Akrapovič Magazine vol. 28-29 by Akrapovič

ISSUE 28-29

A DAY WITH JOAN MIR MAYRATA

SK8ER ON 2 WHEELS

Interview with Sébastien Loeb

I DON’T LIKE CRASHING The New BMW M4 GT3

FAST CARS AR E USUALLY B EAUTI FU L Driving and flying with PAL-V

I SELL FLYING CARS DOUG AITKEN – MASTER OF ARTISTIC INSTALLATION

CONSTANTLY ACCELERATING WORLD A column by Toby Moody

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C ont e nt s

A K RAP OV I Č Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine Issue 28-29, April 2021 Akrapovič d.d. Malo Hudo 8a SI-1295 Ivančna Gorica Slovenia www.akrapovic.com Editor in Chief: Miran Ališič Publisher: Korpmedia d.o.o. Tomšičeva 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia www.korpmedia.si Registration No.: 2272237000 VAT No.: SI14601737 Client Coordinator: Primož Jurman Photo Editor: Bor Dobrin Art Directors: Slavojka Akrapovič, Neja Engelsberger, Saša Kerkoš Cover design: Zdenko Bračevac Content Editor: Jasna Milinković Contributors: Nataša Andlovec, Alenka Birk, Volker Hirth, Matevž Hribar, Randy Jennings, Jakica Jesih, Primož Jurman, Gaber Keržišnik, Toby Moody, Simon Patterson, Mitja Reven, Igor Španjol Contributing Photographers: Alex Štokelj, Aston Martin Racing, Bor Dobrin, BRX, Ducati, Ivana Krešić, Kawasaki, MV Agusta, Primož Jurman, Suzuki Translation: Matjaž Horvat, Werner Schneider Proofreading: Katarina Mahnič Ad space marketing: www.yvision.ch Y.Vision GmbH, Poststrasse 9, 6300 Zug, Switzerland On the cover: Evolution Line (Titanium) 30th Anniversary exhaust system for the Ferrari F8 Tributo Printing: LUart, Lepovče 42, 1310 Ribnica, Slovenia

// Si NOTE All the longer articles in the Akrapovič magazine include a text that will be marked with the // Si sign and placed in a special frame. The Akrapovič company is based in Slovenia and this is why we decided to keep this part of the text in Slovenian as well.

Copyright notice This magazine and its entire textual and pictorial content are subject to copyright. Any reproduction thereof without prior written consent of the copyright holder is prohibited. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Akrapovič d.d., the publishers or the editors. Not for sale. Printed in Slovenia in April 2021 in 6,000 copies.

Contents

05 Letter

06 Akrapovič News

12 Evolution

14 Champion

20 Travel With Us

26 Visit With Us

30 Evolution

36 Interview

44 Evolution

48 Visit With Us

60 Evolution

64 Travel With Us

68 Travel With Us

74 Original

78 High Gear

General Warning Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of its subsidiaries make any representation that the products comply with the air and/or noise emissions laws, or labeling laws, of any jurisdiction. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of the applicable laws where the products are to be used and to comply with those laws. Warning / USA Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, especially as those parts and systems modify, remove, or replace original equipment catalysts. Please consult the appropriate laws in your area before installing any aftermarket part or system on your vehicle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries or the sellers of the parts or systems make any representation that any of their parts or systems comply with any such laws. Warning / California California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts unless the California Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order regarding such part or system or unless the part or system is exempted by being used only on racing vehicles on closed courses. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries make any representation that any of their parts or systems has received such an Executive Order or that any of their parts or systems conform with the racing vehicles exemption. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of applicable California laws and to comply with those laws. CARB replacement part Product is considered a replacement part under the Air Resources Board of the California Environmental Protection Agency (»CARB«).

Letter

Photography: Mitja Ličar

It’s all about perspective Is 30 years a long or short period? Well, it depends of course. If I told you that 30 years ago the internet was made available for unrestricted commercial use, that the number of computers on the net reached 1 million in total, or that 30 years ago GSM, the first digital mobile phone network, was launched, would it feel as if it had happened a long time ago? In today’s world of ubiquitous connections, when conferencing systems have become the norm, the abovementioned facts seem almost like a galaxy far, far away. 30 years is also a lot of time from a business perspective. Just remembering that Akrapovič was a one-man band in 1991, whereas today we have a workforce of over 1,300 employees, a globally recognised product and brand… It also seems as if 30 years ago happened in a different life. However, the path that we walked during all those years was often far from easy. There were many changes to face, numerous obstacles to overcome, ranging from political changes, wars in the neighbourhood, global economic crises, constant changes in regulations, new clients and many more. The company responded to such challenges, evolved its organization, its operations, its management, its sales network and, above all, it constantly evolved its products to serve the customers in the best possible way. In this edition’s interview Sébastien Loeb, the most successful rally driver so far, states: “I don’t like crashing.” His words surely apply to a successful business journey. The worst thing in a race is a crash, undoubtedly. You lose time, lose the race, get injured or, worst case scenario, even die. Driving at full speed and not crashing is not just a gift or a talent, it’s an art and a combination of several things: a perfect machine,

the driver’s talent, his knowledge and training, his physical and psychological condition and, added to all of the above, a bit of luck. The same goes for driving, or let’s say racing, a successful business at full speed for 30 years. You must have all the attributes of a world champion and the ability to manage and mitigate the risks along the way in order to minimise the probability of a fatal crash. Keeping all of the above in mind, one should be able to run a successful business also for the next 30 years. Let me end with a sincere thank you to everybody. Thank you to all our partners from the smallest to the biggest, from the first to the last, for trusting us throughout all these years. Thank you to all our employees, because our story wouldn’t be possible without you. Thank you to all our suppliers who supported us and our growing needs and requirements. Thank you to all our fans and customers, we will always try our best to turn your vehicle into a perfect machine. And last but not least, thank you to our families, who have been supporting us throughout this journey which could be best described by borrowing the words of Winston Churchill: “It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

Uroš Rosa CEO

A krapov ič Ne w s

30 Years of Building a Heritage The Akrapovič company is celebrating its 30th

testing ground for a product,” is how Igor

anniversary in 2021. Its founder, Igor Akrapovič,

Akrapovič sees the importance of racing. In its

created the company in 1991 because of his

first three decades of operations, the company

passion for technology, which grew out of

and its partners in various categories of

modifying motorcycles during his racing career.

motorsport racing won 140 world championship

He started developing and manufacturing

titles. But Igor Akrapovič’s thoughts are, as

exhaust systems for racing motorcycles before

always, focused on the future: “Development

quickly making his state-of-the-art products

and curiosity drive us forward to keep looking

available to the general motorcycle segment

for solutions to improve our products even more.”

and later to the car market. The constantly developing and growing company currently has

To mark the 30th anniversary, Akrapovič

more than 1,300 employees working in its two

engineers used the company’s long years of

modern facilities in Ivančna Gorica and Črnomelj

experience and know-how to design two special

(Slovenia). During its years of operations, it has

Evolution Line (Titanium) 30th Anniversary*

created a company-specific culture based on

exhaust systems for the Kawasaki Ninja

the desire of its employees to offer customers

ZX-10RR / ZX-10R and the Ferrari F8 Tributo,

the highest-quality exhaust systems and other

with a limited edition of only 30 pieces each.

products. The commitment to continuously invest in product and manufacturing technology

The Evolution Line (Titanium) 30th Anniversary

development is inextricably linked to racing. “I

exhaust system for the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R

look back at the company’s three decades of

and Ninja ZX-10RR is designed with a nod to

development, especially its racing history, with

the company’s racing heritage and to celebrate

great pride, because races are the toughest

the link between Akrapovič’s first WorldSBK

Akrapovič News

Pre-production model shown

06 / 11

race win and Jonathan Rea’s sixth consecutive

recommended), the system is constructed from

We invite you to read the special content

world title in WorldSBK, both of which were

high-grade lightweight titanium with the link

prepared for our 30th anniversary, marked with

achieved on a Kawasaki. Constructed from

pipes made from Inconel and many complex

the #30YearsAkrapovic hashtag on Akrapovič’s

lightweight high-grade titanium, the outer sleeve

parts cast in Akrapovič’s in-house foundry. The

official social networks, and to visit the

is black with a special golden front rosette

tailpipes are a combination of a cast titanium

30years.akrapovic.com website, where new

and the system is finished with a handcrafted

shell, which is then mechanically machined, and

content will be published this year, including a

carbon-fibre end cap. The system is 56.4%

inner part made using CMC (Ceramic Matrix

special issue of the Akrapovič

lighter than its stock counterpart, while power is

Composite), an ultra-light material regularly used

Lifestyle Magazine.

up by 8.2 kW (11.1 HP) at 8,550 rpm and torque

in extreme racing and aerospace industries. This

is 13.4 Nm higher at 3,600 rpm; these gains

unique exhaust produces a deep racing tone,

are measured from back-to-back tests on the

fully befitting the car’s V8 twin-turbocharged

Akrapovič in-house dyno with the standard stock

3.9-litre engine. Power is increased by an

exhaust system for comparison. Remapping is

extra 13.2 kW (17.9 HP) at 5,650 rpm, with a

mandatory because this product is intended for

torque gain of 33.6 Nm at 2,400rpm – obtained

closed course competition use only.

in back-to-back runs on the Akrapovič dyno

against a Ferrari F8 Tributo using a standard The Evolution Line (Titanium) 30th Anniversary

stock exhaust.

exhaust system for the Ferrari F8 Tributo is a work of art that perfectly demonstrates Akrapovič’s knowledge and expertise garnered and grown over the past 30 years. Developed for closed course competition only (remapping

* THIS PRODUCT DOES NOT MEET EMISSION COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR STREET OR HIGHWAY USE

Mr Dakar wins again Three decades after his first victory at the Dakar Rally on a Yamaha, Stéphane Peterhansel still continues finishing ahead of the rest at the world’s toughest rally. The Frenchman and his co-driver Edouard Boulanger won the 2021 race in the MINI JCW Buggy, giving Stéphane his 14th win and confirming why he truly deserves the Mr Dakar nickname. Mr Dakar is moreover the only driver to have won in all three settings of the rally – at the original rally in Africa, in South America, and now in Saudi Arabia. Confirming that the X-raid team is indeed up to the challenge were Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz, whose Akrapovič-equipped MINI JCW Buggy came in as third. X-raid team manager Sven Quandt had this to say after the demanding rally: “We’re delighted to have brought home this sixth win for MINI. We didn’t dare dream of first and third place ahead of the Dakar.”

Sixteen awards For the 16th year in a row, Motorrad magazine readers voted Akrapovič as the best motorcycle exhaust brand. A total of 53,133 readers cast their vote with a whopping 76.3% opting for the Slovenian brand. Voting was held for 22 different categories.

Le Mans and the Endurance Championship 2020 has proven to be very successful for Aston Martin Racing, whose Vantage GTE race cars were fitted with Akrapovič exhaust systems. Nicki Thiim and Marco Sørensen secured the 2019/2020 GT FIA World Endurance Drivers’ Championship and Aston Martin Racing also won the GTE class at the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans, with Alex Lynn, Maxime Martin and Harry Tincknell behind the wheel of the Vantage GTE.

06 / 11

Akrapovič News

The magnificent seven The 2020 racing season brought seven world championship titles to teams which were racing with Akrapovič exhaust systems on their motorcycles, including the MotoGP World Championship, which was won by Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). Other winning Akrapovič partners include Kawasaki Racing Team, with Jonathan Rea setting a new milestone with his sixth consecutive WorldSBK Championship crown, Albert Arenas of Gaviota Aspar Team winning the Moto3 World Championship, Izan Guevara (Openbank Aspar Team Junior) finishing first in the Moto3 Junior Class, and Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki MotoPort) taking the title in WorldSSP300.

Akrapovič was also successful off-road with Hamish Macdonald (Sherco CH Racing) beating the rest in Junior Enduro and Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) finishing ahead of the pack in MX2 Motocross World Championship.

Equipping Ducati Multistrada V4 Cooperation between Akrapovič and Ducati began in 2014 with the exhaust system for the Ducati Panigale, and continued with several innovative exhaust systems produced for various bikes made by the famous Italian brand. The fruit of the latest collaboration between the two companies are two exhaust systems tailor-made for the Multistrada V4 – a motorcycle that was created to rule on all roads. The bike is distinguished by high performance and a sporty character, combined with riding comfort and versatility. Both new exhausts, developed exclusively for this model, have a unique look to match that of the bike and are available through Ducati’s sales network. The duo is comprised of a racing exhaust system and an exhaust system with EC/ECE type approval.

Partnering with MV Agusta Akrapovič is delighted to announce a partnership with MV Agusta aimed at supplying the famous marque with a brand-new range of exhaust systems, uniquely designed to meet the Motorcycle Art philosophy, which MV Agusta is so well known for. “MV Agusta and Akrapovič have a very similar approach to industrial excellence, accepting nothing but the best. I welcome this partnership as a natural alliance between like-minded leaders in their own field, which will bring about many synergies and even better products for the enjoyment of motorcycle enthusiasts around the world,” is how Timur Sardarov, MV Agusta Motor S.p.A. CEO, welcomed the partnership.

Two new Red Dot awards The Red Dot expert panel gave Akrapovič two new awards, with the Slovenian company lauded for its “Ready for the Future Today” stand at the 2018 Milan Motorcycle Show (EICMA) and for its video “Akrapovič Tribute to Superbikes”. The special audiovisual presentation at the EICMA stand was meant to allow its visitors to fully experience the Akrapovič sound, as the engines had to remain turned off. Created to highlight the innovative ideas, key advantages of the exhaust system technology and aesthetic value of Akrapovič products, the fundamental sounds were first taken from raw exhausts sound recordings and then reconstructed into unique musical landscapes, melodies, and rhythms, merging the recognisable exhaust system sounds with music composition. Video recordings of the exhausts, materials, and processes were made, digitalised, and decomposed into several different parts featuring special details. Sound details were then used as fundamental elements and enhanced with digital animation elements to create a true “sound of Akrapovič” experience. This innovative sound design offered a unique presentation of the motorcycle sounds and highlighted the aesthetic value of Akrapovič sound engineering. Akrapovič’s “Tribute to Superbikes” was produced to strengthen its brand image and awareness in the superbike category, and released through the company’s social media channels. The film’s main message is that “When it comes to superbikes, Akrapovič is the answer”.

Bespoke exhaust for Hunter Akrapovič is a technical partner of the Bahrain Raid Xtreme team, which debuted at this year’s Dakar Rally with two completely new Hunter race cars, developed by Prodrive. Akrapovič and the British company moreover developed a bespoke exhaust system for the race car sporting a 3,5-litre V6 twin turbo engine, with Nani Roma piloting one car and Sébastien Loeb the other in Saudi Arabia. The BRX team did well at their first appearance at the toughest rally on the calendar, with Roma and his co-driver Alexandre Winocq finishing in fifth.

06 / 11

Akrapovič News

KTM X-BOW GT2 Akrapovič’s engineers have worked closely with their colleagues at KTM Sportcar GmbH to produce an exhaust system for the KTM X-BOW GT2, whose 2.5-litre turbocharged engine produces 441 kW (600 HP) and 720 Nm, while the whole package weighs in at only 1,048 kilograms. The Austrian race car is already chasing lap records on the track.

11 Photo:KTM Sportcar GmbH

100 years since the first motorcycle race in Slovenia 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the first motorcycle race on the territory of present-day Slovenia, which took place on 29 August 1920 near the capital Ljubljana. Motorcycle racing flourished in the following years, with the race to the Ljubelj mountain pass, first organised in 1931, receiving the lion’s share of the attention. After WWII, numerous venues sprung up in the then republic with almost every larger town organising their own races. Motorcycle racing in the former Yugoslavia got its first real international breakthrough in 1970 when the race on the Preluk road circuit near Opatija counted as part of the world championship – with quite a few Slovenian riders taking part. Not too long after, a dedicated Grobnik circuit was built in nearby Rijeka, where world championship races were held between 1978 and 1990. Akrapovič company founder and owner Igor Akrapovič also successfully raced there. His company now boasts 140 world champion titles, and in this way he continues to suitably represent Slovenian racing, ideas and technical solutions.

Motorsport aktuell awards Akrapovič won two additional laurels as the readers of Motorsport aktuell magazine held their annual best-brand vote. Akrapovič won in two categories for the eighth year running with the Slovenian company receiving 65.1% of the vote in the “Most Popular Brand in Automobile Racing Sports for Sports Exhaust Systems” category, and 77.6% of the vote in the “Most Popular Brand in Motorcycle Racing for Exhaust Systems”.

12 / 13 Evolution

Evolut ion

by Mitja Reven

photography Akrapovič, Automobili Lamborghini

Technical Partnership

Inside Lamborghini Huracán STO Akrapovič is renowned worldwide as extremely well-versed in the use of lightweight materials. It is above all synonymous with the use of the light and durable titanium, which can be found everywhere inside its two state-of-the-art facilities in Slovenia, be it in the metallurgical laboratory, titanium foundry, manufacturing plant or the warehouse, where transport vehicles are loaded up with a very special type of titanium jewels.

The naturally aspirated V10 engine of the Huracán STO with 470 kW (640 HP) and 565 Nm at 6,500 rpm powers the rear wheels, providing breathtaking performance and the full exhilaration and emotion of a racing car.

Huracán STO, manufactured by Akrapovič, the

Lamborghini’s one-make race series with the

technical partner of Automobili Lamborghini.

Huracán Super Trofeo EVO and GT3. The naturally aspirated V10 engine of the Huracán

The rear arch Developed in collaboration between both companies, the rear arch, to which the fourpoint seat belts are attached, is constructed from high-grade titanium alloys, making it 40% lighter than conventional stainless-steel rear arches – even the screws are titanium to save more weight. With perfect welds, developed through the years by Akrapovič’s

STO with 470 kW (640 HP) and 565 Nm at 6,500 rpm powers the rear wheels, providing breathtaking performance and the full exhilaration and emotion of a racing car. It has been produced with superior aerodynamic efficiency and extensive use of lightweight materials. This is the perfect accompaniment to Akrapovič’s own ethos, and it makes the two companies an ideal pairing.

outstanding welders honing their skills, this arch is as beautiful as it is functional. Only three hours drive from the virtual border between Slovenia and Italy, in the world-famous Sant’Agata Bolognese, the home of renowned experts for super sports cars Automobili Lamborghini, careful hands install the above-mentioned special titanium products inside the brand-new Lamborghini Huracán STO models. “Automobili Lamborghini has a long and illustrious history in sports cars, and their choice to collaborate with Akrapovič is a great honour. Our expertise in lightweight materials has been applied to this product, and we are very proud

The latest technology Akrapovič understands the fundamental demands of a true sports car to be as light and balanced as possible. Developed using the latest technology, this unique combination of state-of-the-art machinery and attention to detail, finished with a sandblasted and coated exterior for a stunning visual impact, makes the arch a thing of beauty that matches the car’s lines and design seamlessly.

of what we have achieved,” said Uroš Rosa,

An ideal pairing

Akrapovič d. d. CEO. The part Uroš is so

The road-homologated Huracán STO super

proud of is the rear arch for the Lamborghini

sports car was inspired by Automobili

“Automobili Lamborghini has a long and illustrious history in sports cars, and their choice to collaborate with Akrapovič is a great honour. Our expertise in lightweight materials has been applied to this product, and we are very proud of what we have achieved,” said Uroš Rosa, Akrapovič d. d. CEO.

14 / 19 Champion

Cham pion

by Gaber Keržišnik photography Bor Dobrin

A DAY WITH JOAN MIR MAYRATA, MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPION

SK8ER ON 2 WHEELS SK8 is a slang term for the verb “to skate”. This abbreviation is used by members of the skateboarding scene to label their subculture and lifestyle. Last year’s world champion in the elite MotoGP class, Spaniard Joan Mir Mayrata (Team Suzuki Ecstar), was a talented skateboarder in his early childhood and can still perform numerous tricks on the board, even though he left the scene at the age of ten, when he became seriously interested in motorcycles.

Joan became the MotoGP World Champion 13 years after leaving his skateboard by the wayside. He won the title for the Suzuki factory team for the first time in 20 years since it was claimed by American Kenny Roberts Jr. on the two-stroke Suzuki RGV500. Joan’s world champion title could not have arrived at a better moment for Suzuki, as it coincided with the Hamamatsu-based company celebrating its 100th anniversary. A venerable jubilee for the Japanese brand, while the man who made it happen is of course much younger.

A talent like no other Joan Mir was born in 1997 in Palma de Mallorca, so it is no coincidence that he attended the racing school of Jorge Lorenzo’s father Chicho Lorenzo, who once said of Joan that he was probably the most talented motorcycle racer he had ever seen. “And believe me, I’ve seen a few,” added Chicho, while speaking about the second world champion to come from Palma de Mallorca and the fourth Spaniard to claim the overall title in the premier class of motorcycle racing. Joan’s father, Juan, owns a surfing and skateboarding shop in Palma de Mallorca called Roll and Roll. Joan was therefore, at least in his early years, not surrounded by motorcycles, though he became enthusiastic about motorcycle racing after becoming interested in the career of his uncle and namesake Joan Perelló, who participated for years in the world championship with the Stop & Go team.

Motocross for the win “I got bored of skateboarding when I was ten, I became more interested in motorcycles,” he told me. When debating our plan to accompany him on his daily training session, our photographer proposed asking Joan to throw a skateboard in his van in addition to his motocross bikes and equipment, so that we could photograph him on four wheels as well. “Believe it or not, I don’t actually own a skateboard. Skateboarding is in my past and this chapter of my history is over,” said Joan, who prefers living on two wheels rather than four. Well, he also likes to train in his racing 125 cc kart, but he does a lot more training on motorcycles. His favourites are motocross and enduro or one of his 600 or 1000 cc motorcycles. “I also train on road motorcycles occasionally – I have a lovely 1000 cc Suzuki GSX-R – but I can honestly say that I don’t get much out of training on a production motorcycle. Such motorcycles are completely different from the ones I sit on in MotoGP. The difference in suspension is immense and I found that taking a production motorcycle to the race track benefits me less than a day on a motocross bike. I practise motocross regularly. It’s great for strength and riding technique.”

Practice is sacred An excellent idea! A joint session perhaps? Training alongside a world champion? Of course! We loaded the equipment into a van and set off from Slovenia for an almost 16-hour drive to the Photo: Suzuki

14 / 19 Champion

vicinity of Barcelona to spend the day on the track with Joan. The agreed venue was the Parc Motor Vallgorguina in the suburbs of Barcelona, not far from Montmeló, the home of Circuit de Catalunya, a MotoGP venue. This beautifully landscaped racing park also features two immaculately maintained motocross tracks. We were greeted by a sunny day, perfect for a motorcycle ride. Joan and his friend and mechanic Juan Garcia arrived on the dot. After all, their journey from Andorra, where Joan has lived for the last few years, was much shorter than ours. When it comes to training, the world champion is on time and brooks no delays.

Keeping the 36 Joan and Juan arrived in a tidy van emblazoned with Joan’s shiny trademark – starting number 36. “I’ve thought for a while about which number to choose for the 2021 racing season – should I go for number 1, which is reserved for the world champion, or keep the 36 I’ve been using so far. Number 1 is tempting as you don’t get a chance to use it every year, but in the end I decided to keep my old number. So I will also be using number 36 on the track in 2021,” adds Joan, while putting on all the necessary off-road equipment and pads. Juan has meanwhile unloaded two Suzuki motocross racing bikes, of course equipped with

“

the indispensable Akrapovič exhaust systems, from the van.

“I found that taking a production motorcycle to the race track benefits me less than a day on a motocross bike. I practise motocross regularly. It’s great for strength and riding technique.” Sublime both on and off the track “I use two motorcycles for training. I have a 250 and 450 cc bike. The smaller bike is more fun to ride, but I still prefer to train with its bigger sibling. It is more suitable for practice because it is more powerful and more aggressive. It requires more work and tires out the rider more,” explained Joan as Juan was refuelling both motorcycles on a stand. Joan did some stretching exercises and said, “Feel free to join me if you want. You can take my other bike.” He put on his helmet and rode off to the track. The offer was indeed tempting, but work took precedence on this occasion. A moment later, I was standing by the track, watching the MotoGP World

Champion effortlessly jumping over obstacles on the track, accelerating towards a new jump with his rear wheel spinning, and overtaking other recreational racers on the track. It is obvious that he spends a lot of time on the motorcycle. He

trains motocross regularly and it shows – he would certainly not be out of place at the start of an offroad race. He seems to be fused with his bike and even a casual observer can see that he was born for motorcycle racing.

Rookie makes his mark Joan switched to two wheels relatively late, but his huge amounts of talent and perseverance allowed him to amply make up for the missed early years. Renowned racing manager Paco Sánchez, who still manages Joan today alongside numerous other famous racing riders, quickly noticed his potential. His trust was vindicated with Joan becoming the first MotoGP World Champion who ascended to the motorcycle racing elite through the renowned Red Bull Rookies Cup, where young aspiring racing talents get a chance to prove themselves. At the time when Joan was vying to enter the Cup, he was among twelve up-and-coming motorcycle riders who were accepted. “When I found out I was chosen, I started crying from happiness,” he says.

A modest talent Joan is a tall young man, in fact one of the tallest riders in MotoGP. You could say he is perhaps a bit too tall for an ideal motorcycle rider, but given that he won the title, being (too) tall is obviously not that big of a deal. “If there is desire, if there is determination, anything is possible. This year I am the one defending the title and I know it won’t be easy. Although I won the championship, I remain a realist. I’m aware that Marc Márquez will be the top favourite on the track, even though he missed a season. I believe that he will be the one to beat,” says Joan who, despite becoming much more popular after winning the title, maintained his unassuming demeanour, probably one of his most disarming traits. “Since joining MotoGP, people recognise me on the street. Here and there I’m asked to take a photo together or sign an autograph. But I don’t feel any pressure,” adds Joan, who also won the hearts of many off the track when, upon being asked before the end of the season whether he felt any pressure as a title contender, he responded thusly, “Of course, I feel some pressure but it is positive pressure. I’m just a motorcycle racer and it’s part of the job I do. But I think those who feel real pressure are the people who are out of work and unable to pay their bills or put food on the table. That’s real pressure.”

Determined to win Being modest in private life while remaining fast and firm on a motorcycle is an excellent trait for a rider. Winning the title did not turn Joan into an egotistical superstar. We spent the whole day together and he gladly fell in with our requests and ideas, though he did not allow them do disrupt his training schedule. That is the way to do it and we nodded in full agreement when he said, “Guys, I’m taking to the track again to do a few more laps, then I’m available for a talk and some photos. Immediately after lunch, Juan and I will start for home. Tomorrow is a new day and a new training session... I would really like be fully prepared for the start to this very demanding season for me.”

14 / 19 Champion

// Joan Mir Mayrata: rolkar postal svetovni prvak v razredu MotoGP Španec Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) je v otroških letih veljal za rolkarski talent in še danes na deski s koleščki obvlada številne trike, čeprav je že pri desetih letih postavil desko v kot. Bolj kot rolkanje so ga namreč zanimali motocikli. Danes je motociklistični svetovni prvak v kraljevskem razredu MotoGP. Za tovarniško moštvo Suzukija je lani osvojil naslov po natanko 20 letih premora, ko je takrat še na dvotaktnem Suzukiju RGV500 naslov najboljšega dirkača na svetu osvojil Američan Kenny Roberts Jr. Mirjev in Suzukijev naslov svetovnih prvakov ne bi mogel priti v boljšem času, saj so lani pri Suzukiju praznovali 100 let obstoja znamke. »Kjer sta želja in vztrajnost, je mogoče vse. Letos branim naslov prvaka; zavedam se, da mi ne bo lahko. Čeprav sem svetovni prvak, ostajam realist in se zavedam, da je Marc Márquez prvi favorit na stezi, čeprav je izpustil eno dirkaško sezono. Verjamem, da bo potrebno premagati prav njega,« pravi Joan Mir.

Trav e l Wi t h Us

24,000 km MotoGP odysse y with Simon Patterson

Van, pizza oven and world champion

20 / 23 Travel With Us

by Simon Patterson photography Jean Aignan Museau, Simon Patterson Archive, Ducati, Gold and Goose Photography, Rob Gray (Polarity Photo)/KTM Images

The 2020 MotoGP World Championship was a year that’ll never be forgotten thanks to many different reasons. From the late start to the championship to its unique structure of back-to-back races at the same track thanks to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to the incredible on-track action with nine different winners from 14 races and the exceptional new champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar)… it truly was an incredible season. For me personally, however, it’ll be a year never to be forgotten for another reason, thanks to the unique way I chose to take my job and my life on the road and cover the season as a freelance MotoGP reporter.

My idea for the year had already formed at the end of 2019, although it turned out that it was going to take the pandemic to give me the time I needed to fully implement my plans. Upon

returning from testing (and what should have been the opening race in Qatar) I got down to business, passing my driving test for the first time and buying a Renault Master van only four days later!

The van turns into a new home With racing action suspended, I got down to turning the van into my new home. Learning as I went from YouTube videos, I’m delighted with the job I managed to do in the end – and come the eventual start of the MotoGP season in July, I was ready to take my life on the road! Giving up my apartment in England and making a brief detour home to Ireland to put some stuff in storage, I headed for Jerez, Spain, and the start of the 24,000-kilometre odyssey. Starting from northern Spain, where I sailed to from Ireland, I drove across the Iberian Peninsula to the south coast for the opening two races. Red hot at the height of the Spanish summer (with high temperatures of 56ºC!), it made for a baptism of fire as we watched Fabio Quartararo take the opening two victories of the year. From Spain, it was a long drive almost all the way across Europe, heading to the Czech Republic and Brno. Making a small detour to Poland for the Tour de Pologne cycle race, it was worth the long drive to see the exceptional race we were treated to as rookie Brad Binder rode flawlessly to take his first ever MotoGP win (and KTM’s first) in only the South African rider’s third-ever race.

Own studio on wheels It wasn’t an easy year to report on. Moving the traditional end-of-day media debriefs from a table in the teams’ hospitality trucks or a huddle outside the back of the garage to the online world of Zoom wasn’t easy for anyone – but

even too much for some. Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) were lucky to escape high-speed crashes and flying motorcycles. Suzuki’s Joan Mir was denied his chance to become a debut winner by red flags and a restarted race, Andrea Dovizioso announced he would leave Ducati and then won the race only days later, and KTM’s Miguel Oliveira showed why he’s set to become a factory rider in 2021 with a beautiful last corner victory over Jack Miller and Pol Espargaró. From Austria it was on to Italy, where we saw Franco Morbidelli and Viñales deliver textbook

bit after a hectic and demanding year. There

Yamaha victories from the front of the field, and

wasn’t going to be the usual end of season

then sunny Barcelona and a chance for Fabio

parties, but there was definitely a sense of a job

Quartararo to get back on the scorecard for the

well done in the air, both for what had happened

first time since Jerez.

on track and for my amazing year on the road.

Mir delivered stellar results

Year two can begin

Le Mans brought rain, as it always does,

Would I do it again? I’ve spent the winter back

alongside a Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team)

in Ireland making some modifications to the

victory – but it was soon time for four races in

van so that year two can get underway sooner

Spain and a championship to decide. Mir had

rather than later! Hopefully a more normal and

already looked like the man in charge, but when

relaxed MotoGP calendar should make for more

we returned to his native Spain he quickly took

fun on the road. I spent a lot of 2020 rushing

the bull by the horns and delivered stellar results

past places that I would love to have stopped

to wrap everything up.

and spent some time at.

Never pushing too hard until he needed to (or

Fortunately, as the situation across the

sensed the opportunity to), he took victory only

continent improves, it looks like there’ll be more

once all year – but he did it when it mattered

chances for visitors to the van, too. There’s even

most, and there was plenty to celebrate in

plenty of MotoGP riders who have insisted they

Valencia when he finally lifted the crown.

want to say hello – including some plans to

Back to the main business though, and the Red

That meant our first trip to the amazing Portimão

make pizzas with world champion Mir (yes, the

Bull Ring gave us plenty of excitement – maybe

track was almost a chance to wind down a little

van has a pizza oven!).

thankfully having my own studio on wheels became a lifesaver as the year progressed. From Brno, it was a short drive down the road to the Red Bull Ring, with a little bit of time off giving me the chance to do something very important: catch up with friends. I have a great network of fun people spread across Europe thanks to MotoGP, but normally we only ever get the chance to see each other when we’re at our busiest, on race weekends. So to be able to drop by someone’s home town for a few days in between races has been a real bonus this year, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience cities as widely spread as Madrid and Ljubljana, Monaco and Paris, and Zürich and Rome.

Rossi and Viñales escaped high-speed crashes

20 / 23 Travel With Us

KTM scored its first victories in MotoGP last year, courtesy of Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder, this year’s teammates at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

Luck was not on Maverick Viñales’s side last year, but the Spaniard is convinced that this year will be different.

Perhaps Ducati Lenovo Team rider Jack Miller will be among the riders who will take a closer look at Simon’s van this year.

Bike Stuff

by Mitja Reven

Akrapovič exhaust systems are designed for riders who demand maximum performance from their motorcycles. They feature exceptional production quality, hi-tech materials, increased engine performance and all come with amazing sound and appearance as standard. The change is also visual, as Akrapovič mufflers perfectly fit the exterior line of modern motorcycles and add a clean racing image.

Honda CRF450R / RX + 2.1 kW (+ 2.8 HP) / 9,750 rpm - 1.0 kg (- 26.5%)

Yamaha Ténéré 700 + 1.7 kW (+ 2.3 HP) / 5,200 rpm - 1.6 kg (- 33.3%)

Aprilia RS 660 / Tuono 660 + 1.8 kW (+ 2.4 HP) / 11,200 rpm - 0.4 kg (- 5.9%)

Kawasaki Z650 / Ninja 650 + 1.5 kW (+ 2.0 HP) / 8,600 rpm - 2.7 kg (- 31.1%)

BMW F 900 XR / R + 0.6 kW (+ 0.8 HP) / 7,400 rpm - 1.6 kg (- 21.6%)

Yamaha MT-09 + 1.5 kW (+ 2.0 HP) / 10,000 rpm

Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, we make no representation that the products shown comply with the air, noise or other emission laws of your jurisdiction. Hence, please make sure you have all the relevant information before you consider purchasing any of the products. You are welcome to contact our local partner in your country if you have any questions or turn to page 4 and our website at www.akrapovic.com for additional information.

Car Stuff by Mitja Reven

Car Stuff

Check out the latest Akrapovič aftermarket exhaust systems for cars, where only the best materials and exclusive titanium alloys are used. These materials are combined with high technology and exquisite craftsmanship of Akrapovič welders to create a package that separates them from everything else on the market.

BMW X5 M / X5 M Competition (F95) + 8.9 kW (+ 12.1 HP) / 2,400 rpm, - 8.4 kg (- 40.7%), Titanium, Rear Carbon Fiber Diffuser - High Gloss

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio + 9.0 kW (+ 12.2 HP) / 7,100 rpm, - 6.0 kg (- 31.4%), Titanium

Mercedes-AMG A 45 / A 45 S (W177) + 6.4 kW (+ 8.7 HP) / 6,700 rpm, - 9.6 kg (- 46.2%), Titanium

BMW M135i (F40) + 3.3 kW (+ 4.5 HP) / 5,350 rpm, - 9.4 kg (- 55.6%), Titanium

Visit With Us

Justin Barcia

“I’M NOT ‘‘BAM BAM’’ OFF THE TRACK’’ W h e n J u s t i n B a r c i a b u r s t o n t o t h e s c e n e o f p r o f e s s i o n a l m o t o c r o s s r a c i n g i n 20 0 9, h i s a g g r e s s i v e s t y l e a n d a f e w u n f o r t u n at e c o l l i s i o n s l e d t o a n i c k n a m e t h at s t i c k s w i t h h i m t o t h i s d ay – ‘ B a m B a m’ . T h e f i e r c e c o m p e t i t i v e s p i r i t r e m a i n s , b u t t h e 29 -y e a r- o l d i s t r y i n g t o p h a s e o u t t h e n i c k n a m e a n d t h e n e g at i v e i m a g e i t m ay p o r t r ay.

26 / 29 Visit With Us

by Randy Jennings photography Steve Hamm, Red Bull Content Pool

26 27

“I’m getting better with age,’’ said Barcia (Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/GASGAS Factory Racing), born in New Jersey and now a resident of Florida. “I’ve learned to be more patient. At times in the past, too much aggressiveness

T h e r e a r e t w o s c h o o l s o f t h o u g h t a m o n g fa n s o f t h e s p o r t w h e n B a r c i a’s n a m e i s m e n t i o n e d . S u p p o r t e r s a d m i r e h i s p a s s i o n . D e t r a c t o r s s ay h e r a c e s u n c o m p r o m i s i n g l y.

came back to bite me. I think I’m proving there is a lot more to my racing now than in the past. I hope I’m able to change the mind of some people because I’m not ‘Bam Bam’ off the track.’’ There are two schools of thought among fans of the sport when Barcia’s name is mentioned. Supporters admire his passion. Detractors say he races uncompromisingly.

Love or hate “They either love me or hate me,’’ said the engaging Barcia, flashing a smile, “but if you are making everybody happy, I don’t think you are doing it right. Too boring.’’ On the track, Barcia prides himself on trying his hardest, not backing down from a head-to-head duel and always going for the pass. “It doesn’t matter if it is a battle for first or sixth,’’ he explained. “Doing it right to me means giving everything.’’ He rationalises that those that call him a dirty racer do not really know him. As Barcia is able to tell his story, he hopes to win some of them over.

A top contender again Barcia began to ride at age five and was racing competitively two years later. His father Don, a rider himself, schooled Justin on the finer points and mom Lorraine has remained an occasional nervous supporter. When he began his professional career as a 16-year-old, Barcia recalls his mom was very uneasy when she got an up-close look at the older men he would be racing against. In his first four seasons after turning pro, Justin made a splash by winning back-to-back AMA Supercross 250 cc championships in 2011 and 2012. In the years since, while many rivals have come and gone, he has managed to overcome a mid-career slump to become a top contender again. His life off the track has been just as successful. In November 2018, Justin left the ranks of eligible bachelors when he married Amber. Wedding pictures offer proof that Justin had his trademark long, sandy-brown locks cut short for the ceremony. Those that have seen the figure of the 180 cm 79 kg Barcia soar into the air coming off a booter might be surprised to learn

he does not like roller coasters and is not a big fan of heights. Justin cured his fear of air travel

by learning to become a pilot, so perhaps, he surmises, it is a phobia of not being in control of a situation. “You can’t make mistakes when you are flying, just like in racing. When you are flying, it is super serious. I haven’t done it as much lately, but I have a passion for airplanes.’’

26 / 29 Visit With Us

Relax in Florida During breaks from competition, Barcia relaxes at his property in Florida with his wife, his parents and Great Danes. There might be an ocean fishing trip with his dad or a bicycle ride on a trail to clear his mind. Any local driving is done in his van or truck rather than a motorcycle because it is safer. When Justin is competing, his day begins at 8 am. There is an examination of the track, three 10-minute practice sessions and discussions with his crew about possible changes to the bike. One of his favourite moments is the evening’s opening ceremony when he and the other riders are introduced to the crowd, usually accompanied by a personal highlight tape on the stadium video screen. Heat races follow and then the main event brings down the curtain around 11 pm. Its only hours later that he can wind down enough for sleep. Justin avoids close friendships with fellow competitors. “I’m cool with most of them, but it is pretty much ‘Hi’ and ‘Bye’. If you have a good friend that you have to pass, it can ruin a friendship.’’

A fresh start In a sport where the median age of the competitors is 25, Barcia credits his longevity to striking a middle ground of being serious and at the same time having fun. But his resilience was tested a couple of years ago when a run of tough luck caused him to “lose some of the joy’’ of racing. “I was struggling, not able to win and I had a lot of injuries. I was beaten down so much and it just took the wind out of my sails. But I was able to turn it around. I started to have fun and it was like 2009 again, like I had come full circle.’’ Even when he was down, Barcia says there was never a day when he didn’t want to race. “It’s awesome what I get to do.’’ For his ninth season racing in the 450 cc class, Barcia is getting a fresh start riding for Troy Lee Designs/Red Bull/ GASGAS Factory Racing.

The best years are still to come In solid form over the opening months of 2021, Barcia believes his best years are still to come. He is aiming for at least two more years and perhaps three or four before considering retirement. “To find greatness in this sport, it takes the whole package,’’ says a thoughtful Barcia, sounding not at all like ‘Bam Bam’. “It takes the support of a great family like my wife and parents. And it takes a great racing team. Still, I’m the one in the helmet that has to make it all come together.’’

Justin Barcia is trying to phase out the nickname ‘Bam Bam’ and the negative image it may portray.

Evolut ion

30 / 35 Evolution

BORN TO

2021 WorldSBK season

PERFORM THE SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, ALSO KNOWN AS SBK, WORLD SUPERBIKE, WSB, WSBK OR WORLDSBK, USES MODIFIED PRODUCTION MOTORCYCLES AND SO ALLOWS ACCESS TO RACING TO THE WIDEST CIRCLE OF RACING ENTHUSIASTS. OVER ITS MORE THAN THREE DECADES OF DEVELOPMENT, IT HAS BECOME A RACING SERIES AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.

by Primož Jurman

photography BMW, Ducati, Kawasaki, Yamaha

30 / 35 Evolution

In the ‘70s and ‘80s, world championship Grand Prix riders zoomed

legendary race in Daytona, ushering in the period of dominance of

around the tracks on unique factory 500 cc two-stroke motorcycles

Japanese Superbike motorcycles, then still using the flat bar handlebars

that had no direct connection to the four-stroke models a motorcycling

and classic shapes without fairings. Development continued and the

enthusiast could buy at a local showroom. But a fair number of amateur

line between road models and racing machines became increasingly

racers wanted to imitate their racing heroes, so they banded together to

blurred in the 1980s, when the potential of such races also began to be

compete with their own machines in the way they wanted – on their local

recognised by factories. The time had come for a new world-class racing

track at the weekend.

series that reflected this new philosophy.

ROOTS OF SUPERBIKE

EARLY DAYS OF THE WORLDSBK

The recorded beginnings of racing with modified production motorcycles

The inaugural Superbike World Championship season was held under

go back to the 1970s USA, mainly California, where the “Superbike

the auspices of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) in

Production” racing series took place between 1973 and 1975. In the

1988. It consisted of nine rounds with two races per round and was

second half of the ‘70s, Japanese brands began to dominate these

held alongside the MotoGP world championship, where riders were

races and as the decade came to a close, Japanese models won the

at the time still using two-stroke machines. Japan, and especially

we asked the teams competing in the 2021 WorldSBK season using Akrapovič’s exhaust systems to list the main differences and similarities between their production and racing models.

Andrea Dosoli, Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager: “Considering that today’s street bikes already have an amazing level of performance and that the current FIM rules limit the freedom of the tuner, the differences in terms of performance are not huge. We can extract up to an extra 15% of power from the standard engine, attach high performance racing suspension and brakes, and we can also reinforce the chassis in some areas to allow for a wider range of settings. The choice of the electronics package is up to the teams, with the majority using Magneti Marelli hardware, and this lets us exploit the full potential of Pirelli’s tyres.”

Europe, became the focus of this new racing series, with motorbike fans increasingly identifying with the winning brands, bikes and riders. The 2000 season was a turning point in many ways; Honda unveiled its V-twin VTR1000SP1, put to excellent use by American Colin Edwards who went on to win the first world title for Akrapovič, Honda’s exhaust system supplier at the time. In recent years, the championship has been dominated by Kawasaki and Jonathan Rea, who won a record six consecutive world championship titles between 2015 and 2020, on bikes with Akrapovič exhaust systems.

SO CLOSE YET SO FAR APART Now entering its 34th season, the championship remains based on production motorcycles. Because “based on” is the key phrase here,

Marco Zambenedetti, Ducati Corse Superbike Technical Coordinator: “The specified technical rules must be followed and our choice must be in line with these rules. Some elements have to remain at stock, however the suspension, brakes, wheels, electronics and the exhaust system can be further developed. Indeed, our solutions are sometimes on the same level as those used in MotoGP. On the other side, the bike’s aerodynamics have to remain close to the production model as must all the parts inside the engine like pistons, crankshaft, etc. The main challenge in bringing the bike up to race specs is to find the best balance in terms of performance and cost reliability.” Alvar Garriga, Kawasaki Racing Team Technical Manager: “As you know, WorldSBK uses standard bikes, tuned for better performance. We change the brakes, wheels, swingarm, electronics, cooling system, gears, we attach lighter fairings, we replace the exhaust system. The average lap time difference between our race bike and our

30 / 35 Evolution

standard model might be around 3 to 3.5 seconds per lap on average for all circuits, and our power increase from standard to race bike is between 15% and 18%. But in general, the production and WorldSBK racing bikes are similar.” Tetsuhiro Kuwata, HRC Director – General Manager Race Operations Management Division: “The Superbike World Championship is a production-based series, so the differences between the street and race bikes are minimal. Because the rules regarding development are quite strict, you can’t do a great deal to improve the machine with regard to its production specs, therefore the production bike’s base performance is very relevant if we want to be able to achieve the kind of race performance the championship requires. This makes the fact that the road-going CBR1000RR-R Fireblade already comes with an extremely high level of technology on board and is literally a ‘born to race’ machine extremely important. The engineers working on the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade incorporated many technologies related to MotoGP as well as high quality features. There are many similarities, starting with the main frame, which is the same as that of the stock version because the frame of the

2021 WORLDSBK TEAMS RACING WITH AKRAPOVIČ EXHAUST SYSTEMS Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Bonovo MGM Racing BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Kawasaki Racing Team Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK Team Team Go Eleven Team HRC

CBR1000RR-R Fireblade was developed with slick tyres in mind. The engine is another element that characterises both the production and the race bike. In fact, the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade is powered by the most powerful inline-four engine that Honda has ever built. It was designed with a lot of input from the HRC MotoGP development programme and it shares the same bore and stroke as the RC213V-S.”

Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “In general, the technical regulations ensure that the key parts of the WorldSBK bikes correspond to those on their production equivalents. We have strict homologation procedures to ensure this close relation between racing and series bikes. Adaptions can be made for example to parts of the engine to generate more power. Other differing areas include the exhaust system, the cooler, the swingarm, the shape of the tank, the seat, the handlebars and the electronics. In some areas, it is possible to use different materials, while in others no modifications are allowed. The engine housing and most of the internals like crankshaft, con rods, pistons and valves remain identical. Aerodynamic features, like the winglets on our new BMW M 1000 RR, are only allowed when they are also available on the production version, and in the exact same shape and dimensions. The frame of the race bike is based on the production version, but can be strengthened in some areas. The shape of the fairings must be retained so the final appearance of the bike corresponds to the production bike.”

// Si Razlike in podobnosti med cestnimi in tekmovalnimi motocikli v razredu WorldSBK Sezona 2000 je bila prelomna v svetovnem prvenstvu razreda WorldSBK v več pogledih; Honda je predstavila dvovaljnik VTR1000SP1, s katerim je Američan Colin Edwards osvojil prvi naslov svetovnega prvaka tudi za podjetje Akrapovič, ki je takrat opremilo Hondo s svojimi izpušnimi sistemi. Zadnja leta v prvenstvu prevladuje Kawasaki, s katerim je Jonathan Rea v sezonah 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 in 2020 osvojil rekordnih šest zaporednih naslovov svetovnega prvaka z izpušnimi sistemi Akrapovič. Prvenstvo tudi v sezoni 2021 temelji na osnovi cestnih motociklov. O najpomembnejših razlikah in podobnostih med cestnimi in tekmovalnimi motocikli v razredu WorldSBK, smo vprašali ekipe, ki v sezoni 2021 nastopajo z Akrapovičevimi izpušnimi sistemi.

Inte r v iew

Sébastien Loeb

“I DON’T LIKE CRASHINg” It’s impossible to find a more impressive biography in motorsport. Just a quick glance at his results leaves you stunned, and his series of nine consecutive world titles in the World Rally Championship (WRC) is probably never going to be beaten. We met Sébastien Loeb at his rented house overlooking Lake Geneva in Switzerland, where he is waiting for his new house on the lake shore in Gland to be built. His manner calm and relaxed, he offers us espresso and sits on one of leather sofas for the chat. I am well aware that his life is all about motorsport and racing, but I want to start somewhere else. More precisely Haguenau, a small Alsatian town in France just a few steps from the Rhine and the German border, where Sébastien grew up.

36 / 41

Interview

Are you a gourmand? Do you like delicacies like snails and other exquisite French food?

as well and that it also costs a lot of money?

I’m a gourmand and like good food, but I

motorsport. It was about mopeds, there was

don’t like sweets. Nothing sweet, no sugar,

a local championship with 15- and 60-minute

no chocolate... But snails actually come from

races at car parks. A friend who organised those

a different French region, in Alsace it’s more

races got sick and I substituted for him once. I

about baeckeoffe, pig’s feet casserole.

immediately won and was better than everybody.

I never thought about having a big career in

It was my hobby; I was doing it for fun. I got

As a child, you excelled in gymnastics. Your father was a coach and you were the champion of Alsace four times and Grand Est once, and things were looking set for an international career. Did you ever dream of an Olympic medal?

phone calls from people who were impressed

If I had wanted to continue on the level you

No, none at all. It was not because of

mentioned, I would have had to leave my

motorsport, though. Between the ages of 14

hometown and find a professional training camp

and 21, I had disagreements with my parents

in a big city far away from home. That is one

because I left school and was basically doing

reason. I was in top form when I was 12, and I

nothing apart from all things related to mopeds.

didn’t want to leave my friends. I also saw a guy

They just wanted, like all parents do, that I

that I was better than before, who left for that

get a job, that I study, etc. After summer work

professional centre a year ago and therefore

they expected me to go back to school, but I

became much better than me. So I realised –

continued working and earned enough money

you go for it or you leave the sport – and I chose

to buy my first car. My life first changed after

the second option. In the meantime I already got

seeing an advert in a window of a Peugeot

my first moped and it turned out I liked it much

dealer. Rallye Jeunes was a championship for

more than gymnastics. I loved speed and riding

young drivers and I was fast. Very fast. I won

from my early age. Even earlier with my bicycle,

a series against some 15,000 other drivers,

I was constantly going to the forest and just

but they awarded the first prize, a professional

wanted to ride, ride, ride...

season in rally, to somebody else. I had the

by my riding. But nothing happened, I just continued racing mopeds until I got my driving licence at 18.

You had no support from your parents?

fastest time, but the judges decided to promote

But you must have realised motorsport would be happening far from Haguenau

somebody else with better connections. Next year I did the same, made it to the finals with the

by Miran Ališič photography Ivana Krešić, BRX, Red Bull Content Pool

“I wouldn’t say I was the best in preparing or setting the car. I was very exact in preparing the notes for the stages, though.”

points and not for your championship points. At the last race of the season you were ordered to finish second, instead of battling for victory and your title. A bitter introduction to the world of politics in motorsport, no doubt!

But you must have been recognised as a driving perfectionist already at an early stage, right?

I was disappointed, of course. I gave up the constructors’ title. But I understood the

You spent almost your entire rally career with Citroën. The French carmaker later pulled out, then came back, but in the meantime you had a chance to change the manufacturer, but you didn’t go for it.. On the other hand, you have driven with co-driver Daniel Elena throughout your career, even in the first year of Dakar with Bahrain Raid Xtreme.

I wouldn’t say I was the best in preparing or

decision, although it was a difficult one to

Regarding a co-driver in rally, there is not much

setting up the car. I was very exact in preparing

accept. Citroën was my first employer and I

that can go wrong if your co-driver reads the

the notes for the stages, though. I have a

respected that decision. But you do wonder

notes correctly. It’s another story in Dakar, but

smooth driving style and therefore I prepared

whether another chance would come along.

in rally you tend to stick with your co-driver if

for the races with all the notes and other things

On the other hand, I was confident another one

he does his job and if you get along with him.

necessary for a smooth stage. But I’m perfect

would come for me.

This is the case with Daniel. I also wanted to

best result and then made a mistake. I hit the brake pedal with the wrong foot and that was it. Game over. I continued with mopeds and went back to my previous life working as an electrician.

fighting for my title in order for us to win

just in racing, not in my life. (smile)

After your first success with Peugeot and with financial support by Dominique Heintz, who later became your friend, you entered different rallies and won many races with some ups and downs, before deciding on the Citroën Saxo Cup for yourself and then entering the main stage – world championship with Citroën. In the first year – 2003 – you already got your first disappointment, as the team decided you should fight for the constructor

give him the opportunity to ride with me during

Are you somebody who always goes flat out or do you try to be just fast enough to win and not risk too much? We have good examples on both sides. Nigel Mansell and Gilles Villeneuve, for example, or Niki Lauda and Alain Prost on the other side.

Dakar. It turned out to be very different. In WRC

I am somewhere in between. I just realised

on and that was somehow easier for me, but

very young how to approach the season. I lost

not in Saudi Arabia. It’s sand, dunes, stones,

the title in 2003 by a slim margin, also due to

it’s not so much fun to drive there. I do not like

technical problems and other issues... So I

that terrain; we had a lot of punctures all the

knew I have to take every point available at any

time. No, it was decidedly not fun for me this

opportunity from the first race of the season on.

year. I would never have imagined quarrelling

he was feeding me information I prepared for him before the race. In WRC the driver is 99% of the success. Not so in Dakar. It’s not just about driving, it’s all about navigation. In South America there were a lot of roads to drive fast

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Interview

so often with my co-driver after such a long and

the end decided I should focus fully on the rally

motorcycle. I don’t like crashing. I never had a

harmonious career. (Just a few days after our

championship, but Red Bull still wanted to give

crazy driving style, I preferred to be on the safe

interview, Bahrain Raid Xtreme announced that

me an opportunity to appear at the final race

side, I had a smooth driving style. I was able to

Daniel Elena won’t join Loeb as a co-driver for

in Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately, I did not get the

be very fast sometimes and felt I still had some

Dakar ’22.)

superlicence due to a lack of experience in single

reserve left and didn’t push too hard. This

seater racing.

was very important to continue winning the

In 2008 you got an opportunity to test a Formula 1 Red Bull Racing car. At the regular test in Barcelona with all the drivers present, you finished 8th. It looked like you were going to change sports. Why didn’t it happen?

championships.

Were you sad, disappointed? They must have had strong arguments to make such a decision.

Yes, it was a nice experience. Red Bull provided

didn’t have enough circuit and single seater

After winning nine WRC titles in a row, an extremely impressive record, you wanted to continue racing. Again with Citroën, but in WTCC. Did it feel like a completely different world of racing?

me with an interesting experience from their

experience. It was still Max Mosley who ran the

Yes, it did. I was a champion, a rally master,

adrenaline programme every year as a prize

FIA back then. Jean Todt told me later it would

but there I started as an amateur. The driving

for my world title. They knew I liked Formula 1,

have been a different story if he were already in

itself was nice, but I didn’t like the way

so I got this test in 2008. Some months later,

place. But I had some experience racing in Le

things are done in track racing. It was a bit of

I received a call from Thomas Überall, head of

Mans and I did some preparation with Peugeot

racing and a lot of talking. Meetings all day.

motorsport at Red Bull, who asked me whether

908 in Barcelona prior to the Formula 1 Red

Briefings, debriefings, briefings, debriefings,

I’d like to do a full Formula 1 season with

Bull Racing test. I think it was more politics than

all the time... No, that wasn’t for me. And there

Scuderia Toro Rosso. It seemed like a good

anything else, to be honest.

was another problem. At some races it was

Yes, a bit, but I’m happy with my career and what I achieved in my life. They said, I

opportunity to me, so they sent a personal trainer

sometimes impossible to overtake, depending on the track. You knew that if you started

calendar, but in that season my results in WRC

You were very successful in avoiding car accidents in your career. The biggest one was on a motorcycle, sorry, a mountain bike...

started to fade. It was actually bad luck, not

Motorcycle! I just said back then it was

connected with my Formula 1 plans. Citroën in

a mountain bike, but it was actually on a

You never actually tried to race motorcycles. Why?

to my home and we trained a lot to be physically prepared for the Formula 1 season. I would have to miss those races that clashed with the WRC

8 th you would finish 8 th. That wasn’t very motivational.

Well, one can’t do everything. But I was riding

too. And not with headphones in front of the

bikes for fun all the time. Enduro. Just a few

computer, it’s not for me. So, I’m the principal

weeks ago I went on a two-day ride with

of the team and adviser, but Dominique runs

friends, I did some track riding with Michael

the team as a manager.

Schumacher on two wheels, so I have some

ago people wanted to have Akrapovič exhausts

You simply want to race, right? This season you start a new experience in racing with Extreme E. Not just with any team, but in the team of Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton. Who made the call, you or Lewis?

on their sports cars.

No, it wasn’t quite as simple as that. I wanted

experience...

So you have been aware of Akrapovič for many years? Of course. Even for cars, I remember many years

to do it for fun in team Rosberg, who contacted

I have a feeling you will turn out very much like Mario Andretti, a racing driver for life. Do you agree?

me first. I wanted to race with my girlfriend and

Yes, maybe. I’m 47 now and I’m still young and

he said, no, no... You should race with us, I’m

stupid enough to go and play racing games on

readying the car for team Hamilton and it will be

PlayStation. Look at Peterhansel, look at Sainz,

the best package – we will have you and one of

we have a race driver in France who is in his 70’s

the best female racing drivers for our team.

when I mentioned it to Dave Richards, who is my Dakar boss in Bahrain Raid Xtreme team,

and still races various cars.

You never thought of being a TV commentator or team manager?

We started with food, so let’s finish with food. Do you like to cook? (pause) Not especially. Actually, I started

Not really. I have a team with my friend

cooking because the restaurants have been

Dominique Heintz for Andros Trophy and some

closed all the time now. (smiles) I was alone

other series, but no, I don’t want to stay in

here for a long time before my girlfriend came

the garage. When I see other drivers getting

to live with me last fall. No, but I’m not a really

in and out of the car I just want to be there

good cook, I prefer to let others do it.

36 / 41

Interview

“I lost the title in 2003 by a slim margin, also due to technical problems and other issues... So I knew I have to take every point available at any opportunity from the first race of the season on.”

2012 WRC World Champion

WRC 2011

// Si Sébastien Loeb: »Ne maram nesreč« V avtomobilskem športu ni mogoče najti bolj impresivnega življenjepisa, kot ga ima francoski dirkač Sébastien Loeb. Že hiter pogled na njegove rezultate vas osupne in njegov niz devetih zaporednih naslovov v svetovnem prvenstvu v reliju (WRC) bo težko preseči. V življenju 47-letnega Alzačana iz mesteca Haguenau igrata motošport in dirkanje pomembno vlogo. Skoraj celotno kariero v reliju je tekmoval za ekipo Citroëna, njegov sovoznik – tudi na reliju Dakar – pa je bil Daniel Elena. V dolgoletni karieri se je Loeb zelo uspešno izogibal nesrečam. »Ne maram nesreč. Nikoli nisem divjal, stavil sem na varnost, moj slog vožnje je bil uglajen. Tudi ko sem bil zelo hiter in sem čutil, da imam še nekaj rezerve, nisem preveč pritiskal na plin. To je bilo zelo pomembno za osvajanje novih prvenstev,« je povedal Loeb med pogovorom v svojem začasnem domu s pogledom na Ženevsko jezero v Švici.

F A N T A S T I C by Alenka Birk photography PR

DONČIĆ WEARING EXCLUSIVE SNEAKERS Luka Dončić made his mark again by winning his second NBA All-Star game with Team LeBron while wearing some very special footwear. The Jordan Brand unleashed a full palette of Air Jordan 35 Player Editions/Exclusives at the jam-packed evening of events that saw NBA’s greatest competing in a number of exhibitions. Apart from Dončić, the PE sneakers were also worn by other Jordan athletes: Chris Paul, Jayson Tatum, Mike Conley, Obi Toppin, Bradley Beal and Zion Williamson. Check them out and pick your pair of Air Jordan 35.

footlocker.co.uk

BOOK: SCIENCE OF THE HEART The heart has been considered the source of emotion, courage and wisdom for centuries. For more than 30 years, the HeartMath Institute Research Center has

explored the physiological mechanisms by which the heart and brain communicate and how the activity of the heart influences our perceptions, emotions, intuition and health. New research shows the human heart is much more than an efficient pump that sustains life and suggests it is also an access point to a source of wisdom and intelligence that we can call upon to live our lives with more balance, greater creativity and enhanced intuitive capacities.

heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart

MEDALS MADE FROM E-WASTE The upcoming Tokyo Olympics will hand out medals made from recycled electronic devices, including discarded laptops and smartphones. But that’s not all that’s unique about them: the whole of Japan had a hand in making them. The Japanese spent two years collecting electronics in an effort to raise awareness about the importance of e-waste recycling, a part of Japan’s goal of making the 2021 Olympics the most environmentally friendly and sustainable Olympic Games so far. A total of 78,985 tons of discarded devices were collected.

tokyo2020.org

42 / 43

Fantastic

MEET GALAXY BUDS PRO Looking for immersive sound, superior call quality, intelligent ANC and enhanced connectivity across your devices – all packed into a modern and sleek design? Galaxy Buds Pro represent Samsung’s most premium earbuds offering to date, built to help you get the most out of your work and entertainment. Whether you use your earbuds to play music during a run or listen to podcasts on the way to work, audio quality is what matters most. Galaxy Buds Pro deliver that in spades with their 11-millimeter woofer for deeper bass and a 6.5-millimeter tweeter for a crisp treble with minimum distortion. Whether it’s a rhythmic hip hop groove or an intricate classical melody, you can enjoy your music just as the artist intended, anytime and anywhere.

samsung.com

LENNY IS THE NEW Y MAN Launched in 2017, the fragrance Y from YSL Beauty just got a new ambassador: rock legend Lenny Kravitz. The 56-year-old singer lent his signature brand of cool, mirroring the timeless rock edge of Y Eau De Parfum. Turning the first letter of Yves Saint Laurent’s name into a question, Y, the fragrance is meant for “an experimenter and a creator who never stops asking himself: Why not?” Created by Master Perfumer Dominique Ropion, the fragrance has notes of bergamot, geranium, lavender, vetiver and sage. As “the olfactive equivalent of black jeans and a white tee-shirt,” the fragrance offers a rock ‘n’ roll take on the classic perfume family known as fougères. As Kravitz put it: “I create to inspire myself, and if I can inspire others, then that is beautiful.” yslbeauty.com

EL PROFESOR If you want to be trendy, you simply must acquire your own retro plastic frames with the slightly tinted Persol lenses, made by the prestigious Italian optical specialist. The company’s name comes from “per il sole”, which in Italian means “for the sun” and their glasses are known for their high-quality workmanship, handcrafting, and lens quality. Persol makes a special limited collection every year, with the glasses in this photo worn by one of the main characters in Money Heist, The Professor. Are you ready to change your view of the world with these charismatic frames?

persol.com

44 / 47 Evolution

Evolut ion

by Miran Ališič photography BMW

The New BMW M4 GT3 Wow! was the reaction of the onlookers as the new BMW M4 GT3 took to the in-house Dingolfing test track for the first time in July 2020. A new icon was born. In 2022, this particular model is expected to replace the M6 GT3, which has begun showing its age and needed to be refreshed or replaced by a new racing concept in those racing series where racing cars can be driven by private individuals and teams. This concept is now available in the shape of the BMW M4 GT3 with Akrapovič yet again lending its hand by creating an intriguing and slightly different exhaust system from what we have become used to seeing on BMW’s recent racing models.

FAST CARS B EAUTI FU L

AR E USUALLY

The car, very proportionate in appearance,

Testing, testing and more testing

reminds one of a thoroughbred racing BMW,

The model has been on the road since last

a very fitting look for the revived racing sport

summer, though tests took place on slightly fewer

icon of the Bavarian company whose extremely

tracks than usual. The team mainly remained

successful M3 model has been its showpiece

in Europe, with Spain serving as the usual

for decades. “It made sense to select the model

destination for winter testing and the factory

with the most racing experience in the group

race track in Miramas in France also assisting a

and the one that brings out the most emotional

great deal in development. “We test in order to

responses,” project manager Achim Klein

fix issues. We need a lot of testing, as these cars

began his story on why this particular model

have to complete 5,000 to 6,000 kilometres in

was chosen. This time round, BMW chose an

a single endurance race without breaking down.

innovative strategy by simultaneously developing

The customers can moreover do to up 20,000

the production and racing models.

racing kilometers per year / season. The car, its

Smooth straight-six

engine and all other components must withstand all these loads without failure. We usually do

The new M4 GT3 is equipped with a straight

600 kilometres a day during testing and fix the

six-cylinder engine, which has in recent years

problems on the spot. The more time we have

replaced the V8 power plant, a stalwart in

for testing, the fewer problems we end up with,”

the company’s motorsport department. “The

explained Klein, adding that by the start of spring

inline-six is part of our DNA, it has played a

the car will have completed the development and

big role in our past and we decided to give it a

deficiency rectification phases, allowing for tests

role in the present and future of racing as well.

in the racing environment to begin, where the

The almost vibration-free engine is moreover

focus will be on endurance.

better for the engine compartment and the durability of its components.” The decision for the straight six came at the start as the same engine is also being used for the serially manufactured M4, though the choice was not without its downsides. Engineers always want to squeeze as much power as possible from a race car engine and that is more easily done with a 4.4-litre V8 plant than with the much smaller 3-litre straight-six. On the other hand, the engine being smaller and lighter is in itself an advantage for a racing car. So how do you get more power from a smaller unit? “A racing car obviously gives us much more leeway than a production model where strict emission limits apply, so it is much easier to get the desired results – also with the help of the exhaust system.”

Who are you going to call? Akrapovič has been cooperating with the BMW M Motosport department for a long time and all their racing cars in recent years have come equipped with exhaust systems from Ivančna Gorica in Slovenia. Achim pointed out another unusual feature of the inline-six, namely its tailpipe, which is positioned behind the front axle of the car, and only on one side. Another headache for the engineers? “There are two sides to every story. If you manage to successfully arrange the entire exhaust system in a very small space, the thermal load will only appear around this small area, which means that a large part of the vehicle does not experience thermal challenges caused by the exhaust system. Just think of all the challenges you would have to solve if you ran the exhaust all the way to the rear of the car as is usually the case with production cars.” So, why Akrapovič? Klein wasted no time getting to the point. “It is because of the impeccable quality of their products. It’s because of their knowledge, experience and know-how.”

Achim Klein, Project leader M4 GT3

44 / 47 Evolution

Track certification in autumn The car is expected to receive type-approval, valid as of 2022, sometime in the autumn. Although the M4 GT3 will not officially replace the M6 GT3 before that year, BMW does plan to test it in various racing series before the current year runs out. “As many races as possible, and wherever possible,” Klein said, pointing out that many issues only appear when the car is in its intended environment, i.e. in a race.

Engineers matter too The large kidney grille has recently become a matter of vociferous debate among supporters and opponents of this particular design style, with the M4 GT3 racing car proudly displaying the two big kidneys at its front – a welcome design decision for Achim. “This can only be an advantage for a racing car, because a large air intake helps us cool the engine and generate more power. Design is always a matter of habit and people need some time to get used to it.” Similarly to design, media attention is also

primarily focused on the car’s most visible occupants – its drivers. However, drivers “only” race with the vehicle, while engineers spend weeks, months and years designing and developing it, investing a lot of their time, knowledge, energy…

Emotions play a major role too How does Achim experience the creation of a new racing car like the M4 GT3? “It’s definitely a very emotional process. The car becomes a part of your life. Racing projects have the tendency to completely suck one in. This type of work stays with you day and night. Basically the entire 24 hours. Though I am not a racing car driver and have never driven a racing car, these vehicles take me over completely. I have been in motorsport for 14 years, I have worked on various projects, but my greatest satisfaction is when I see a racing car doing well in a race, see it being both fast and durable. I can’t describe the feelings that overwhelm me when I see that the car provides its driver with all the necessary support so that he can use his talents to the fullest.”

The BMW M4 GT3 is very proportionate in appearance and reminds one of a thoroughbred racing BMW, a very fitting look for the revived racing sport icon of the Bavarian company, whose extremely successful M3 model has been its showpiece for decades.

48 / 51

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Andreas and Manuel Lettenbichler

THIS APPLE DIDN’T FALL FAR FROM THE TREE What father does not want to spend quality time with his son? And what father does not want to provide his child with the comforts he himself has only dreamed of? Welcome to the story of two world-class (hard) enduro riders who, among other things, won one of the most demanding enduro races in the world – Red Bull Romaniacs. Father Andreas in 2009 on a BMW and son Manuel ten years later on a KTM. Both using Akrapovič exhaust systems.

A long, long time ago, Andreas, born in 1974, asked his mother for a few deutschmarks to buy an old, cheap Bultaco from a friend. “She said OK and I got my first motorbike. This was the beginning of my career.” He started competing five years later, winning both the domestic German and Austrian trial championships later on in his career and notching up 14th place as his best result at a world championship race. “I didn’t race the entire season, it was too expensive.” Being a privateer throughout his career, he belonged among those enthusiasts who took the tools out of the van on a Friday, put a motorcycle in and spent the weekend racing.

Invitation to Erzbergrodeo In 2005, he sat at a skiing resort with Chris Pfeiffer, who asked him whether he’d like to have a go. “What’s Erzbergrodeo?” The local importer for Spanish bike manufacturer GASGAS was also at the table and he chimed in: “If you go, I’ll get you a bike!” Six weeks before the race, Andreas sat on an enduro bike for the first time in his life, and finished 76 th at the prologue of Erzbergrodeo 2006, his first enduro race. Those in the know will immediately realise what that meant – a difficult start from the second row in Sunday’s race – but he managed to finish second! Pfeiffer, a four-time race winner, came in as sixth. After the race, he received a call from Berthold Hauser, general

by Matevž Hribar

photography Bor Dobrin

manager of BMW Motorrad Motorsport, with a request, well, perhaps

later in the year. “I was in a professional team, but racing was still my

more an order: “Don’t sign any contracts! We’ve built something, but

hobby, I still had to go to work. I didn’t complain at all, racing was my

it’s still a secret, I can’t tell you more.” Andreas did in fact receive and

lifestyle, but if I look back today, it was crazy. I had two kids, I was

also turn down an offer from “the orange team” and the promise was

working a lot and still found time for racing. It was definitely different.

also kept by Berthold. Half a year later, in 2007, Andreas thus became

Hard enduro was new then, now it’s a fully professional sport.” And

a member of the BMW Motorrad factory team atop a prototype

one of the professionals riding in it is his son.

G450X. At his inaugural Erzbergrodeo on the BMW Motorrad bike, “Letti” had to retire due to a technical error, but the team persevered and two years later, with the gearbox stuck in first gear at the end of the race, he crossed the line in second, before going on to win the extremely demanding four-day hard enduro Red Bull Romaniacs rally

“That’s dad’s sport” Manuel, born in 1998, did not immediately take to the mini trial bike when his father put it in the corner of the garage after his son turned four. He told me he had a wealth of other interests, including bicycles,

skis, animals, especially horses, nature and,

Junior class. The next year, he became the

if he was in a good mood, trial bikes. He

champion and in 2018 finished second in the

doesn’t know exactly how old he was, but

newly-created WESS – World Enduro Super

he vividly remembers the first 30-centimetre

Series championship.

rock he navigated successfully and this small

It was interesting to watch how he as

step for a man, but a big one for little Mani,

a privateer with his father acting as the

motivated him for more. More riding, more

mechanic, team manager and driver,

training, more successes – all on a trial bike.

managed to best factory team riders. Truth be

“For me, enduro was like ‘that’s dad’s sport’,

told, Manuel was supported by KTM, which

I’m riding trial and I’m happy with that.” But

sent him the best parts, including Akrapovič

then dad invited the 15-year-old to a local

exhausts, but still – he was “racing from a

enduro race in which they took part as a duo.

van”. The turning point came in 2019, when

“He gave me one of his training bikes. It was

he won the WESS Championship, including

way too big, but I really started to enjoy the

the Red Bull Romaniacs hard enduro rally.

speed and felt that this is what I actually want

That came exactly a decade after Andreas

to ride on!” In 2014, the 16-year-old became

and his BMW also crossed as first the finish

the youngest racer to cross the finish line at

line on the roof of an abandoned building in

the infernal Erzbergrodeo. He says he never

the Romanian city of Sibiu. In the year that

dreamt of becoming a professional, though

followed, Manuel signed a contract with Red

that option was quietly growing somewhere

Bull KTM Factory Racing, but kept his father

inside... “This feeling came later, when...

on the team. He trusts him – he knows that

When I perhaps already was a pro,” he

Andreas will drill the correct number of holes

laughs. And Manuel really laughs a lot. One

in the mousse and that he will wait for him

really wants to go with him for a ride and then

there at the track where he needs him most.

straight for a beer. In 2015, he finished third

But what crossed my mind was that the

at the FIM SuperEnduro Championship in the

father-son relationship could have a

Photo: Red Bull Content Pool

He vividly remembers the first 30-centimetre rock he navigated successfully and this small step for a man, but a big one for little Mani, motivated him for more.

Red Bull Romaniacs 2019 Winner

48 / 51

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downside as well. A teenager can, after all, feel “smarter” than an annoying dad. So, did he ever say “Dad, leave me alone!” I ask Andreas. “Never. I was only scared when we raced together, fighting with each other. I was thinking what if something happens to him and I’ll be there in the race... This was increasingly becoming a burden and so I decided to stop racing and become his assistant, mechanic, father.” Manuel had a slightly different take: “I think it changed when I beat him for the first time. Before I was always Mini Letti, Letti Junior. I beat him at the qualifying for the Red Bull Sea to Sky. It was such a cool feeling, and he decided to take a step back to allow me to go forward. It happened naturally. For me it was important to be there not as Letti the Second, son of a good rider, but to be my own rider, to have my own name.”

Manuel adores racing I feel that he really loves racing. When I asked him whether he ever faced any envy from the pros due to his success, he answered: “I don’t think so. At the end, we all respect each other. And there’s something else: if something happens there among the trees, you have to trust that the others will help. If somebody crashes in the middle of Romania you always stop and if he gives you

Photo: Archive A. Lettenbichler

Andreas and Manuel Lettenbichler, world-class enduro riders, both won at one of the most demanding enduro races in the world – Red Bull Romaniacs. Father Andreas in 2009 on a BMW and son Manuel ten years later on a KTM.

a go, then you go. That’s why everything is so chill in the paddock... I think I have the same relationship with the guys from Akrapovič. They invited me to a barbecue at Erzberg when I was still a privateer, and I could talk with Slavko, Peter and others from Racing department directly. It’s a kind of a family relationship and I can be sure that if I need something, I can just make a call and they’ll help me out. The guys are great.”

Red Bull Romaniacs 2009 Winner

Ride With Us

by Matevž Hribar photography Bor Dobrin

Adriatic Highway and motorcycles – a match made in heaven

It’s not JUST about the road… Well, one obviously needs a suitable road first. The surface must be of sufficient quality, the turns as numerous as can be, the traffic as sparse as possible. Check on all three! But motorcycle riding is not just the road. It is also everything surrounding it and everything that happens to the traveller on or beside it. Including the views of the high mountains rising on one side and the sparkling blue Adriatic with its islands on the other, alongside a heap of memories in between... When you fall into the rhythm of accelerating, braking, leaning the motorcycle from one turn to another... When you halt at a fishing village, dangle your feet off the pier and expose your arms to the spring sun... When you stop for the evening to savour succulent seafood and the fruits of labour spanning the earth, sky and the blistered hands of the local farmer, you realize: THIS is what the motorcycle was made for.

1x3 + 2x2 The tools of the trade in the guise of a three-cylinder MT-09

rider opt for a 900 cc three-cylinder model? As it happened,

alongside a two-cylinder MT-07 and a two-cylinder Tracer 7

Peter never lagged behind on the MT-07 - he just held the

GT were provided by Yamaha. The reason for choosing these

throttle fully open for a while longer to trail the larger MT-09.

different models was also to find out which one of them will

It is however true that the riding experience, ranging from the

prove ideal for the Adriatic Highway. Since we chose to travel

power delivery, the character of the three-cylinder engine, the

in early spring, Gaber, whose Tracer has better wind protection,

suspension and, last but not least, the sound on the MT-09 is

had the edge, at least in the mornings and late afternoons, but

much, uhm, nobler. Though we agreed that the pleasure felt

the true character of the primary naked bikes, which the MT

riding on this road does not depend on the displacement of

cousins belong to, really came to the fore on the bendy and

the engine, we came to the conclusion that the most suitable

twisty road between Karlobag and Paklenica. So, do 700 cc

motorcycle for a multi-day trip down the Adriatic Highway would

and two cylinders suffice or should an experienced motorcycle

be the one we did not bring with us this time – the Tracer 9 GT.

52 / 57 Ride With Us

We meet at the »Gates to the Adriatic« rest area. Same location thirty years ago and we are children stuffed in the back seat of the popular car of that time Zastava 101, straining to be the first to spot the big blue and announce it with the entire might of our voice: SEA!!! The view of the Kvarner Gulf serves to placate our souls as Gaber and I try to warm our freezing hands on warm mufflers of two Yamahas, a MT-09 and a Tracer 7 GT. With Peter the last to arrive, also on a Akrapovič-equipped Yamaha MT-07, the tanks filled up and our bladders emptied, I ask: “Are we going to have coffee here or do we continue on to Senj?” Coffee is coffee, but the scenery in a coastal town should be much nicer than at a petrol station. Senj, the seaside town where we cool down our tires for the first time, is almost empty. But just wait for a gorgeous Saturday in May and motorcycles with domestic and foreign license plates aplenty will line its road. After joining the European Union in 2013, Croatia has become even more accessible to all Europeans, which is what those of us who used to spend our summer holidays here do not particularly like. I know, I know, I’m being selfish here, but I can’t help it – it would be nigh impossible for me to think of a better holiday than a two-week stay at a secluded bay below the Velebit range. Two years ago, I dug out the phone number of our erstwhile host, dialled it and was saddened to hear that he had sold his house to a German. Luckily though, modern times have also brought new traffic arteries through which the tourist money flows further south. Ever since Croatia’s major cities have been connected to the seaside via a modern, transparent, safe but oh so boring A1 motorway, the good old Adriatic Highway has breathed a sigh of relief. Before that, nonstop traffic was bearing down the D8 from the ferry ports. To be honest, I’d suggest not taking a motorbike to this coastal road even today during the peak season in July and August. Which brings us to tip #1: go in May–June or September– October. Ready?

Dream scenery, blown clean by the bora wind The Senj–Karlobag section is straight out of a fairy-tale. The road departs from sea level, so the turns get longer, offering stunning views towards the rugged Velebit mountains on the left and the Kvarner islands on the right. The islands look like the surface of the moon – bare – and they are, but only from the side blasted by the hurricane gusts of the bora blowing down from Velebit. Four years ago, a video by an experienced motorcycling globetrotter appeared online in which he experiences its power first-hand. “Today before starting, a 60-year-old man told me the wind in this area is like nowhere else in the world. I was too proud to listen and was telling myself ‘he has no clue what I have been through, I rode Patagonia, Australia, Gobi Desert and so many places known for strong winds, what does he know.’ Well, I was wrong, he knows his country, this is the worst I’ve ever seen.” “Croatia Wind” is

Senj, the seaside town where we cool down our tires for the first time, is almost empty. But just wait for a gorgeous Saturday in May and motorcycles with domestic and foreign license plates aplenty will line its road. still the most viewed video on his Facebook page Goodwill Journey. So here comes our tip #2: if you see a sign telling you not to ride due to strong wind, HEED the advice. We ride on to Karlobag without stopping. “Shall we go for a burek?” For the sadly uninitiated – ‘burek’ is a savoury pie with various fillings that was probably brought to the Balkans by the Turks. It’s common throughout the peninsula and the migration of locals – especially Turks, Albanians and Bosnians – has caused it to spread throughout Central Europe. Since we know that a seafood feast is awaiting us far off in the evening, there is nothing wrong with a quick snack. However, here is tip #3: for a delicious and greasy burek, look towards Bosnia or Albania.

One of the world’s best sections Looking for riding heaven? Nothing comes close to the section between Karlobag and Starigrad near Paklenica. The road mostly hugs the coast, often so close that one could spit into the sea, making the bends sharper, speeds a bit lower and giving me the feeling that I can lean just a bit further on the bike. The three-cylinder in the Yamaha MT-09 growls and roars, the quickshifter comes into its own and traction control is out of work, because the tires just stick and, as we notice later, lose their rubber in tiny rolls. Not that

I’ve seen it all, but judging by the comments of moto-tourists from all over the world with whom I hang out on my home turf, the Adriatic Highway is definitely one of the best roads in the world. My mate Gaber, who has intimately gotten to know many of the most beautiful and well-known motorcycle roads in the world, concurs: “The Adriatic Highway to me feels as one of the longer and more enchanting motorcycle roads. In some places, the vistas that greet you can perhaps only be matched by those in Greece, Corsica or Sardinia, or the coasts of Ireland or Scotland, but on the latter two not likely with the same weather or temperatures. The Adriatic Highway reminds me of the famous Big Sur Coast Highway, part of the California State Route 1, where you will be meeting motorbikes all the way between San Francisco and Los Angeles. I would rank them both equally, except that the American version likely has much better marketing than the Adriatic Highway, while the latter provides cheaper and perhaps even better driving, eating, drinking and sleeping opportunities. Peter on his Yamaha MT-07 as well as Gaber on the Yamaha Tracer 7 GT, though both with fewer cc’s and less HP, don’t lag behind. Both are motorcycle journalists with a decent amount of distance under their belts; Peter is an amateur enduro rider and Sahara lover, Gaber is a former CHD racer and the Slovenian MotoGP commentator. It’s nice when you can trust your fellow roadies. You know that they won’t try to one-up you or goad you on. The three of us are just about the right size to be able to move south together as a dynamic and homogeneous group. Our day ends in Zadar, a city that was almost destroyed during WWII and was not spared during the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 either. I discovered that Zadar is a beautiful city with architecture from the times of the Venetian Republic, full of lively streets, squares, and friendly people. It just so happened that our evening plan to see the famous Zadar sunset and its Sea organ actually went on until midnight. On to tip #4: book two nights in Zadar and sail to the meditative Kornati archipelago, the densest archipelago in Europe. The section between Zadar and Split is, as far as motorcycle riding is concerned, less engaging, though the turns south of Split, through Omiš and Makarska to Ploče, are more inviting. The scenery from yesterday is repeated, except that instead of Velebit towering above us, we are flanked by Biokovo with its 1,764-metre peak, accessible by a paved road, and that the smaller and bare islands on our right have been replaced by the large and lush Brač, Hvar and Pelješac. Hang on, my bad, Pelješac is a peninsula. It is currently being connected to the mainland by a 2.4-kilometre-long bridge; the construction is expected to cost EUR 420 million, with 85 percent “sponsored” by the EU. The main design engineer is a Slovenian while the construction company is Chinese. The main aim is to finally link all of Croatia by road, currently interrupted

The Senj–Karlobag section is straight out of a fairy-tale. The road partly departs from sea level, so the bends get longer, offering stunning views towards the rugged Velebit mountains on the left and the Kvarner islands on the right. The islands look like the surface of the moon.

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by neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina with its 20-kilometre strip along the coast. Bosnia is not yet a member of the EU, causing transit towards Dubrovnik, the tourist holy grail of Croatia, to experience added red tape. Construction is expected to be completed in 2022.

Shellfish. Fish. Wine. We avoid the short detour to Bosnia by riding into the Neretva delta, known for vegetables and fruits, especially Neretva mandarins. Pelješac on the other side, which the ferry with our three bikes on board is pointed towards right now, is meanwhile known for its wine, especially Dingač. And shellfish. And fish. With these ingredients lined up on the table in the evening, the fifth dimension of the landscape through which we rode is revealed. Completely satiated and pleasantly tired, we agree that we will try to take it easier next time and continue past Dubrovnik to Montenegro, maybe Albania... If you are tempted, here’s a tip – the last one, I promise: after leaving Slovenia, get to know mainland Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and only when you suddenly drop from the mountains into coastal Montenegro, turn right and experience the Adriatic Highway in the other direction. The finale will leave you speechless.

// Si Jadranska magistrala kot ustvarjena za motoriste Dobra cesta je dobra osnova. Asfalt mora biti dober, ovinkov čim več, prometa čim manj. A motociklizem ni le cesta. Je tudi vse okrog nje in vse, kar se na in ob njej popotniku zgodi. In ko se na levi strani pne visoka gora, na desni pa se blešči modro Jadransko morje z otoki, med katere je zasidrano polno naročje spominov ... Ko na zaviti kači padeš v lahkoten ritem pospeševanja, zaviranja, prelaganja motocikla iz enega v drug zavoj ... Ko se ustaviš v ribiški vasici, “zabingljaš” z nogami s pomola in nastaviš goli roki pomladanskim žarkom ... Še več: ko zvečer v izbrani družbi okušaš sveže plodove morja in sadove ljubezni med zemljo, nebom in žuljavimi rokami domačina, se zaveš: ja, temu je namenjen motocikel.

by Alenka Birk photography PR

GREENLAND ARCTIC CIRCLE TRAIL If you need to get in touch with your deepest self, find peace, connect with nature, test your survival skills where there is no mobile phone reception, then the Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland is just the spot for you. Before visiting Greenland, Matthew Karsten mistakenly assumed the country was a huge mass of snow and ice. However, while 85% of Greenland is indeed covered in ice, there’s a narrow strip along the coastline that’s actually green! And red. And purple. And yellow. The trail, stretching up to 200 kilometres from the edge of the ice cap to the fishing town of Sisimiut on the west coast, is often listed as one of the world’s best long-distance hikes and can take between 7 to 12 days to complete. Matthew went hiking in mid-August to avoid the swarms of mosquitoes that plague the area earlier in the summer and you can find his guide to this solitude hike here: https://expertvagabond.com/arctic-circle-trail-greenland/

LAGUNA DE BACALAR – LAKE OF SEVEN COLORS At least seven hues of blue and turquoise make this freshwater lagoon unique. This 60-kilometre lagoon (which is often called a lake, but is actually a series of waterways eventually leading to the ocean) once offered passage for pirates and traders seeking their treasure in the form of precious campeche wood. The authorities of the Spanish Viceroyalty in Mexico even built a fort to combat piracy in these waters. Atop the lagoon one can find many wooden walkways on stilts that have led to it being nicknamed the Maldives of Mexico, while shores contain several sizable cenotes – excellent swimming holes. There is still solitude here, as, despite its location only four hours south of Cancun, tourists remain sparse. https://travelyucatan.com/top-6-reasons-to-visit-bacalar-mexico/

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Crazy Stuff

ROCK CONCERT INSIDE BUBBLES OR NOT? In 2020 the rock band The Flaming Lips staged unique concerts by placing the audience inside “space” bubbles to keep everyone safe from COVID-19. Each capsule accommodated up to three people. But will this type of concerts continue in 2021? A test concert, staged in Barcelona, resulted in no COVID cases reported. Another big event took place on March 27, with Love of Lesbian playing for 5,000 people with no social distancing in the Palau Sant Jordi, which can normally hold 17,000 people. All visitors had to provide a negative antigen test and keep their face masks on during the show. There was no separation or bubbles between the fans, but the venue was well ventilated. The event was sold out in a few days.

FIND PEACE IN OSCAR-NOMINATED MY OCTOPUS TEACHER A Netflix documentary like you’ve never seen before, this gentle and soothing film, full of emotion, is the brainchild of filmmaker Craig Foster. As he was coping with exhaustion and burnout, Craig reconnected with himself and his family, especially his son, after developing a relationship with an octopus in the Great African Sea Forest off the coast of South Africa. Every day for a year, Foster went freediving without a wetsuit or scuba gear in the frigid ocean near Cape Town, with water temperatures as cold as 8 °C, to visit an octopus. Watching trust build over time between a man and a curious octopus referred to only as “her” is simply amazing. Words can’t do the film justice; viewing it is a sensory experience and there is something about it that resonates deeply with both critics and the public. www.netflix.com

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Evolut ion

Driving and flying with PAL-V

I SELL FLYING CARS by Volker Hirth photography PAL-V

60 61

Let’s say you meet a guy. He seems approachable. So you start a conversation with him. “So, what do you do?” “I sell flying cars.” “Excuse me, what!?” Yet this man does exist. His name is Marco van den Bosch and he is the Chief Commercial Officer at PAL-V International B.V., a Dutch company that started out in 2001 to design a car that can fly. A bit of an unusual job title to be sure, but when the company’s latest product does take off, then you might be meeting more and more people with a similar job title in the near future.

The PAL-V (Personal Air and Land Vehicle) is

and without tilting technology similar to that

currently the world’s most compelling concept

used in Italian Pendolino trains or the three-

of an automobile/airplane hybrid. The first

wheeled Piaggios, a stable ride on roads would

prototype successfully took to the air nine

not have been possible. For, like an airplane

years ago and it officially became a car late last

on the runway, the PAL-V drives through the

year. In fact, the Dutch makers have managed

streets as a three-wheeler. A car with good

to clear the high hurdles for European road

driving characteristics. But nothing more.

registration. An airplane with a number plate. A

Dingemanse elucidates: “We don’t have the

milestone in the company’s now almost 20-year

best car and we don’t have the best airplane,

history. CEO Robert Dingemanse compares

but the end result of combining the two is

it somewhat to the feelings of Neil Armstrong

currently the best in the world.”

when he landed on the moon. “A number plate like that is a small piece of tin, but it’s a huge step for our company.” The flight licence thing, he says, is a bit more difficult, but that should definitely happen this year, with only nuances missing. Safety is paramount in any licensing process, and that’s where the PAL-V excels. It is a gyrocopter, which means that in addition to a small tail unit, it has a rotor that does not need an engine. Only wind and air, i.e. atmosphere. The principle is borrowed from nature. The seeds of numerous types of trees do not plop to earth, but rotate serenely toward the ground. This principle should bring the PAL-V to the ground safely in any situation, even when it has run out of fuel.

A combination of flying and driving The history of such flying cars is almost as old as the car itself. Historians have counted around 2,000 projects to date that had the goal of driving and flying with one vehicle. Success could be said to have been achieved with 300 of them, but only if the jump of a frog were to be counted as a flight. For Robert Dingemanse, the high number of attempts and the long history of such projects “is proof of a human need. It’s a clear sign that the world wants this. Flying and driving combined is the ultimate form of mobility.” It had to wait until the present times with all its technical achievements. Steel structures were always too heavy, lightweight wooden projects always too unstable. Without carbon, the necessary low weight of 650 kg combined with extreme stability could not have been achieved,

Akrapovič worked with PAL-V While the vehicle looked like a ravenous grasshopper at the start of development, the designers have now succeeded in creating a kind of Italian sports car with roof luggage, if you dare make that comparison. Akrapovič worked with PAL-V in developing the exhaust system for the PAL-V. The technical data is impressive. 160 km/h on the road, from 0 to 100 km/h in 9 seconds, 100 HP, petrol powered, with a fuel consumption of 7.6 l/100 km and a range of 1,300 km. Flight is made possible by a 200 HP engine. The top speed is 180 km/h, the range up to 500 km, with a maximum travel altitude of 3,500 m.

How is this going to work in practice? So much for the theory. But how is it supposed to work in practice? Jam ahead, accelerate, take off, wave mischievously from above? “No, that’s not how it works, of course,” says CEO Dingemanse, “there will always have to be an airfield to begin with.” In Europe alone, there are

Robert Dingemanse

around 15,000 small airfields. Enough to be able to say that everyone has a place somewhere in their immediate vicinity to take off and land at. Europeans are not necessarily the most obvious clientele. Marco van den Bosch once had a visit from a dozen Australian farmers. “They told me, ‘we need this equipment. Better yesterday than today.’” The farmers’ desire for such a vehicle is understandable. After all the largest Australian farm has a bigger surface area than quite a few countries.

While the vehicle looked like a ravenous grasshopper at the start of development, the designers have now succeeded in creating a kind of Italian sports car with roof luggage, if you can dare make that comparison.

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The flying licence is also available with the purchase if a PAL-V for those who want one. It costs about 20,000 euros extra and requires about 45 hours of learning. A pricey route to one of the most spectacular vehicles of our time. The prices for the bright orange flying car from the Netherlands have been fixed for a long time. For the limited edition PAL-V Liberty Pioneer Edition, enthusiasts will pay EUR 499,000. This edition is intended for collectors, limited to 90 driving (flying) cars, with personal touches and the finest interior and exterior. For EUR 299,000 the PAL-V Liberty Sport Edition, preferably in an unlimited edition, should become a bestseller. The entire project from the idea to the finished product has unofficially swallowed up 60 million euros in development costs. The 140 or so investors are happy to believe analysts who see the market potential for flying cars at around two trillion euros by 2040. By then, however, to avoid chaos in the air, autonomous flying should be possible. After this technology will permeate our everyday lives, the answer “I sell flying cars”, given by, say, Marco van den Bosch’s grandson, might sound completely normal to us. But then again, the grandson might well inherit the pioneering spirit of his grandad and the answer he would give, which we cannot imagine at the present, might sound equally incredible to the future ears.

The history of such flying cars is almost as old as the car itself. Historians have counted around 2,000 projects to date that had the goal of driving and flying with one vehicle. Success could be claimed for 300 of them, but even then only if the jump of a frog were counted as a flight.

Trav e l With Us

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by Nataša Andlovec photography Eduardo Blanco/Alamy, Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP, Jeffrey Isac Greenberg/Alamy, Little Rara

Street food culture

Shrines of enchanting tastes Recent years have seen a rise in the number of hungry tourists less enamoured with highly praised restaurants and their cosmopolitan menus, opting instead for cheap and cheerful street food with its range of tastes and ingenious dishes that often surpass even a highly rated restaurant or famous chef. According to history, street food might be as old as streets themselves and some of these ancient dishes have continued to thrive in the present. Our fast life and pressing daily obligations have only added to the importance of these dishes, giving us the feeling that we are living in an era of street food, kickstarted perhaps by the oftdepicted vendors on the streets of New York, who serve delicious sandwiches and hot dogs from carts made of stainless steel. The truth is a bit different, though.

Le food Market, Paris, France – Lefoodmarket.fr Brussels Food Truck Festival, Brussels, Belgium – Brusselsfoodtruckfestival.com Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakech, Morocco Odprta kuhna, Ljubljana, Slovenia – Odprtakuhna.si Kerb, London (Camden), Great Britain – Kerbfood.com National Street Food Festival, New Delhi, India – Tasteatlas.com Night markets of Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand Street food of Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Klfoodie.com MadrEAT Street Food Market, Madrid, Spain – Madreat.org Street food festivals of Italy, various Italian towns – Vsveicolispeciali.com Food trucks of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA – Miamifoodtrucksevents.com

FROM ANCIENT GREECE… Street food is first mentioned in ancient Greece, where smaller and less valuable fish were fried and sold at street stalls as quick snacks. Researchers in ancient Rome uncovered a number of stalls that seem to have served the same purpose. In ancient Rome chickpea soup, a dish for the poor, was often sold at the roadside and almost anyone could afford it and eat it on the go or take it home. This is, in a way, still the essence of street food today. Its basic guidelines are: tasty, simple, cheap and quick. Shawarma is still the most popular street dish in the Middle East, tofu remains an integral part of Asian street food culture and the essential tacos, perhaps the most popular street food item in the world, still reign supreme in Mexico. Some street food has gained so much popularity that it made the jump to elite restaurants and is almost not considered street food anymore, although it is still largely being served by the roadside. This was the path taken by, for example, the hearty Japanese noodle soup, the ubiquitous ramen.

…TO MODERN TIMES Street food’s popularity is on the rise, so it’s no surprise that the first Michelin star has already been awarded to a kerbside vendor. While usually sticking to more famous chefs and established restaurants with their impeccable white tablecloths, this particular star proved that the French have realised that tasty food surpasses boundaries and stereotypes. Creative cook Supinya Junsuta, better known as “Jay Fai”, won a Michelin star in 2019 for the second year in a row. Despite her venerable 76 years, Jay continues cooking at her holein-the-wall restaurant in Bangkok. Famous for both her exceptional seafood dishes and donning ski goggles to safeguard her from frying oil, she also swears on charcoal rather than the more ubiquitous gas. Her signature reimagining of Thailand’s iconic tom yum dish alongside drunk man’s noodles, yellow curry, and the famous crab omelette, produce a long line of eager punters, day in, day out. Moreover, do not expect to get a seat unless you booked your place several weeks in advance. Jay Fai is unofficially considered the best street food stall in the world, though such comparisons are devilishly hard to make as sublime street food is being served all over the world. Another place deserving of a top spot is the Little Rara Thai Noodle House in Kuala Lumpur. This example of tastiness is located conveniently in one of the parking lots in the centre of the Malaysian capital and run by the likeable and always smiling chef Rudi Farique. The wealth of tastes, the diversity of the menu, the creative culinary skills and the service conjure up a first-class atmosphere

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that you simply must experience should you find yourself in that particular part of the world. Not only are the dishes exquisite, the dining experience is as well. No matter what you dip your spoon into, you will likely end up with one of the best dishes you have ever tried. Like all popular stalls, Rudi’s Little Rara will likely require you to a queue for quite some time, but oh boy is it worth the wait. Little Rara is a veritable shrine for foodies.

STREET FOOD FESTIVALS It comes as no surprise that street food vendors began to organize themselves locally. They cook in joint areas on scheduled days, so as to attract people with different tastes. A smart move. Large street food festivals abound around the globe, with the amount of smoke and steam coming from the pots sometimes making it difficult for visitors to snap a coveted keepsake. The Serbian town of Leskovac is famous around the world for its “Roštiljijada” barbecue week, attracting a global clientele. I recently visited Austin, Texas, another famous BBQ hotspot, also known for its many food trucks, mobile food trailers offering unrivalled and unique delicacies in the guise of Chinese buns, fried donuts of all kinds, bacon-flavoured ice cream, hamburgers or sausages, all washed down with various draft beers. And that’s just scratching the surface.

Trucks converted into mobile kitchens are very popular in the USA, because they can, unlike stalls located at the same corner or on the same street, be driven to a new location every day.

GETTING HUNGRY? For an even more memorable experience, head to magical India. The National Street Food Festival in New Delhi takes place every year at the end of December and its Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium venue attracts more than 500 different street food vendors. The purpose of the festival is to promote local or national cuisine, considered part of India’s culture and history. It is likely one of the most colourful street food festivals in the world. And should your travels bring you to Morocco, be sure to stop in Marrakech and indulge in the street food under the numerous light bulbs of the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa night market. A snapshot of this particular evening market is probably the most popular street food venue on postcards. Our advice? Ask the locals where to find the best street food. Forget your prejudices. Street food, though often prepared on a makeshift heater or grill, is often fresher, tastier, and cleaner than the dishes made in the out-of-sight kitchens of many restaurants. One more thing. Go all in. Let the sauce drip down your elbows and your street food experience will certainly be a memorable and fulfilling one. And finally, check out page 65 for some spots that we like and, of course, bon appétit.

Travel With Us

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Vendée Globe – the world’s most challenging regatta by Jakica Jesih photography Alex Thompson, Bernard La Bars, Ivan Zeda, Jean Louis Carli, Jean Mari Liot, Mark Lloyd

Flying Boats The third week of the Vendée Globe was going well for Kevin Escoffier. He was sailing in third place with the wind at a decent 25–30 knots (46–55 km/h) when his boat nosedived into a large wave and broke in half. It felt like a movie, but happened for real. Escoffier only had a few minutes to put on his survival suit, mainly aimed at safeguarding the sailors from the cold, and activate his life raft. “I’m sinking! I’m not joking. MAYDAY!” The closest boat that could come to his rescue was operated by the 61-year-old Jean Le Cam, experienced five-time Vendée participant and the oldest skipper in this regatta. After arriving at the scene of the accident, he found Escoffier in the raft.

Alex Thomson

Challenging conditions prompted the regatta

time round), rescued Le Cam from his capsized

but in this case carefully planned for and

management to also send sailors Boris

sailboat not far from Cape Horn.

eagerly anticipated, though still with a rather uncertain outcome.

Herrmann, Yannick Bestaven and Sébastien Simon to help and arranged them in a search

Crème de la crème of sailing

A total of 33 participants, the highest number

triangle. In the meantime, Le Cam rescued

Every four years, the crème de la crème of

in races history, set off in November 2020

Escoffier. “Yes I am on, I’m sorry to have

ocean sailing gathers at Les Sables d’Olonne,

on the 31st Vendée Globe. Offshore racing

disturbed your race, Jean,” were Escoffier’s

France, in an attempt to sail around the world

has a long tradition in France and normally

first words aboard Le Cam’s sailboat before

solo, non-stop and without assistance. A

there would be a crowd of several hundred

summing up the last minutes aboard his own

solitary, physically and mentally exhausting

thousand spectators there on the start, waving

sailing boat: “I came out of the boat and put

voyage of just under three months takes these

good luck to the brave sailors. Unlike many

on my survival suit. I could see smoke. The

brave men and women across the world’s

other sporting events where people tend

electronics were burning. Everything went off.

oceans and past three famous capes – the

to cheer for their idols, here the cheers are

The water was up to the door in the cockpit.”

Cape of Good Hope, Australia’s Leeuwin and

meant for all. There’s no “our team” and “their

The sailors then hugged. Perhaps things are

the infamous Cape Horn – with much of the

team”, just respect for each sailor, who are

somehow connected; at the 2009 Vendée

time spent in the cold and untamed South

themselves united by their passion for sailing,

Globe regatta, Vincent Riou, then the skipper

Pacific, where winds easily exceed 50 knots

love of the seas and an understanding of the

aboard the PRB (which Escoffier sailed on this

(90 km/h). As self-isolated as it gets, actually,

insignificance of human beings when facing

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the elements, though also of their strength, courage, ingenuity, endurance, solidarity and boldness. Sailors, each with their own private goals, multimillion-euro campaigns and responsibilities towards sponsors and themselves, turn into relentless competitors from the get-go; but should anything go wrong in the vast raging sea amidst the roaring winds, competitiveness instantly disappears. When it comes to survival, fellow sailors are the first to come to the rescue.

These boats almost fly around the world! So, what do they use for their round-theworld trip? 18-metre IMOCA class sailing yachts. These monohull class yachts do impose design restrictions regarding their length and draft and so on, but also allow nautical designers and engineering teams a lot of freedom to come up with individual technological solutions. The need for ever more speed has resulted in newer monohulls receiving hydrofoils (which we may remember from the America’s Cup), which offer a significant competitive advantage, especially when sailing downwind. Vendée Globe is open to all IMOCA class sailboats, both the classic “foilless” and the latest designs embracing them. One of this year’s participants, Sébastien Simon, stated very clearly: “These boats almost fly around the world! They are at the forefront of innovation and technology. They’re very similar to Formula 1.” The human factor, as well as a bit of luck, are at least equally important. Sailors certainly also need some good fortune on their side to be in the right place at the right time and avoid colliding with the so-called “unknown floating objects”. Such round-the-world sailing requires an extraordinary mental and physical effort. Loneliness is compounded by irregular sleeping patterns, a diet consisting of mainly dehydrated food, being limited to a small space, the sheer complexity of sailing, fear of possible collision and damage to the boat, stress caused by constant need to detect and repair damage and malfunctions of various systems and, as if more needs to be added, studying the weather conditions and making the right tactical decisions which will lead to success at the finish line – day in, day out, for nearly three months! Dee Caffari, a British sailor who sailed around the world alone in both directions, knows this well. “It’s all about routine and they’re now looking at how many calories they burn, how many minutes they’ve been asleep for, what their mental alertness is like, because unless they can perform at the optimal decision-making and physical capability… The boat can be as technical as it likes, but without the driver onboard it’s kind of pointless.”

Yannick Bestaven

The journey matters more than the destination The first to cross the finish line after 80 days and a few hours was Charlie Dalin, who, despite not being declared the winner due to time deductions received by other competitors, certainly did not hide his excitement. “I have been through the Indian Ocean, the Pacific and past Cape Horn! The other day I went over my course, and it is incredible all I have done, and I can remember all the manoeuvres. It is incredible how many things I have done. It makes me tired to think that I did all that.” Favourite Alex Thomson had to throw in the towel due to a damaged rudder before Cape Town. “Over the past week or so we’ve been reminded of just how difficult this race is. I’ve said it time and time again but there really is no sporting challenge in the world as tough as the Vendée Globe. I have such admiration for any skipper who takes on this race.” Germany’s Boris Herrmann, who performed

// Si Vendée Globe — najzahtevnejša regata na svetu Vsaka štiri leta se v francoskem kraju Les Sables d’Olonne na startu legendarne regate enotrupnih jadrnic Vendée Globe zbere smetana oceanskega jadranja, da bi jadralci sami, brez postanka in brez zunanje pomoči obpluli svet. Samotna, fizično in mentalno izčrpljujoča plovba, ki traja nekaj manj kot tri mesece, jadralke in jadralce vodi po svetovnih oceanih in mimo treh znamenitih rtov — Rta dobre nade, Leeuwina in Horna. Velik del poti opravijo tudi po hladnem in divjem južnem Tihem oceanu, kjer vetrovi presežejo 50 vozlov (90 km/h). Novembra 2020 je regato 18-metrskih jadrnic razreda IMOCA začelo 33 udeležencev. Jadralci, vsak s svojimi osebnimi cilji, z večmilijonsko kampanjo in odgovornostjo do pokroviteljev in sebe, so od startnega znamenja dalje neizprosni tekmeci, a ko se v praznini besnečega morja in rohnečih vetrov nekaj zaplete, priskočijo drug drugemu na pomoč.

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extremely well despite suffering numerous

finishing this Vendée Globe, and rather well

issues, was in the running to become the first

because I had all the cards stacked in my favour.”

non-French skipper to win the regatta after a sixhour deduction due to his rescue detour. He was

More than just victory

already sailing along the French coast, almost

Vendée Globe is about more than just winning.

within sight of the finish line and the fans, when

Lone wolf sailors navigate the oceans blue, with

he collided with a fishing boat. In an instant, the

every new race a challenge and inspiration.

German’s dreams of victory were shattered, but

Veteran Jean Le Cam knows very well what the

Herrmann did not mourn the bad luck. “I had a

essence of this regatta is. “You need to know

nightmare during the last night – I saw this big

what is bad to know what is good. You need to

wall of a fishing trawler with the sail stuck in it

know unhappiness to know what is love. These

and my boat not moving, but then a shroud broke

are questions I truly ask myself because it was

and we got free. After that most of the negative

real for me. It is the extremes. That is a big part

thoughts went away. To finish is a relief. It’s a

of the Vendée Globe, you spend moments, one

special moment.”

day is different from the next. And then when

A total of seven boats managed to cross the

you start accumulating difficulties it becomes

finish line in a single day after spending 80 days

hell. And later on when you get out of it it is true

at sea, with Yannick Bestaven crowned as the

happiness.” For these brave men and women

overall winner. “My objective was already to finish

rescuing a fellow sailor in distress is worth more

the Vendée Globe. In 2008 I had dismasted,

than the trophy, so regardless of who crosses

it’s a frustration that I could not get over for a

the finish line first, the real winner of this race is

long time, it was hard. I set out with the aim of

always humanity.

Yannick Bestaven

Loneliness is compounded by irregular sleeping patterns, a diet consisting of mainly dehydrated food, being limited to a small space, the sheer complexity of sailing, fear of possible collision and damage to the boat, stress caused by constant need to detect and repair damage and malfunctions of various systems and, as if more needs to be added, studying the weather conditions and making the right tactical decisions which will lead to success at the finish line – day in, day out, for nearly three months!

Charlie Dalin

Original

DOUG AITKEN – MASTER OF ARTISTIC INSTALLATION

CONSTANTLY ACCELERATING WORLD by Igor Španjol photography Brian Cahn/Imago, Daniel Hambury/Imago, Daniel Mears/AP, Fredrik von Erichsen/DPA, Laura Lewandowski/DPA, Patrick Straub/AP, Vincent Isore/Imago

DOUG AITKEN, SCULPTOR, FILMMAKER AND ONE OF THE MAIN PROTAGONISTS OF THE LOS ANGELES ART SCENE, FINDS THE INSPIRATION F O R H I S W O R K I N H I S O W N E N V I R O N M E N T, BOTH NATUR AL AND CULTUR AL. MARKED BY T HE S T RONGLY CON TR A S T ING E XPA NSE S OF T HE D E S E R T, T H E O C E A N A N D T H E M E T R O P O L I S , AITKEN’S ENVIRONMENT ALLOWS HIM TO FOCUS ON THE PERCEPTION OF UNIVERSAL MOBILITY AND THE RESULTING FR AGMENTATION OF S O C I E T Y. A P A R T F R O M B E I N G S I G N I F I C A N T L Y INFLUENCED BY THE TRADITIONAL AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL CULTUR AL HERITAGE AND THE PROVERBIAL CALIFORNIAN OBSESSION WITH THE CULT OF THE CAR, DOUG’S LIVING ENVIRONMENT ALSO INCLUDES NASA’S ENORMOUS JET PROPULSION LAB, WHICH CREATES UNMANNED SPACEFARING VESSELS AND CAPTURES SIGNALS FROM HUMANITY’S FARTHEST AMBASSADORS.

74 / 77 Original

75 Aitken’s technical mastery in combination with his poetic approach creates imposing and sensual spatial installations, where the narrative gradually shifts towards exploring more abstract topics such as nearness and distance, forgetfulness and memory. His early fascination with forces of nature – water, lava, the desert – has remained with him to this very day, showcased by his exploration of the concepts of landscape and speed, and especially our attitude towards them. Although he has always been fascinated by largely abandoned landscapes and places, he gradually moved away from detailing the characteristics of landscapes with extreme climes and became increasingly drawn by the people who nevertheless inhabit them.

Genre fluidity Since the 1990s, Doug has been masterfully switching between different genres, unfazed by the distinction between elite and popular culture. Approaching all of his projects without prejudice, his work includes musical videos The Rockafeller Skank (1998) for Fat Boy Slim and The Fear (1999) for Q-ZIQ, created as self-reflections of his own world and connected with the music industry and dominant TV culture images. His TV pieces meanwhile include Inflection (1992), a film featuring images shot with a camera attached to a rocket, and I’d Die for You (1993), a compilation of the most dramatic moments from movies starring John Wayne. Aitken remains deeply interested in various media and types of expression, thereby continuously growing his audience. He developed numerous successful collaborations with magazines and experimental publishers, which also led to him taking part in the 1997 International Biennial of Graphic Arts in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where he showed innovative graphic prints using digital technology. A large part of his computer-aided oeuvre focuses on photographic compositions of imaginary urban architecture.

Electric earth Doug Aitken’s installations grab the viewer’s attention because of his mastery of the means of presenting moving images and shaping space alongside his ceaseless exploration of different forms and formats for the projection and reception of image and sound. Doug’s work allows his viewers to establish their relationship with film in a new way by letting them move around freely and get fully immersed in moving images. As visitors move from darkness to light, they literally enter a space of fiction – a narrative structure that they can change at any time, break its linearity, invent their own script, and so turn from mere observers into participants. The Diamond Sea (1997), for example, tries to unveil the hidden landscape of two diamond mines in Africa. The layout consists of video projections, a screen

and photography in a dark space surrounded

Showcasing a video on an eight-screen setup,

video projection onto an elliptical X-screen, on

by a soundstage. His installation Eraser (1998),

this piece allowed visitors to move through a

which Aitken shows human beings confronting

consisting of his own footage of a volcanic

succession of projected images shot in various

various experiences during the constant ebb

eruption on the island of Montserrat, is made

urban settings. Through its mixing of dreams

and flow between the private and the public,

up of seven large screens occupying a space

with reality, Electric Earth recreates the travels

solitude and social practices. Juxtaposing the

in which viewers are invited to move, guided

of a man lost in the mechanical sounds of empty

elements of daily life on the basis of a pre-

only by the light coming from the films. The

streets, connecting the electrified structure of

determined concept, the resulting kaleidoscope

video installation These Restless Minds (1998)

the urban environment to the human nervous

attempts to grasp the world “as is” in its totality,

creates its extraordinary atmosphere through

system.

simultaneously and without commentary.

screen placement at eye level, which viewers

Many of his works try to show that technological

can watch either standing up or seated on one

progress, apart from changing the materials

Interventions in public space

of the benches and where the multidiffusion of

and objects we live with, also alters our notions

Aitken’s varied career also includes stints as a

the sound in the form of repetitive counting by

of speed, space and time. His installation New

curator. In his Station to Station (2013), a train,

auctioneers amplifies the chaotic cacophony in

Skin (2002) explores in a fictional way the

designed as a moving light sculpture displaying

the room.

relationship between our senses of sight and

projects by other artists, travelled from New

In 1999, Aitken’s installation Electric Earth won

hearing – and how they are conceived – and

York to San Francisco, making stops along the

the International Prize at the Venice Biennale.

memory. The setup involves a four-channel

way for a series of artistic events.

Aitken’s technical mastery in combination with his poetic approach creates imposing and sensual spatial installations, where the narrative gradually shifts towards exploring more abstract topics such as nearness and distance, forgetfulness and memory.

74 / 77 Original

A similar project that included over a hundred visual artists, musicians, dancers and designers, was then set up in London as well. Aitken is also famous for his interventions in public space, bringing art to numerous passers-by, not all of whom might be accustomed to the rituals of contemporary art. His 2007 Sleepwalkers exhibition at MoMA covered the museum’s exterior walls with projections, thereby transforming an entire Manhattan block. Two years later, his Sonic Pavilion opened to the public in the hills of Brazil and, also in 2009, his largescale film and architecture installation Frontier was presented on Rome’s Isola Tiberina. Black Mirror (2011) consisted of a video installation and a live theatre performance on a specifically designed barge floating off Athens and the island of Hydra. One of his most ambitious projects to date was the 2016 tethering of a trio of underwater pavilions to the seabed off the coast of Catalina Island, California. This was followed by Mirage (2017), a sculpture shaped as a home completely covered in mirrors and located in the heart of the Californian desert. Mirage was later relocated to a completely different environment and is currently on view in Gstaad, Switzerland. The house is open to all, but, contradictorily and at the same time consistently, accessible only on foot.

Mirage (2017) is a sculpture shaped as a home completely covered in mirrors and located in the heart of the Californian desert. It was later relocated to a completely different environment and is currently on view in Gstaad, Switzerland.

H ig h G e ar

High Gear

Sound is everything in motorsport

Heavenly things When I went to my very first Formula 1 race, I heard the race cars just as I opened my father’s car door a field away before I entered the circuit, climbed up a bank and saw my first F1 car in action. Aptly, it had a Cosworth DFV in the back and it was everything I’d ever thought it was going to be after watching TV highlights, placing posters on walls and seeing mechanics with ear defenders. Even better than that, it was my hero Keke Rosberg in a Williams, so life was pretty good for this 10-year-old. Sound is everything in motorsport. It’s one of the first things young children imitate about a car when racing little cars around the carpet, the sound, the gear changes, the revs. They really feel that it’s them in the car and the higher the revs, the faster they are going across the carpet. We all did it. So, what are your favourite sounds? This is of course an emotive subject but there’s rarely a friendly falling out over what is good and what isn’t… It’s never going to be as emotive as a football match.

For me, the highlight of a great car sound is echo. To be trackside when there’s a test at a place like Brno, where the trees make the reverberations so heavenly to the ear, is key for me. MotoGP at Brno is my abiding memory of a Honda V5 screaming down the hill towards the stadium area before disappearing out of sight soon after it, but you can still trace every throttle opening, gear change and corner the rider is doing all the way down to the bottom hairpin and then back towards the pits.

by Toby Moody illustration Natan Esku

The Royal Park at Monza gives a similar sensation when the flat-six Porsche 911 RSR of 2017 is howling down the home straight all the way through to the Curva Grande and on to Lesmo. There are videos you need to search for on YouTube of the Porsche team testing at Monza. Now. Do it now. Now. A friend had the sound of the howling 911 RSR on his answerphone with the words, “As you’ve heard, I’ve gone out. Please leave a message…” Genius. The Nordschliefe and Le Mans with the sheer size of their tracks provide different soundtracks for cars and bikes as they thrash around for 24 hours, but an abiding memory for me was in 2019 when I woke up early in my hotel room that was a few hundred yards from Tertre Rouge. Opening the window, all I could hear was cars accelerating hard down the Mulsanne. What a perfect alarm call. Recently I’ve been on the Dakar in Saudi Arabia with the melange of technology that rally raid holds in the shape of 2WD, 4WD, petrol, diesel, non turbo… But easily the best sounding car out there is the Toyota Hilux 5-litre V8 with near straight pipes out from the headers. It is glorious… It revs and revs and coupled with the doppler effect as it roars past you at 180 km/h it really does sound like the noises we all made with the racing cars when we were little. I understand and approve of hybrid over electric as a way forward but boy oh boy it’ll be a shame to not hear that engine at the new FIA Rally Raid World Championship in 2022. Before MotoGP there was the 500 cc formula that held a real raspy edge to the exhaust note,

The article here does not necessarily correspond with the opinions of Akrapovič d. d., the publishers or the editors.

but I was never a fan. I get castigated as such but I stand my ground on preferring the four-stroke era that debuted in 2002, bringing with it the whackiest engine of them all, the Honda V5 990 cc. That engine was silky smooth and dominated three out of five years on track. But the maddest nightclubbing rebel of an engine that never did as it was told and gave the middle finger to anyone who came near it was the MotoGP Aprilia threecylinder Cube. It was just nuts… but I did record its pure sound onto a MiniDisc with a high quality microphone back in 2003 at Valencia and I’ve found the disc and have it playing now. Just nuts. I’m running out of space, but there are engines I need to mention before I get cut off: the BRM 1.5 litre V16, the Ferrari 212 2-litre flat-12, the Alfa Romeo DTM V6 and the first Ducati MotoGP bike in 2003 that genuinely hurt your ears whenever it came past. Heavenly things. There are so many aspects to just one phenomenon, sound, but the one thing that it will always do much more than anything else when you are trackside, is that you hear it before you see it and you hear it long after you’ve left.

The sound – you hear it before you see it and you hear it long after you’ve left.

Toby Moody International motorsport TV broadcaster for both two wheels and four, having commentated on motor sport for 21 years. Follow @tobymoody / Twitter and Instagram

The Akrapovič Evolution Line (Titanium) exhaust system for the Honda CRF450R/RX Winner of the prestigious Red Dot Award: Product Design 2021 in the Vehicle Accessories and Innovative Products categories.

www.akrapovic.com | Akrapovič d.d., Malo Hudo 8a, 1295 Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia

GENERAL WARNING Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of its subsidiaries make any representation that the products comply with the air and/or noise emissions laws, or labeling laws, of any jurisdiction. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of the applicable laws where the products are to be used and to comply with those law. WARNING USA Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, especially as those parts and systems modify, remove, or replace original equipment catalysts. Please consult the appropriate laws in your area before installing any aftermarket part or system on your vehicle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries or the sellers of the parts or systems make any representation that any of their parts or systems comply with any such laws. WARNING CALIFORNIA California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts unless the California Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order regarding such part or system or unless the part or system is exempted by being used only on racing vehicles on closed courses. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries make any representation that any of their parts or systems has received such an Executive Order or that any of their parts or systems conform with the racing vehicles exemption. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of applicable California laws and to comply with those laws.

Achieve unrivalled performance, improve the design, and own the tarmac with a race-proven Akrapovič exhaust system. It is quality you can see, hear, and touch – all stemming from supreme workmanship, technological knowhow, and the finest titanium and carbon-fibre parts.

Akrapovič d.d. Malo Hudo 8a, 1295 Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia / www.akrapovic.com

GENERAL WARNING Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of its subsidiaries make any representation that the products comply with the air and/or noise emissions laws, or labeling laws, of any jurisdiction. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of the applicable laws where the products are to be used and to comply with those law. USA WARNING Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, especially as those parts and systems modify, remove, or replace original equipment catalysts. Please consult the appropriate laws in your area before installing any aftermarket part or system on your vehicle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries or the sellers of the parts or systems make any representation that any of their parts or systems comply with any such laws. CALIFORNIA WARNING California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts unless the California Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order regarding such part or system or unless the part or system is exempted by being used only on racing vehicles on closed courses. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries make any representation that any of their parts or systems has received such an Executive Order or that any of their parts or systems conform with the racing vehicles exemption. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of applicable California laws and to comply with those laws.

Product code: 801900

THE SOUND OF PERFORMANCE