Fresh from putting pen to paper on his new two-year contract with Vertigo Motors, James Dabill was eager to give his initial reaction to this new situation for the twenty-eight year old British rider.
VM: Firstly we would like to welcome you to the Vertigo Family.
JD: Thank you very much and I am very grateful to the whole team and Manel Jane for putting their faith in me.
VM: Can you explain where you are at the moment and what you are currently up to?
JD: I am currently sat in the R+D department of Vertigo in Barcelona with my new Team Manager Dougie, after my first day of testing proper with the new bike and team.
VM: Although from what you are telling us you have had very limited time on the new Combat machine what are your initial impressions?
JD: Yes to me first impressions mean a lot no matter what you say. And let me say it's a very good first impression as I am happy and surprised at just how good the bike really is already. It feels a lot different to what I have been used to, but I am sure with plenty of hours on the bike it will start to feel more familiar to me.
VM: Some people might say that it is a big decision for you to become a part of this new project, what would you say to them?
JD: It has been a massive decision, but one that I am really proud to be a part of. I believe it is the best decision for this stage of my career and I think a lot of people will be surprised at how good the Vertigo really is.
VM: How much of an influence was Dougie Lampkin's involvement in you becoming a Vertigo rider?
JD: It is one of the main reasons why I am sat here now as a Vertigo rider. He has been a big influence in more ways than he perhaps knows in my career so far. Therefore to have the chance to work with your childhood hero and somebody as technically good as what Dougie is was a no brainer. His knowledge for this project is priceless.
VM: What are your plans between now and your debut outing at Sheffield on 3rd January 2015?
JD: I will be back and forth to Spain testing, riding and training as much as I can to give us the best opportunity for as good a result as possible, as well as juggling family time to relax with my wife and son.
VM: Have you allowed yourself to think just how massive a night it is going to be for you in front of your home fans on a new bike?
JD: I don't want to think about it too much at this moment as I need to focus on the job in hand and we have a lot of work to do before then. Obviously I am a little nervous, but very excited too. I am sure the home crowd will be behind me every inch of the way as they always are.
VM: What goals have you and the team set yourself for 2015?
JD: We need to focus on working hard and to get the best results as possible from the Vertigo Combat prototype, but there is no reason from my point of view why we can't be fighting at the sharp end as much as possible. The goal we have as a team is to continue to develop the bike so we can have the absolute best production bike possible.
VM: Good luck and we look forward to seeing you and the new Combat in action very soon.
JD: Thanks again and see you all at Sheffield soon.