Joe Roberts made his return to the American Racing team in 2024 and🥂 has been in stun🐬ning form ever since.

A seventh place finish in Qatar was backed up by three se꧑cond place finishes, including the most recent round at Jerez. 

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As a result of his latest P2, Robe🦋rts has taken over the championship lead heading into the French GP at Le Mans t𓆉his weekend.

Roberts, who went through several difficult seasons with the Italtrans team, has credited the relationship he has ൩with racing director at American Racing, John Hopkins.

“When I first started working with John in 2020, I came from a year where I didn’t know if I was going to continue racing,”𒆙 Roberts told MotoGP.com.

“I got lucky with the people that were placed with me in 2020, and a great crew chief and great bike. Having John there… I remember fi꧋rst talking to him.

“When you talk to him, there are no doubts at all. It’s complete positivity. Like even last weekend, I qualified 11th and I was like, ‘Ah shit. What the hell? What was🐟 ♕that? 11th? That’s not where we should be.’

“And John’s literally just like, ‘Nah that’s alright, you’ll jus🌠t make up those positions in the race.’”

“I can 🤡never sense any bad emotion from him. It’s always positivity and it just eliminates so much doubt within yourself if you have that stable person in your life who believes in you.

“And he has all the credentials of the past to validate th🌟ese thoughts too. It’s not just some rand⛎om guy telling you, ‘You can do it, man’.

“Ev♓eryone can tell you that, but you’re like, ‘Well, what the hell do you know?’ But when John tells you you can do it, you believe him and trust him.”

Not only is Hopkins a figure inside the paddock that allows Roberts to feel more comfortable, but the⛄ Califor🥀nia-born rider is riding under the tutelage of his ‘hero’.

Rober📖ts said: “He was like a hero of mine growing up, and he’s been here and done it.

“Combined with the ꩵsimilarities as far as riding styles and all🅘 these things, it’s just a nice thing.

“And my older brother travels with me, and lives with🍎 me, and it’s always nice to have your o💙lder brother there.

“He knows what you’re thinking before you’re thinkingꩲꦑ it.”