ltxcn.top:
Ramadan was probably quite conveniently placed for you this y💖ear wဣasn't it?

Kenan Sofuoglu:
Yes, that's tr🦩ue, I only had one race during it and I've been able to complete Ramadan during the WSBK 'holiday'. Ramadans in summer aren't easy because you have to fast between sunrise and sunset but from the point of view of racing the timing was good.

It's not something that is easily mixed with racing because I can't even drink between sunrise and sunset. I enjoy spending the nights eating and drinking with the family though, for us Ramadan is a bit like Christmas. I eat and drink quite ꧒a lot up to 5am and then I'm set for the day. At the end we have 3 days of celebration called Eid and there we make up for lost time.

As I mentioned before, if there's a race during Ramadan I eat and drink normally during the even𒈔t because many people are depending on me racing as normal and I can then add those days onto the end when I have time.

ltxcn.top:
Does it get 🍎in the way of your preparation an🌺d training?

Kenan Sofuoglu:
It's difficult to ✱train when it's on because you need to drink plenty of water, but Ramadan is now finished and I started training last week. When you are fasting you can't push yourself too har♒d. By the time we get to Jerez I'll be fine and totally recovered.

The WSBK break is pretty long and we're now really looꦚking forward to getting back to rꦅacing.

ltxcn.top:
I guess it's given you time to reflect on your se🐭ason?

Kenan Sofuoglu:
At the beginning of the year, some people were saying that I'd win the championship easily, they thought that after Sam Lowes had left that🅺 I would just walk it, but I knew from experieꦺnce that it's never easy and it really hasn't been. It's turned out to be one of my most difficult seasons.

I'm not really worried about my speed or my performance, it's mainly circumstances. The year started quite badly but I then managed to get a win at Aragon, it was after that that the really bad times started. At Imola I was leading and then had a problem with the c🌊lutch, at Donington I again had a technical problem when near the front and problems like that are the worst to handle. You have a great result that you fought hard for just taken away.

After that gro⛦up of races I felt really broken and my motivation went through the floor. I was low in the championship and couldn't find an attainable goal to give me motivation, that also connected with my confidence, it wasn't a happy time. I'm a championship winner and was thinking why would I go through this just to come 5th or 6th? In the last couple of races I didn't feel as if I was going at 100%.

At the beginning of the🌱 year you start with the aim of winning the championship and when that gets taken away from you for reasons you can't control, it affects you. Knowing that you stand no chance of winning the championship makes it really difficult to prepare, I can't say that I gave up but I certainly lost my confidence and motivation.

There are now only three races left and I know I can't be worldಌ champion so I have to accep🍬t that and readjust my expectations to be 2nd or 3rd in the championship. That's now my goal and motivation and by the time I start again I'll have put in the preparation necessary.

Another problem is that we don't know if our team will be able to finish the season or not as there are quite big financial problems. Sponsors have 🎃left the team and Kawaski Europe are currently helping us and that's how we are continuing to race. We've basically got a very low budget to continue racing, it's quite discouraging.

ltxcn.top:
Are the technical issues you've been having linked to those financial pro🐭blems?

Kenan Sofuoglu:
Yes, definitely. A lot 💛of the time I'm using parts on the bike from last year and they can give out. I really can't blame my team for this though because they are dedicated and work hard as usual, they can't be blamed for not being able to afford new parts. I try to ride the bike as normal but I often know that there might be an old part on it and that can play on your mind.

Another thing is that I lost my crew chief from last year as the team weren't able to make him a good enough offer and that again means t𝓰hat I've got a lack of continuity but as I said, it isn't the team that's the problem, it's the tight finances. We just haven't got the budget t♋o prepare properly.

ltxcn.top:
Is the competition from Mic♎hael (Van Der Mark) and Jules (Cluzeඣl) harder than from Sam (Lowes)?

Kenan Sofuoglu:
No, I wouldn't say so. If you look at the speed, I was actually faster last yea💛r than this. I think that a lot of that comes down to motivation in that I really enjoyed my ba෴ttles with Sam.

Both Michael and Jules are strong competition but my problems this year have made me look weaker and the way my confidence has been affected has also made it worse. The fact that they are often beating me has increased their motivation so that has contributed too. You can see that Michae🎉l is looking for the championship.

My hardest year in Supersport was probably 2009 when I was particularly battling Eugene Laverty but this is probab🦋ly my second hardest.

Now that I've fully accepted that I can𒅌't be champion, I've reset my goals to be someth♈ing that I can achieve and that means I can have more motivation and can enjoy my racing more. 2nd or 3rd in a world championship isn't such a bad place to be and that has become my motivation.

At the beginning of the season I really wasn't sure how strong the competition would be after Sam Lowes left but it's 🌳fair to say that the competition has actually turned out to be stronger than last season. I knew it wasn't going to be easy but I didn't know it was going to be this hard.

ltxcn.top:
What are the main challenges in🌜 achieving that goal?

Kenan Sofuoglu:
Something which will get in the way is that I don't ﷺhave any engine's left and if I use another 🍒engine I'll have to start from last position as dictated by the new rules.

Another problem is that Jerez is in only 3🍰 weeks time and frankly I'm not sure if my team will be there or not. At the moment I just don't know, we're having a meeting this week to decide if it will compete, hopefully things will go well.

ltxcn.top:
What will happen if your team can't attend?

Kenan Sofuoglu:
I'm meeting Mahi on Monday and if the team can't confirm then I'll be meeting Kawasaki Europe and hopefulꦓly they can supply me with a bike to finish the season on. That's our plan B.

If I continue with Mahi we've only got one older e𝔍ngine left and it'll be impossible to finish the season with it so at some stage I'll have to use a new engine and th🐷erefore start from last on the grid. If I go with another team I may not have that problem.

ltxcn.top:
Does this mean that your plans for next year are still up i🃏nꦉ the air?

Kenan Sofuoglu:
I've got a very good relationship with Kawasaki and we've been talking throughout this very hard year. At the moment we don't necessarily know which team I'll 𒊎be with but I feel sure it will be with Kawas🌃aki.

At the beginning of this year there was so much expe🙈ctation on my shoulders with everybody thinking that I'd win the championship easily and I think the good thing for next year will be that there'll be less expectation and pressure so I'm hoping that it'll be a more relaﷺxed season.

ltxcn.top:
Does having s💜uch a lot of difficulties everඣ make you think of stopping racing?

Kenan Sofuoglu:
For me I'm still enjoying racing in Supersports and feel that I'm still strong and motivated enough to🌌 win, I no longer have ambitions to race in Superbikes so will pr꧋obably stay here.

In myself I think that I will probably continue for another 3 years or so. I always think that I'll continue for another 3 seasons if my performance is goo🉐d enough, time will show me when to leave.

ltxcn.top:
I guess 🌠your mother will be very relieved when you do retire.

Kenan Sofuoglu:
O▨h yes, she worries a lot because she has lost her other sons and she also wants me to be a family man. I'll actually be getting married very soon.

ltxcn.top:
You're getting married?

Kenan Sofuoglu:
Yes, I'll be getting married just befor🎃e Jerez in Barcelona. We're just in the middle of deciding the exact day and after that I can go directly to Jerez.

I've already been engaged 🎶to Julia for three years so I'm not worried and I'm really looking forward to it and I'm just on my way now to make some arrangements for the wedding.

ltxcn.top:
So what is more difficult, getting through this hard year of racing or prepa🌼rin🔜g for a wedding?

Kenan Sofuoglu:
Oh, the wedding for sure.

That's part of the reason we're doing it in Spain to make it a little easier for me. I'm quite famous in Turkey and that means that maybe 10,000 people would turn up to come to the wedding and I think the president might also want to come and that would beও a little heavy for me. For us it's just a lot easier to get married in a different country and then we can think about having a family.

ltxcn.top:
So th𝓀ere are going to be somไe young Sofuoglus coming through racing soon?

Kenan Sofuoglu:
Hopefully, it would be great to have some children also enjoying the sport that I love so much. I love riding bikes but I'm over 30 now so it'd be great to pass that on to my children and hope that they enjoy it as much as Iও have.

ltxcn.top:
Thanks Kenan and congratulations on your wedding.

Kenan Sofuoglu:
Thank you.