Senna Agius: “I’ve been playing catch-up for five years”

Senna Agius is now one of the top riders in the Moto2 World Championship. The Australian regularly battles for podium places and victories and, as things stand, is set to move up to MotoGP. In 2027, Agius is due to compete for the Tech3 KTM team in the premier class.

The fact that he is now on the verge of taking this career step is anything but a foregone conclusion. His path has differed fundamentally from that of many of his European rivals. In an exclusive interview with SPEEDWEEK.com, Agius described just how significant the structural disadvantage for young riders from Australia was even a few years ago.

Why it is significantly more difficult for non-Europeans

“I do believe that many people underestimate just how difficult this path was,” explained the Australian during the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring. “The opportunities available at a young age are crucial. That’s precisely when you lay the foundations. Today, there are certainly far more opportunities in Australia and Asia than there used to be, but when I started out, things were very different.”

Whilst European talents were able to train almost daily on permanent circuits from an early age, Agius lacked these opportunities. “When I came to Europe at the age of twelve, thirteen or fourteen, I only then realised how things work here. It’s completely normal for children to head to the racetrack after school. From the age of five, six or seven, they ride there almost every day. I didn’t have that sort of opportunity.”

Senna Agius im Gespräch mit SPEEDWEEK.com-Mitarbeiter Sebastian Fränzschky

Foto: Gerhard Schiel

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Instead of on tarmac, Agius initially developed his skills in off-road racing. It was only later that he managed to make the switch to circuit motorcycles. “During the time when I should actually have been riding road bikes, I was almost exclusively involved in off-road racing. That’s why I first had to adapt my skills to road racing.”

The 21-year-old’s honest self-assessment

In the Moto2 rider’s view, this missing phase of development cost him valuable years. “I missed out on a crucial part of my training. That’s why I’ve been playing catch-up for the past five years.”

It is only very recently that he has felt he has fully made up the ground. “For about one and a half to two years now, I’ve felt for the first time that I’m really on the same level as the others. That’s the honest truth.”

Looking back, the move to Europe was by far the biggest challenge of his career so far. “It was incredibly difficult. I think a lot of people underestimated just how big a challenge it actually was.”