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Hopkins says first podium was dad's doing
After half a decade in MotoGP racing, John Hopkins finally took his first ever podium last weekend, a feat that he has attributed to the guiding hand of his late father.
The Suzuki rider started the Chinese GP in the front row and after passing Dani Pedrosa and Marco Melandri, briefly challenged Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi for the lead, before opting to consolidate in the final laps and clinch a top three finish.
Now in his sixth season, this was Hopkins' first ever podium and he was quick to pay tribute to the influence of his father, an ex-pat Londoner who once participated in the Isle of Mann Touring Trophy and who first introduced Hopkins Junior to motorcycling.
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He said afterwards: "I am so happy with the way the race went and I want to dedicate my first podium to my dad!
"Without doubt he was watching me and he certainly helped get me through to the finish - there will be more of these to come!"
Hopkins also thanked the rest of his family for their unwavering support and gave credit to both Suzuki and Bridgestone for the advancements they have made with his bike and tyres respectively, enabling him to really compete in China.
Having never finished a season higher than tenth, he is nonetheless now sitting fifth in the overall standings after four races, albeit with less than half the points total accrued so far by current leader Stoner.
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