McWilliams: MotoGP can make or break you

Former MotoGP star Jeremy McWilliams' fellow countrymen Eugene Laverty and Jonathan Rea are proven race winners at world championship level in World Superbikes. Both have also expressed aspirations of progressing to MotoGP in the future, with Laverty linked to the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 team at the end of last season before he joined the Aprilia World Superbike outfit, while Rea has tested a Honda RC212V. McWilliams naturally understands the desire of young riders to try their luck in the unforgiving arena of grand prix racing, but warned that a failed foray into MotoGP can have damaging consequences. “We're very lucky that we have Jonathan Rea and Eugene Laverty competing at such a high level in World Superbikes,” he said. “But MotoGP can either make or break you, whereby you could enter MotoGP for a year or two years and race away without ever really being picked up again by another team, or you could seize your chance, make your mark and do very well out of it like the Crutchlows of this world. “Eugene wasn't going anywhere in the 250cc Grand Prix class and it looked like his career was all but washed up, but he jumped into Supersport and did very well. Now he's in World Superbikes and he's one of the most sought after riders in the paddock. “It's a massive risk to take because it could also spell the end of your career if you don't succeed, but every rider aspires to being a MotoGP rider.” McWilliams, a 250GP winner, remains the last British rider to stand on the premier-class grand prix rostrum - a record Crutchlow is now being tipped to break in 2012.