Avintia Racing’s Hector Barbera looks ahead to the 2015 season with renewed optimism after taking a step forward in terms of competitiveness last year.

The 2014 campaign saw the Spanish rider switch to Ducati machinery for the final third of the season and he enjoyed a significant upturn in results in the concluding rounds.

There was a big improvement for you towards the end of last season after you changed bikes…

"When I got onto the Ducati I found a huge difference in power, stability, braking and acceleration. The Desmosedici was superior in all areas, including electronics, considering it was a new bike for me. Up until then I was on a bike that had some problems, but then I moved onto a real prototype."

This season you’re on the Ducati again and staying with the same team. Is it right to think your expectations have been raised?

"Our aims for the new season are clearly higher than last year. There will be four factory Hondas and four Yamahas which are going to be very difficult to beat, plus two factory Ducatis, but you never know what can happen in any race. Under normal circumstances we should be between the eighth and 12th. I should be fighting against Pramac Ducatis, which I think is possible, in addition to the Forward Racing Yamaha riders."

Do you know yet which version of the Desmosedici you will have?

"We still don’t know because they haven’t finished preparing the bike. It is not decided whether it will appear in the first or second test, or if it will work right from the start. So what we get depends on all this. I think we will have the latest evolution of the engine, but I can’t be sure. As I understand it, the engine braking will work like on the factory bike, and that had been a big problem for us. If we get this and have good suspension I think the bike would improve a lot."

In 2016 everyone will have the same electronics. Do you see that as good for you?

"Yes, of course. When we were working with the rules CRT it felt like it was a wasted time because we didn’t have any way forward. However, we now have the feeling that, even if we are at some disadvantage, we’re working towards the future."

What have you been doing over the winter?

"I'm cycling on the road almost every day, going to the gym and practicing motocross, dirt track and cross country skiing, in addition to training at altitude. I think this year I’m better prepared than ever. I don’t have injuries, so I'm buzzing. This is a project that makes me feel confident and really excited, it is not just a lottery like last year and the previous season felt. Knowing that you can count on the professionalism of the Ducati technicians makes all the difference."