to change much other than a click or two because I’d just go out there and ride my ass off. Here you have to think about so much more. In Moto America, I was thinking about 10 or 15 things, but here its 50 things!”

That level of complexity surprised Gagne. Coming from the Moto America Championship, the Honda rider feels that even the top teams and riders in the domestic series would struggle to make the adaptation. The resources available to riders and teams are so much greater at the world level.

For Gagne the switch was even more pronounced, with his American squad having been severely outgunned when compared to the likes of Graves Yamaha or Yoshimura Suzuki.

“I’ve been slammed into the ground a bunch of times this year, but I’ve enjoying it and I’ve learned a lot. The approach you need to takes for racing at this level and what you need to do to set the bike up have been the biggest lessons.”

“Obviously I’d prefer to have some better results, but I want to try and finish the season as strong as I can. I’ve made some mistakes but these guys are the best in the world.

“In terms of my riding, I was probably a bit too pumped up coming into the year. Riding harder isn’t always riding better or riding faster. That was always my style, and I know that sometimes it means that I go backwards or it develops some other issues for me, so it’s been important to relax, stay calm and understand the bike better.”

“I know that being at the limit all the time isn’t the best thing all the time. I’ve learned how I need to set the bike up with chassis or suspension changes and obviously the electronics. I’ve never had to deal with so many variables that can be changed.”

Gagne admits that the biggest variable that needed to be changed at times throughout the season was his mentality. Knowing what to expect and having the confidence to let the weekend come to him has taken time. It takes five years to get five years experience in any job, but Gagne has tried to shortcut some of his inexperience by riding to the absolute limit.

At times he has looked ragged, at times he has looked quick. His home round at Laguna Seca has been the high point because his experience at the Californian circuit meant he knew what to expect. Knowing how the bike should feel is necessary for any rider to go fast, but for a rookie that’s even more the case. At Laguna Gagne was able to claim two top ten finishes.

“Your mentality is so important, and how I approached the weekend and tried to over-ride the bike was an issue. I know that turning myself down to 90% can make a big difference to my performance and consistency, and being able to set the bike up. I need to think about the bike over the stint more than thinking about corner by corner.”

“Throughout the season I know that I’ve been able to give everything I possibly could on every day. I know that each day that I could have done things differently but I also have no had regrets at the end of any day.”

“My crew have always been very supportive and for the last four rounds the target is to get closer to the top ten. I know that I can do better but there’s so many pieces that you have to put together.”

“I know in the last few rounds that I was riding too hard, but two Top 10 finishes at Laguna at least was good. It was the best of the year and obviously knowing the track helped and having last year’s data to compare it to helped. It was an easier start to the weekend because rather than playing catch-up I knew what to expect. I’ve raced at Portimao, Magny-Cours, and Qatar so I know what to expect there.”

Gagne certainly didn’t know what to expect when he made the move to Europe and WorldSBK. Despite having raced in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, he had spent little time outside the US. When racing in the Rookies Cup, he travelled to and from America, but this year he made a point to travel, explore and live in Europe.

“I’ve definitely stepped out of comfort zone this year. In Rookies Cup, the maximum time I spent in Europe was about a month because I stayed in the US as much as possible. I was always with my family at that time, but this year I’ve been on my own and stayed in Europe for months at a time.”

“It’s been really cool because even though San Diego is the best city in the world, it’s been a lot of fun to live in Holland and see some other countries. It’s not just about the airport and the track now because I’ve seen cities this time and tried to enjoy it as much as I can. I’m here to race bikes, but I’m a person too and it’s important to see some cool shit too!”

“I’ve no real regrets about this year. It’s not part of my personality to be honest. The past is the past and you need to learn from it and move on. I’ve learned a lot this year! I’ve had a few too many big crashes from getting a bit too excited, but it’s no joke racing in WorldSBK. You’ve got to push to keep up with them,

“I know my ass is on the line for next year, and that I’ve got to keep learning and finish the year strong. I don’t want to have any regrets. I want to be able to look back and be proud. I want to stay in WorldSBK, but I don’t know what will happen for next year. I’ll try my best and make some headway to get some good results. If I can’t be back in WorldSBK, it’ll probably be back to America for me.”

Photos: © 2018 Jensen Beeler / Asphalt & Rubber – All Rights Reserved