Marco Melandri is a name that is familiar to all racing fans. He came into professional racing from a young age, and competed against that bloke we all know, what’s his name? Oh yeah, Valentino Rossi...

Marco then came to World Superbikes and immediately started turning heads, infamously falling out with Biaggi on many occasions and doing the odd move on track which made us question his motives...but there is no denying how incredible he is at his work, and he is increasingly interesting to watch and a definite competitor for the championship crown this season. We had the chance to have a chat with him as everybody set up for the weekend, and this is what happened:

First of all, how is your shoulder? (Ed: After injuring it last season, Melandri then had that crash with Checa in Australia which made surgery necessary).

It’s getting better. Last week I was riding in Jerez and it was actually not so bad, but then after the test I was struggling because I had something like inflammation, but now it’s not so bad – I feel OK.

How did the surgery go?

It was good, but, actually, at the beginning the idea was just to clean it up, and in the end the damage was more than we expected and they actually cut part of the bones here (he gestures at his right collar bone) at the collar bone, and the ligaments too. So the recovery was not easy but, fortunately, I had enough time. Also, even if I had not been 100% I would have been stronger in my head than at Phillip Island because I know I’m OK now.

What are you looking forward to the most this season?

I’m looking just to come back and get some wins. Here last year was a bad race, so for me to fight for the podium would be really good. But it was a difficult winter, I think now my championship can start – I mean now from after this race, I can be 100% and start to work properly on the bike. It won’t be easy but I know now that I can be competitive.

So are you feeling more comfortable on the bike and in this paddock now?

Yeah I feel OK, I think when a rider is fast on a track he feels OK anywhere!

How do you feel now you haven’t got Biaggi to race against?

For me, I don’t care. Every rider on track is a rival. There is no Biaggi on track anymore but Guintoli has replaced him, who is also good. So that doesn’t matter to me.

What would be your highlight of last season?

Actually, we couldn’t expect results that at the beginning, but when I look at our results after Russia, where we were leading the championship, we then didn’t get to end the season nicely. It was up and down, but we learnt many things.

Are you expecting to win this year?

No, I just expect to have fun when I’m riding and do my best. I want to win but I don’t expect anything.

So if you weren’t racing motorbikes for a living, what do you think you’d be doing?

I don’t know. I was a pro-rider when I was fifteen, so I had no time to have a choice.

Is there anything you’d want to try?

Not now, maybe in ten years! Have you got any hobbies off track, for instance like John Hopkins when he skydives?

Yeah, I like to pilot planes. I have a two-seater plane and I’m getting my licence to drive a four-seater. So maybe I could be a pilot! I love it, I don’t like to travel for racing, just to fly, but if I’m the pilot I like it. But maybe to do it for work would be too much, I would like to see what the world can offer me out of the motorcycle racing, though.

Will you carry on racing for as long as you possibly can or have you got an age you’d like to retire by?

I don’t know, I would like to race as long as I have fun and can be strong.

Do you think you’d ever go back to Moto GP?

Again, I don’t know – everything is changing so quickly here and at Moto GP. For sure I want to race there to have a chance to be competitive, but I don’t want to be just a number. At the moment there aren’t many bikes there that are able to go fast enough.

What made you want to be a motorbike racer in the first place?

Just the passion, when I was a kid I was in love with the bikes and ever since I remember it was not my hobby or passion, it was part of my life. I cannot see my life without motorbikes. I was lucky because my family had no money, so I found the right people at the right time and I was able to grow very quickly.

Do you think we’ll see Valentino here one day?

I don’t know – you should ask him! (He laughs) like I said to you, I don’t care who I race against – every rider is the same on track.

Do you have a good relationship with the other riders off track?

Yeah, actually in Superbikes you can have that. Moto GP felt like that friendship wasn’t allowed, or something like that. For sure, the atmosphere is friendlier here. More racing paddocks should be like this, because we are all here for the passion and travelling together so it is good to be rivals on track but then be friendly, also.

Marco seemed incredibly relaxed ahead of this weekend, and approachable. Again, BMW looked after us very well through this interview (the ice cream in their hospitality is incredible), and thank you to the team and Marco for their time. Live updates from this weekend at Aragon can be found on our facebook page, or alternatively you can follow us on twitter at @MotorbikesToday – or you could do both!