Versione in italiano qui.
One of the most interesting rookies that joined Supersport World Championship in 2024 is Kaito Toba. The Japanese rider, who won Asia Talent Cup in 2014, spent several seasons in Moto3 World Championship and even if he managed to win the Qatar GP in 2019 and score a number of podium finishes, he experienced highs and lows and a mix of factors prevented him from being consistently in the front.
For 2024 season, Toba decided to start a new chapter in his career, as he entered both Supersport World Championship with Petronas MIE Honda Racing and Moto2 European Championship with Promoracing Team. So far, the Jap struggled in WorldSSP due to a package that needs development, but he scored a remarkable sixth place in Assen as he stood out in Race 2 under mixed conditions, while he scored top 10 results as well in Moto2 EC (within the FIM JuniorGP paddock).
Palmen in Motorradsport had the chance to interview Kaito Toba during the Czech Round of WorldSSP in Most, and the final result is a lovely chat about this season, his experience in Moto3 World Championship and the future.
Kaito, let’s start from your season in World Supersport. How is it going?
So far it’s been quite difficult, because we are riding a 600cc machine and another manufacturers are using 800cc or 955cc ones. They are trying to balance their performance with the regulation, but the difference in power is still relevant, especially when it comes to torque. In any case we are getting closer, because Honda is trying to develop the bike and at the same time we are trying to further enhance the positive points of our CBR600RR. I really enjoy being here.
What is the main difference between Moto3 and Supersport?
I was in Moto3 quite long time and I can say that in such class you need a bit of luck and also slipstream. On the other hand, on a bigger bike you need to have more control. I have the feeling that the rider is more important in Supersport than in Moto3.
What can you say instead about your season in the Moto2 European Championship?
So far I have improved a lot, I could not take part in the first round in Misano, because it was clashing with the WorldSSP round in Assen, but during the three rounds I have raced so far I made continuous steps forward. Estoril was difficult, since it was a new circuit for me and the weather changed all the time, but I could finish my first race in Moto2 in the points. In Barcelona I struggled, also because the weather was again unstable. In Portimão, we had a quite good package and the weather was finally stable, so I could finally work properly on my feeling with the bike. In both races I was fast (8th and 6th, ed), but especially in Race 2 I made a terrible start and I ended up outside the points. I could still recover a lot of positions and finish 6th, and I believe that with a normal start I could have fought for the podium. I feel that if I raced in Moto2 World Championship, I would be close to the points.
What’s your goal for this season, in both championships?
My goal in Supersport is trying to be in the top 10, while in Moto2 I want to win. However, in Moto2 European Championship it is a bit tricky, because I need to bring sponsors to race there and at this moment I need more budget than the one available, if I want to reach my goal. On the other hand, I can say that I don’t have to bring budget to race in WorldSSP, so I can focus fully on my performance and reaching the best results possible.
What reasons led you to this change from Moto3 to Supersport and Moto2 EC?
My dream is to race in MotoGP and since I was stuck in Moto3 for quite some time, I knew it was about time to change. I got the offer to race in World Supersport with Honda and I accepted it, but at the same time I wanted to race in Moto2 as well and that’s how I started working with Promoracing Team. Also the tyres are now the same in both Moto2 European Championship and Supersport World Championship (supplied by Pirelli, ed) and racing in two different series allows me to spend more time on the bike, so I am happy.
This 2024 campaign, which sees you racing in two different championships, comes after many years you spent in Moto3 from 2017 until 2023. What can you say about those seasons?
I have to say I was a bit too young when I came to Moto3 World Championship. When you are very young, you just want to win and you feel you’re doing everything in the right way, but then you realize that you have to learn a lot and work hard. When I reached a good level, I didn’t have luck with the bike and the team, because I was riding a Honda and back in the day, the gap from KTM was even bigger than now if we exclude Leopard Racing and few more teams. However, the situation improved later and in 2023 I was quite consistent and managed to be close to the top 10 in the championship standings. Overall my time in Moto3 WC was difficult, but I learned quite a lot and improved my skill, plus I was able to spend seven years there and I know how hard it is. Now, I’m happy that I managed to move to a different category.
What are your best and worst memories from the time you spent in Moto3 World Championship?
The best memory I have is my first win in Qatar, back in 2019, while my worst memory is the first couple of seasons on the world stage, so 2017 and 2018. I had won the Asia Talent Cup in 2014 and then I had achieved good results also in CEV Moto3 and Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup, so it was bad to come to the world championship and see that on some circuits I knew, my laptimes were even slower than those I had set in CEV one year before. Moreover, in 2017 the team treated me like a rookie, so I basically had to adjust to the bike and they didn’t listen to my comments. The situation repeated the year after, but I adapted to the bike and I could improve compared to my rookie season. It was a very hard time for me, but my love for motorcycle racing kept me going.
And in 2019 you managed to win the Moto3 race in Qatar.
That was a beautiful moment, but the season overall was again very hard. I was often fighting in the front group, but ended up crashing either because of my mistakes, or because I was pushing even if my bike was not very competitive. In any case, I wasn’t the same rider I later became in 2023 and I am sure that with the mentality I had last year, I could have fought for the championship in 2019.
How have you changed in the last few years compared to when you made your debut in Moto3 World Championship?
As the years go by, you realize what you need to change to improve and fight first for the points and then for the victory. In my case, I think I have become calmer and now I try to analyze everything calmly.
Another question for you: how is the WorldSBK paddock compared to MotoGP?
I prefer the paddock of WorldSBK, since it’s more “relaxed” and there is less pressure, but I also like to be in the MotoGP one.
At this stage of your career, what’s your goal for the future?
At the moment I am not sure on whether I want to stay in the WorldSBK paddock or go back to MotoGP, since it depends also on the offers I receive for next year. In any case, I feel I am in the position where I can choose the path to follow: I could go to Moto2 World Championship and then to MotoGP, but I can also get there by scoring good results in Supersport and then in Superbike, so I get the attention of a manufacturer that races as well in MotoGP. We will see what happens, but I feel confident about my future.
In conclusion, is there anyone you want to thank for the experiences you have lived so far and you will live in the future?
There are many people and entities I am grateful to. One of them is Dorna, because if I am here it’s also thanks to Asia Talent Cup, and a big “thank you” goes as well to Midori Moriwaki, because she gave me the chance to ride in WorldSSP.
Palmen in Motorradsport is thankful to Kaito Toba for the time he dedicated to this interview and wishes him all the best for the next races and seasons.