“We hope that our readers will enjoy this mag and get inspired...�
INSPIRE BY
NIGHT ESCAPE “I love motorbikes. I’ve always dreamt of jumping into a race suit, starting the engine and feeling the full throttle adrenaline…”
20
“...it was a blast to be on the RCV Honda and let my fantasy fly away!” Beatriz Doñoro
z i r t a e B
// HEARTBEAT.
An incredible torque whips up your heartbeat. With the new Fireblade you get the optimum from each hundredth of a second. Thanks to the electronically controlled combined anti-lock braking system and its legendary powers, you have everything under control at top speed – everything, that is, except your heartbeat. Find out more at www.honda.de.
Honda Fireblade. Total Control.
Pure adrenalin
Grand Prix de Monaco Historique Cooper T71/73, 1964
I N T RO D U C T I O N For a while now I’ve been wondering how to give greater meaning to my passion. knowing that you make a contribution, however small, to the growth of the sporting spectacle, that you sometimes are making fans smile or helping to develop new technologies was, and still is, a great motivation. But not enough for me.
Lucio Cecchinello lCr Honda Team Principal
Putting heads together with the guys from the team, we thought that it was about time to promote and publish not only “our races” but also to tell the stories of some exceptional people (athletes, businessmen, artists, charming women…) that we have had the good fortune to have met during our travels around the world. People who have had their own “race” in life, set apart by their talents, abilities and their good will… People who deserve to be held up as an example, or who should be recognised in some way or even just remembered… All this in the hope that young people who are in search of inspiration have a chance to see some positive role models. So, our proposed intention is to “inspire our young readers”. Inspiration can be found in something as simple as a beautiful image, the desire to organise a trip to unknown and unforgettable locations, a fascinating woman who you dream about meeting… Enjoy the read!
9 MAY 2012
E D I TO R I A L Two wheels, one passion. Present, past and future meet inside Inspire’s pages, the new magazine from lCr. Every month a new story is written, a story made by those legendary people, heroes or ordinary but amazing human beings, that make the racing world a stunning place to live in.
Enrico Barbieri Editor In Chief
These modern gladiators challenge each other at every single corner riding at full gas on their favourite battlefield: the racetrack. Their weapon of choice is a throttle, they fight against each other at over 300km/h while the whole world around them stops and stares. This is MotoGP. Bikes, tracks, fuel and tyres but also sensuous, classy, beautiful girls like Beatriz, a girl with a dream. Don’t miss her night escape video. right after that: Angel nieto, the Spanish record-breaker and Freddie Spencer, the genius. We took a coffee with George Clooney in london while he told us about his renowned passion for two wheels. last but not least, our exclusive, fun shoot with Helmut and Stefan Bradl, father and son: the Blues Bradls.
photo: Getty Images
Photographer
Hadrien Picard
WATCH AND GET INSPIRED Courtesy by Red Bull Content Pool www.inspire-lcr.com/JorisDaudet
Joris Daudet performs at his own track in Bordeaux, France on March 14th 2012
INSPIRE
CONTRIBUTORS Massimo Visconti Photographer, videomaker, sound designer and most of all: bike lover. A true born gipsy, always willing to jump on a plane and land somewhere sunny, exotic and unknown. Elisa Pavan lCr Team Press Officer and logistics Coordinator aka la Pina , the Queen of organization. I love to chill and party with my colleagues from all the MotoGP teams. Gavin Emmett Gavin Emmett is a broadcaster, presenter and writer who commentates on all MotoGP races for Tvs across the world, but still gets excited every raceday. Nelly Pluto-Prondzyńska Editor in chief of MotoGP section at www.motosports.pl I’m very young but I have a huge passion for MotoGP and I love to do interviews with the riders and to write articles about the races. Davide Esposito glamour photographer and videomaker. There’s only one thing in life that I love more than bikes and that’s women. Give me a racing track, a girl, a camera and I’ll feell like bein in heaven. Sayaka Miyazaki lCr vIP guests coordinator Japanese Media reporter. I love travelling and learning European languages. Emanuele Vallorani Graphic Designer by profession and Photographer for the love of it! I like to discover new people and new places, I love everything that’s unusual!
34
S U M M A RY 20 54
66
20 34 54 66 74
NIGHT ESCAPE A dream becomes reality RACE HIGHLIGHTS round 01 losail, Qatar THE BLUES BRADLS Face to face with the racing duo GREAT LIFE STORIES Angel Nieto: a life dedicated to racing RACE HIGHLIGHTS round 02 Jerez, Spain
74
www.szen.com
+39 02 255151.1
90
96
S U M M A RY
106
90 96 104 106
108 110 116 122 136 138
STYLE AND SUBSTANCE George Clooney and his 2-wheel passion CANDLELIGHT DINNER Cuisine, Beauty and Speed COOKING AT FULL GAS Alessandro Borghese: Italians do it better MOTORSPORT TECHNOLOGY Loris Capirossi and his new important role MotoGP SPIRIT IN ONE SHOT A breathless photo! VINTAGE EMOTION Freddie Spencer: a genius on track THE TOOL MASTER George Vukmanovic: an enviable passion RACE HIGHLIGHTS round 03 Estoril, Portugal DRIVE RESPONSIBLY Lucio Cecchinello: pedal safely along the city TRAVELS Where, what, when...
110
136
122
it’s a GIVI monokey ® not just a top case
SPECIFIC REMOTE CONTROL (OPTIONAL)
CAPACITY 47 Lt INTERNAL SOFT BAG (OPTIONAL)
it can hold two modular helmets
| V47 | MONOKEY SYSTEM | ALUMINIUM COVER | NEW PUSH-DOWN CLOSING SYSTEM FOR THE LID | SECURITY LOCK KEY | ®
Escape Night
text: Massimo Visconti photo: Davide Esposito
Beatriz Do単oro born in Cadiz on 5th August 1990. What happens when a girl contacts her favourite MotoGP Team, asking to meet the crew and take a closer look at the bike? The unexpected happens everyday and sometimes dreams can come true with LCR Honda
www.inspire-lcr.com/nightescape
WATCH AND GET INSPIRED
“...under the vast
south-western Spanish sky ....”
S
h e w a s ly ing on t h e b e a ch t h at ni g ht , w atching t h e star s in C a di z un d e r t h e v a st s out h - w e ste r n Sp ani sh sky. S h e h a d a dre am ; w e al l h av e on e . We al l dre am s om e t im e s . Hav e y ou e v e r felt b re at h l e ss an d m e sm e r i z e d ? Sp el lb oun d by an un e x p e c te d an s w e r, e nt ran c e d by a s imp l e “ Ye s” c oming out of t h e blu e ? B e at r i z w a s ch e cking t h e m ai l on h e r l apto p, in h e r t iny ap ar t m e nt on t h e f if t h f l o or. T h e li g ht br ig hte n s up t h e ol d bui l ding n e ar t h e p ro m ontor y of S an S eb a st i an , fa c ing t h e At l ant i c O c e an . As t h e sun r i s e s , sh e g e t s g o o s ebump s . S h e w ou l d h av e n e v e r e x p e c t e d su ch a qui ck , d elig ht f u l , p o sit iv e an s w e r f rom h e r fav our ite te am . “B e w are w h at y ou w i sh for B e at r i z , it m ay al l c om e t r u e t hi s t im e” w hi s p e re d d e st iny in h e r e ar t h e ot h e r nig ht . Fa st for w ard a fe w w e ek s l a te r an d sh e mig ht f in d h e r s elf in Je re z d e l a Fronte ra , fa c ing a c am e ra , taking p i c t ure s , un d e r t h e s p ot lig ht . Hap pin e s s i s r ig ht aroun d t h e c or n e r, ju st 4 0 ki l om e t e r s aw ay f rom h om e , sh e’s liv ing h e r dre am n ow, or b e t te r, r i ding a dre am n ow. Are w e nut s ? Are w e a g ang of fo ol s ? Cra z y p e o p l e liv ing a c ra z y life ? Al l t h o s e qu ote s mi g ht b e t r u e , but m o st of t h e t im e , w e’re ju s t a bun ch of dre am e r s a s w el l . D re am e r s s p ot e a ch ot h e r in t h e c row d , c ro ssing st re e t s , in t h e subw ay, on t h e ir bi k e s . D re am e r s h av e g ot a g lint in t h e ir e y e s ot h e r dre am e r s re c o g ni z e . T hi s i s t h e stor y s o far, n o j o k e s , n o fak e s , n o li e s . T hi s i s h ow it g o e s an d it alw ay s e n d s up w el l w it h u s . . . at l e a s t m o s t of t h e t im e . B e at r i z di d it t h e m o s t inn o c e nt w ay, sh e w a s a fan an d sh e w rot e t o u s on our Fa c eb o ok p ag e . S h e w ante d to c o m e to Je re z an d m e e t t h e te am , sh e w ant e d t o liv e an d bre at h e s om e ra c ing h e at . T hi s w a s h e r dre am an d w e ag re e d . We s aw t hi s lit t l e ang el , a b e aut if u l Sp ani sh g ir l , kn o cking at our d o or. We foun d our s elv e s in An d alu c i a w it h an aw e s om e bi k e an d an am a z ing g ir l . It al l c am e out s o n at ural ly, t h e sun w e nt d ow n , t h e lig ht s w e nt o n . We l o ok e d at e a ch ot h e r an d t h oug ht , l e t’s d o it , l e t’s d o a ph oto sh o ot . . .
25 MAY 2012
“She wanted to live
and breathe some racing heat... �
www.inspire-lcr.com/nightescapebackstage
WATCH AND GET INSPIRED
“She had a dream. We all dream sometimes. ”
www.swiss-chriss.ch
+39 02 255151.1
jackets
RACE HIGHLIGHTS
text: Elisa Pavan - photo: Milagro
THE 63rD FIM MOTOGP WOrlD CHAMPIOnSHIP SEASOn, kICkED OFF In QATAr On APrIl 5TH AnD AS uSuAl THE ATMOSPHErE SurrOunDInG THE CIrCuIT WAS SurrEAl. In THE nExT PAGES THE lCr TEAM TAkES YOu THrOuGH EvErY SInGlE PHASE OF THE OPEnInG EvEnT OF THE SEASOn. JOrGE lOrEnZO PuT On A BrIllAnT SHOW TO WIn THE FIrST rOunD AHEAD OF CASEY STOnEr AnD DAnI PEDrOSA.
QATAR
BrADl THrIllED TO STArT THE 2012 SEASOn unDEr QATAr lIGHTS Losail, 5th of april: the opening round of 2012 MotogP World Championship gets underway today at floodlit Losail circuit with teams and riders involved in the first practice session after a 152-day wait since the last round in Valencia. LCr racer Stefan Bradl began his 2011 Moto2 World
Championship-winning campaign with a victory in Losail from pole position. the win was one of four in the first six races that built the foundation for his season-long title run. Now he switches to the much more powerful LCr honda MotogP rC213V as the only rookie on a prototype.
Stefan: “Obviously I am very excited ahead
of this first race. Testing is tough and a bit boring sometimes, so this is the real start of my adventure in the premier class and I can finally breathe in the atmosphere. I like the circuit (both layout and asphalt) and I have had good experiences here; I made some very good results and though I know it will be different on a MotoGP bike but I am really looking forward to this first race on this spectacular circuit.�.
37 MAY 2012
BRADL HOPING FOR MORE ON DAY ONE AT LOSAIL L
osail, 5th of april: It was lights on for the first round of the 2012 campaign at Losail’s stateof-the-art race track, with premier class riders and teams fine-tuning their prototypes during the first 45-minute free session held tonight at 8pm local time. The LCr racer Stefan Bradl was impatient to ride at the desert track aboard his honda rC213V after the good feedback he had in Jerez 10 days ago. The 22-year circulated the track 16 times posting the 12th fastest lap time overall (1’58.934) but he experienced chattering issues which affected his riding style.
Stefan : “Well.. it was not so good as I expected because we are a little bit too far away. But
I am pretty sure we know we are in a difficult set up direction because I feel very hard to go into the corners. This layout is completely different compared to Jerez where I loaded the front so I feel that our bike needs some more weight in the front. We made a little change during the session but it was not enough and we used just one set of tyres so we have plenty for the other days. The overall situation is ok but I am sure we can do better than this”.
STEFAN CONTENT WITH HIS IMPROVEMENTS
ON DAY TWO L
osail, 6th of april: the MotogP riders undertook their second day of practices beneath the floodlights of the Losail circuit with two night sessions, and continued to familiarize themselves with the new prototypes ahead of tomorrow’s first qualifying session at 19:55 local time.
rookie Stefan Bradl’s integration into the premier class continued to gather impressive pace as the LCr honda rider was ninth fastest with a best lap time of 1’56.571. after yesterday’s first run the german rider concentrated on adjusting front-end feeling; slightly improving his pace throughout today’s two sessions.
Stefan: “Today I rode the bike: yesterday the bike was riding me! We made a big
improvement compared to yesterday. Already after a few laps I was able to improve my pace and I immediately had a good balance. We improved the bike handling and the front feeling using new tyres and being more precise in every corner but I am still missing some confidence in the fast corners. Today we are also closer to the front and this where we would like to be”.
DAZZLING PERFORMANCE
FOR BRADL AT QATAR QUALIFYING Losail, 7th of April: The opening round of the 2012 season continued today, with the 60-minute qualifying session that decided the starting grid for the Qatar Grand Prix with Lorenzo, Stoner and Crutchlow on the front row ahead of tomorrow’s 22-lap race. Stefan Bradl also demonstrated the rapid progress he is making in getting the best out of the impressive RC213V machine on soft rubber, after he finished 9th quickest in his first qualifying session (1’56.063) aboard the Japanese bike. The 22-year old world champion will line up on the third row for the race, scheduled for 10pm local time.
Stefan: “Actually this is a good qualifying
session for us as our target was the third row. When I looked at the time I realized were are close to P6 and this is good for the race. We lapped on many soft tyres, probably more than the others, but for me it was not so easy to use every single tyre. Initially you feel you can push more and more but you must focus on the right acceleration. We also improved the overall package and I am looking forward to racing with the top riders and my target is to follow them and learn as much as possible.”
Stefan: “I am very happy and we are doing a good job as all the weekend was very positive for us. My start was perfect although maybe I was a little bit too careful in the first laps, but I really could see this is a different category compared to Moto2 and the guys are more clever with the new tyres. I was able to follow the fastest guys, not for the whole race, but I was able to do my own race quite well. Towards the end I went in the wrong direction with the brake lever adjuster and this cost us half a second and this is the reason why Hayden, Barbera and Bautista caught me. They are also more experienced than me on used tyres at the end of the race but overall this is an exciting weekend for us. I was also expecting to be more exhausted after 22 laps but I am ok.�
GREAT
PREMIER CLASS DEBUT
L
osail, 8th April: The opening round of 2012 campaign at Losail circuit started with an impressive performance from LCR racer Stefan Bradl after having secured a spot on the third row of the grid for his premier class debut. Tonight the German rider put in a brilliant display to finish in 8th. The 2011 Moto2 World Champion made steady progress throughout his first weekend aboard the Honda RC213V and he was eager to join his rivals for the first 22-lap race. Bradl found his confidence from the very first lap and held 6th place for the majority of the race.
BEHIND THE SCENES
It looks like rossi and Pedrosa are very happy about their performances in the desert whilst lorenzo shows his true latin charm. What about Bradl father and son? Working “on the air
photo: Milagro 47 MAY 2012
The Mallorcan is “king of the desert” as he jumps onto the podium once more. Edwards looks like a character from movie “The Mask” to amuse his kids while rossi seems to have made some new friends.
photo: Milagro
49 MAY 2012
TRACK KEY NOTE
CIRCUIT INFO lEnGTH: 5.380 M. / 3,343 MIlES WIDTH: 12M lEFT COrnErS: 6 rIGHT COrnErS: 10 lOnGEST STrAIGHT: 1.068 M. / 0,664 MIlES COnSTruCTED: 2004
The fabulous losail International Circuit lies on the outskirts of Doha, the capital city of Qatar. Built in little over a year, the track cost $58 million uSD and required roundthe-clock dedication from almost 1,000 workers in order to get it ready for the inaugural event - the Marlboro Grand Prix of Qatar on the 2nd October 2004. The track itself is a flowing layout of 5.4 kilometres, surrounded by artificial grass designed to prevent sand from the neighbouring desert from blowing onto the circuit. The main straight is over a kilometre in length and there is a good mix of medium and high-speed corners, including a couple of quick left-handers which has proved particularly popular with the riders. In 2008 Qatar celebrated the first night time Grand Prix in history, following the construction of permanent outdoor lighting. The switch to night time racing was a success and has continued to be so, with the Qatar event now established as one of the most spectacular on the MotoGP calendar.
LOSAIL SHOYA TOMIZAWA text: Nelly Pluto-Prondzynska - photo: Milagro
Shoya Tomizawa was born in Chiba (Japan) on December 10th 1990. He started his career on pocket bikes aged just 3. When he turned 15 he entered the Japanese Championship and in his debut year he finished second overall, winning the “rookie of the Year” trophy in the 125cc class. Tomizawa appeared in both the 125cc and 250cc classes in the following year, finishing 3rd in 125, and 8th in 250 during the 2007 season. In 2008, he focused on the 250cc class and finished 2nd overall, as well as appearing as a wildcard in the Japanese GP, finishing 14th overall. Thanks to that impressive performance he caught the interest of CIP Moto Team. Thus in 2009 he became a full-time rider in the quarter-litre class with the CIP Moto
Team scoring points in 9 races of 15: his best finishes included tenth position at the Motegi and valencia rounds. The following season he stayed with the same team but in a brand new class: Moto2. Shoya was onboard the Suter machine and in the inaugural race of 2010 at Qatar he gained his first victory after starting from ninth spot on the grid. Thanks to that extraordinary result, Shoya’s name went down in history as the first ever winner of Moto2 race. The following round in Spain, at Jerez de la Frontera, he finished second after a day earlier scoring his first ever pole position in Grand Prix. unfortunately, his promising and exciting career ended prematurely. On September 5th 2010, he passed away following terrible injuries he sustained at the Misano Moto2 race after a crash occurred on lap 12th. Shoya Tomizawa was one of the rays of sunshine in the paddock as he never missed the opportunity to dedicate a smile or a simple ‘hello’ to anybody he encountered. He will be remembered by everyone as one of the most popular characters in the sport.
TRACK KEY NOTE
51 MAY 2012
“Another one bites my dust” www.arrow.it
THE
BLUES BRADLS
FACE TO FACE with the Bradls. We made this fun interview at the Estoril circuit in Lucio’s motorhome. text: Elisa Pavan - photo: Noémie Hutteau
Elisa: “Name and date of birth” Stefan: “007 Stefan Bradl… 29th November 1989…” Helmut: “Helmut Bradl… I was born a long time ago” E: “What’s your job?” S: “Actually, I do not know my job... I am a bank robber!” H: “I am his housewife” E: “Being a rider is a real job?” S: “In the MotoGP championship at the top level? YES!” H: “it’s a normal job but not normal. Riding the bike is the same for all people but living in the paddock is different”. E: “Your favorite food…” S: “Pasta, pizza and Bavarian special dishes” H: “Seafood” E: “Beer or wine?” S: “Beer” H: “Half and half ” E: “Which kind of beer?” S: “German Bavarian Weissbier” H: “Franziskaner” E: “Your favorite soccer team?” S: “F.C. Bayern München” H: “I am not very interested in soccer…” E:“The best thing in the LCR team?” S: “Elisa Pavan… (laughs)… No, no, no… Oscar Haro (laughs again)… Seriously, I think this team is very professional but also very “family”. I can really feel the support and I like every guy and every girl working in the team… This is amazing! They really take a lot of care of me. I feel this is the right team for me…” H: “I like this “family” team. The first time I met the technicians in Valencia for the 800cc testing session I was a bit worried… everybody was so serious. But now I know that meant they are all very professional… after three races I can feel the friendly atmosphere. I am happy for my son.” E: “The worst thing in LCR Team? There’s must be something you do not like…” S: “At the beginning we were testing the 800cc machine and also the first time in Malaysia I was a bit worried… I remember I could not sleep properly the first night… I did not know the guys and my Chief Engineer was very strict with me. So that time was very difficult for me and sometime
I thought, ‘Maybe I am wrong… Maybe I made the wrong choice…’ But after some days we found the right confidence and everything is working good now”. H: “… There’s no German Weissbier at the Hospitality!” (laughs) E: “Is there something you would like to tell Lucio but you have not found the courage yet? S: “He is over there… I can not say it!” (laughs) H: “He must go outside” (laughs) S: “He is a very good person and he knows paddock life deeply. When we are together we do not speak only about racing... we can speak about girls, about paddock life, about sex (laughs) about our passions and so on… Actually I can tell everything to Lucio.” H: “I think Stefan needs to have fun and this team is fun. Also Lucio. He is extremely professional but he always smiles around in the paddock”. E: “Who’s the strongest rider among you?” S: “Me!” H: “Yeah... I agree with him” S: “But you know what? When he was a rider he smoked a lot and didn’t train that much and he was too hasty.” E: “Who is the most stubborn?” S: “My dad. I took something from my mum’s character. I am fifty percent my dad and fifty percent my mum” H: “Me! I am stronger than my son.” E: “Your best race so far?” S: “There’s not only one race… I did already some really good races. Every win means a good race.” E: “Your best career race?” H: “I think it was Hockenheim in 1991… I was 14 seconds in front of second place!” E: “Your favorite circuit?” S: “Phillip Island and Mugello” H: “Brno and Phillip Island” E: “Your biggest rival?” S: “Marc Marquez in Moto2 class. Now I feel I can easily fight with Hayden, Barbera, Rossi, Bautista.” H: “I think Luca Cadalora. He had a very good bike, professional mechanics and he was a very fast rider.” E: “The best sensation when you are on track riding your bike?” S: “On a MotoGP bike it’s the acceleration and
the moment you feel you did exactly the right thing on corner exit, especially on new tyres. That’s simply… WOW!”. H: “I do not remember now… It was a long time ago but I liked to wheelie!” E: “The worst sensation when you are on track riding your bike?” S: “When you feel you are on the limit and over a second slower than the others…” H: “You are trying to make the most of your bike and your heart is thumping 150 beats per minute …then you take a look at the lap time and it’s shit! Frustrating… “ E: “How this world and this job changed your life?” S: “Mainly I am travelling a lot and miss time at home with my family and my friends. But this world is the most important part of my life and I am really focused on it… It takes a lot of efforts and a lot of energy so I do not think you can continue for a further 15 years.” H: “For me it was my son’s career… the last 9 years… from his childhood until now we had good and bad moments…” E: “Your biggest quality?” S: “I am always punctual. Like Lucio!” (everybody laughs including Lucio) H: “You must ask my wife… I am a very reliable person… If I promise something to somebody, I do it at one hundred percent.” E: “Your biggest defect?” S/H: “We do not have defects!” (they both laugh) Gisela (Stefan’s mum): “That’s not true! He is mama’s boy! He is very lazy at home” S: “Ok. I am lost without my mum. I do not even pack my suitcase when I am travelling; she does everything for me. I leave my clothes on the floor and she is ready to wash them for me. My room is a real disaster but she is my saviour.” H: “She does the same for me… she always pack my suitcase.” E: “Ask your Dad a question…” S:“...” E: “Ask your son a question…” S: “...” SILENCE!!! S: “We are very open… we are talking about everything all the time.” H: “Exactly! There’s no secrets between us.”
T ISSOT T-R ACE M OTO GP
TM
LIMITED EDITION 2012 Become part of racing history with a robust 316L stainless steel watch. Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, quartz chronograph and water resistance up to 10 bar (100 m / 330 ft).
IN TOUCH WITH YOUR TIME
O FFICIAL
TIMEKEEPER
Get in touch at www.tissot.ch
great LIFe StorIeS get INSPIreD BY
รกngel nieto text: Nelly Pluto-Prondzynska
A
ngel nieto is a true motorcycle Grand Prix legend. He gave everything to become a professional rider. His path to glory wasn’t easy, but thanks to his passion, perseverance and a huge amount of talent, today he is known as one of the greatest riders in history. He was born in Zamora on January 25th 1947. When he was only one year old, with his family he moved to Madrid. It wasn’t an easy move, his family were poor, they didn’t even have money for much more important things than bikes. When Angel was young, he even slept on the f loor… But on his way to school, there was a small motorcycle parking lot. He would always linger there and start dreaming… He continued to dream all the time… he loved motorcycles and wanted to do everything he could so that his dream one day would come true. But to do that he needed money, so he began working at just 13 years old. With no chance of buying a motorcycle or to ride professionally, at age 16 he decided to move to Barcelona. He still believed that one day he could be a professional rider. A rider who would fight for victories. He found a job with the Derbi factory, cleaning the bikes, repairing engines and doing all the dirty work. Thanks to his determination and perseverance, he soon ended up in the test department, and Derbi gave him a small 50cc bike. His dream
had started to become a reality, because one year later he was already competing in Grand Prix. He knew that there was a lot to learn in the racing world, but he hadn’t had the easy start other Spanish riders had. 1969 became a very special year for him – winning his first two races in Grand Prix and later that year also taking his first World Championship. That was just the beginning of a brilliant career. He had lived the dream. Bag fuls of talent and fierce motivation meant that he rode for several teams on a variety of bikes: Derbi, Morbidelli, kreidler, Minarelli, Grelli and Bultaco. His easy-going character and joviality made him a popular figure and encapsulated the cavalier spirit that defined the sport in the late 1960s and ‘70s. nieto holds the unusual record of having picked up most titles with different manufacturers - five in total! He ended his magnificent career in 1986 with a total of 90 wins, 139 podium finishes and, most importantly, 13 world titles – six in 50cc, and seven in the 125cc class. Angel however remains extremely superstitious and dislikes the use of the number 13, he prefers to say that he won “12+1” world titles. When he reluctantly ended his career he understood that the day had come. That he had started to not have fun whilst riding… and when you think about retiring, it is said you lose one second per lap. For the whole of his life his family have been hugely important. He has sons – Angel “Gele-
te” and Pablo - and they also wanted to follow their father’s footsteps and race motorcycles. Angel told them however that they need to go to school first, finish their studies and then he would help them in their careers. nieto Sr. did everything he could to allow his sons to ride bikes because of his love for the sport. Angel and his sons simply feel “that” passion towards motorcycle racing… Angel will always tell you to follow your dreams. He has demonstrated that if you love something enough, even a lack of money or other troubles in your life won’t stop you from reaching your goal. You just need to believe and work hard to make your dream a reality. Even now, more than 20 years after retiring, he still travels to every Grand Prix in his motorhome… He still loves this sport and now works as a commentator for Spanish Tv following all races on the calendar. If someone asks Angel what he thinks about his life he always replies the same: “At the beginning it was really hard… I owned nothing but motorbike racing gave me everything”. And a big smile appears on his face. The fascinating statistics of his success make Angel a real legend. A legend comparable to Giacomo Agostini, Phil read, Mike Hailwood or valentino rossi. A legend, who achieved everything thanks to his own hard work!
“At the beginning it was really hard... I owned nothing but motorbike racing gave me everything”
69 MAY 2012
RACE HIGHLIGHTS
CALIENTES
CHARACTERS text: Elisa Pavan - photo: Milagro
THE SECOnD rOunD OF THE FIM MOTOGP WOrlD CHAMPIOnSHIP TOOk PlACE In THE BEAuTIFul lAnD OF AnDAluCIA. In FrOnT OF MOrE THAn 150,000 SPECTATOrS THE MOTOGP GlADIATOrS rACED AGAInST EACH OTHEr On THE JErEZ DE lA FrOnTErA BATTlEFIElD. HOnDA rIDEr CASEY STOnEr WOn THE rACE, WHIlE lCr rOOkIE STEFAn BrADl FInISHED In A WOnDErFul 7TH PlACE”
SPAIN
FIRST DAY IN JEREZ SPOILED BY RAIN FOR BRADL AND HIS COLLEAGUES
J
erez, 27 April: The opening day of the Grand Prix of Spain got underway today at the Jerez circuit under cloudy skies and sporadic rain which affected premier class practices. The LCR racer Stefan Bradl had to cope with the very mixed conditions placing his Honda in 10th position. The German rookie, riding the RC213V, feels he did not learn so much from his first day at the Iberian track due to the tricky conditions and he thinks there’s much more to come from his machine. Bradl posted his fastest lap time of 1’53.409 while today’s pace setter Pedrosa set a best lap of 1’50.780.
Stefan: “Nothing special to say today... we have had some better Fridays, because the weather today was very tricky. This morning it started to rain but the surface was not completely wet and not completely dry so we lost most of the first session. Then in the afternoon when the track was wetter we had a good pace at the beginning, but we struggled a bit later on because our tyre was older than the others, as I had used it in the morning session so we could not push very much. Anyway the general feeling with the bike in the wet is good and by the end we went out with slick tyres because the asphalt had started to dry up, but I felt it was still a bit dangerous.”
ANOTHER SOLID QUALIFYING
SESSION FOR BRADL ON JEREZ SURFACE
J
erez, 28 april: LCr honda MotogP rider Stefan Bradl put in another impressive performance in qualifying at the Jerez gP today taking 9th spot on the grid at the end of a closely contested 60-minute qualifying session. after this morning’s rain-affected
session, the premier class riders took advantage of a fully dry track, showing their form in readiness for tomorrow’s 27-lap race. the reigning Moto2 World Champion spent the majority of the session taking part in a frantic battle for the front row.
Stefan- 9th: “Well...I am a little bit unhappy because we had a very good session, but
I made a small mistake in the last corner in my last lap. That cost us half-a-second, which means one row: the second row I guess. In general it was a tricky qualifying session because at the beginning we had a lot of wet patches but every time we went out we improved our lap time as the track conditions were drying up. Actually we are doing well in the dry and in the wet too so I think we could have gone for the second row but it’s okay anyway.” 79 MAY 2012
TIGHT BATTLE BRADL CLAIMS THRILLING SEVENTH PLACE AT JEREZ
J
erez, 29 april: german rookie Stefan Bradl was again a strong performer today at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit, clinching seventh place overall after a thrilling 27-lap race which saw the Moto2 reigning world champion battling hard with hayden for his final result. In just his second MotogP race, the LCr rider qualified the honda rC213V in ninth place in the dry, but the 22-year-old had also demonstrated his potential in the wet through the first three free sessions showing everybody his confidence aboard the motorcycle. Now Bradl and his team will move to Portugal for the third round of the season at windy estoril.
Stefan– 7th: “I am
very happy with this result. First of all I think it was a difficult weekend for everybody due to the weather conditions so I want to thank the whole team for their great job. During the sighting lap I was very nervous because I thought that the last part of the track was wet so I changed my helmet visor and everything was clearer. I was able to attack my competitors from the beginning of the race, but I found it a bit risky so I waited a little bit and after some laps I was fighting with Bautista and Hayden. We were doing well but Hayden blocked me a little bit in the middle of the race and Bautista got away from us. When he was gone I started my fight with nicky which I enjoyed very much, especially in the last two laps. I had some problems with my right arm because it was sore in the middle of the race and this cost me a bit of time because I had to force the bike in a different way. Basically this was another positive weekend for me and I really enjoyed the applause the team gave me when I returned to the garage.”
BEHIND THE SCENES
Spanish 2-wheel fans pack the Jerez circuit with their famous “caliente” support. Probably even Dovizioso feels “caliente” next to the Monster Girls! But the warmest smile of the weekend remains the one from Sic: in our hearts forever! photo: Milagro 83 MAY 2012
Stefan likes Weissbier better but Spanish sherry is not that bad‌ Maybe he can toast with his Team after another great race finish in the premier class. The Spanish umbrella girls may be stunning but it’s not the true latin look: all power to the blondes!
photo: Milagro
85 MAY 2012
TRACK KEY NOTE
TRACK KEY NOTE
JEREZ
JORGE MARTINEZ text: Nelly Pluto-Prondzynska - photo: Milagro
CIRCUIT INFO lEnGTH: 4.423 M. / 2,748 MIlES WIDTH: 11M lEFT COrnErS: 5 rIGHT COrnErS: 8 lOnGEST STrAIGHT: 607 M. / 0,377 MIlES COnSTruCTED: 1986 MODIFIED: 2002
J
orge Martinez, nicknamed “Aspar”, was born on August 19th 1962 in valencia, Spain. Since being a small child, he looked to the world of motorcycle racing as a world of magic and excitement. He participated in his first two-wheel race in January 1979 at a local urban racetrack. The dream had started to become a reality. He won the Spanish Championship in 1981 riding a Bultaco machine, thanks to another rider ricardo Tormo, who helped Jorge for many years. Martinez debuted in Grand Prix competitions in 1982 at the Jarama circuit (Spain) in the 50cc class on a Motul bike. Two years later he began to race in the 80cc class on a Derbi machine, ending the season as runner-up. In 1984, he had competed in 80cc scoring his first ever win in a Grand Prix at the Assen circuit. Then in 1986 he won on home soil at Jarama and went on to conquer the world title, he defended his title in the 80cc the following year too, which included a victory at the first ever GP at Jerez. During 1988 and 1989 seasons he participated in both the 80cc and 125cc classes. In 1988 he remarkably took the crown in both classes. He decided to compete in two classes again in 1990, racing in 125cc and 250cc. His final career victory came in Argentina in the 125cc class during the 1994 racing season.
Overall the Spanish talent scored 37 victories, 61 podium finishes and 42 Pole Positions and, most importantly, four World Championships. It needs noting that Jerez is one of the most successful racetracks for Jorge. He won four races there, scoring seven podium finishes overall. Thanks to these impressive results the Circuito de Jerez dedicated corner number eight to the Spanish champion. His racing career may have ended in 1997, but Martinez then created his own team better known as ‘Aspar racing Team’. now his riders compete across all three categories of the MotoGP World Championship. 87 MAY 2012
Built in 1986 and hosting its f irst Grand Pr i x one year late r, the c irc uit of Je rez i s now one of the most popular MotoG P ve nues and the focal point for a c it y fanatical about spor t. S et in a slig ht valle y in the s outh of Spain , Je rez i s bless ed w ith con si ste ntly g ood weathe r and beautif ul s ce ne r y, it s nume rou s g rand stand s prov iding the pe r fec t v ie w ing fac ilities for up to 250 ,0 0 0 spec tators . With two alte r native road c irc uits (4, 423m and 4, 428m ), which we re resur faced dur ing 2005 , Je rez i s a popular ve nue u s ed by many race teams for testing throug hout the year, whil st its rece ntly updated cor porate and media fac ilities have prove n to be a popular addition to the comple x . Othe r fac ilities such a s the control towe r and pit box es have al s o bee n va stly improved.
Honda presents the new Honda NSX Concept
News and Technology featuring on www.honda-at-geneva.eu
GEORGE
CLOONEY STYLE AND SUBSTANCE
text: Stephen Milton - photo: InterviewHub
HOllYWOOD A-lISTEr AnD BIkE AFICIOnADO GEOrGE ClOOnEY, On A lIFE PrOJECT THAT kEEPS EvOlvInG
A swathe of electrifying commotion circles as word starts to spread that “Mr. Clooney” is on his way. Clipboards click, stilettos furiously clack and one particularly meek looking underling is quietly hissed at to swiftly replenish the vast selection of assorted luxurious refreshments - the ones with organic goji berry juice hand-picked from the summit of Mount Sinai, and mixed with the heavenly essence of Polynesian virgins. This hectic preparation begs the harried concern that, quite possibly, we’ve somehow inadvertently wandered into the bright, opulent welcome suite of an iron fisted dictator, rather than area reserved for George Clooney’s swift flight of fancy to london. Everything seems too out of character for what one expects from the ‘allegedly’ grounded screen idol. Or maybe it’s a simple case of street angel, house tyrant? The door swings open, and bathed by a halo of hazy Hollywood sunshine, the man himself warmly greets, a Pr woman’s tanned paw outstretched acting as a stern warning that this interview is being timed to the nanosecond. “That’ll make this nice and re-
laxing,” he offers, brandishing that killer grin he’s amassed his fortune on. Charmingly casual in a black leather jacket and faded, somewhat shabby jeans, Clooney is still remarkably quaffed and, let’s be honest, ludicrously handsome the deep hazel eyes and salt and pepper coiffure showing no sign of recede. And with no telltale signs of cosmetic tampering - though it surely must be a given – it seems the gods were more than generous when creating this physical specimen. recently in london to, amongst many other things, put the final editing touches to forthcoming sci-fi epic, Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, the modern day screen idol has snuck into the city under a cloak of secrecy after causing a press furore during london’s BFI Film Festival last year, where a mere sneeze dominated the headlines. This visit is somewhat less chaotic. Months after his triumphant loss at this year’s awards season, where his two features - politico thriller The Ides of March and domestic saga The Descendants - went largely unrewarded, Clooney admits his relief at the end of the tro-
“I’ve been riding motorcycles for years... I love the thrill of going for a ride and exploring”
91 MAY 2012
phy merry-go-round. “It takes up a lot of time,” he smiles, gulping back a mouthful of what looks suspiciously like plain old civilian Evian. “You’ve one after the other, tux on, tux off, red carpet on, red carpet off, over to London, back to LA, over to New York, back to LA. It’s great, don’t get me wrong, and I get to catch up with so many great people, good friends I may not have seen for a long time. But at the end, you just want to get back to reality. Back to work and keep your head down for a while.” Keeping the head down, in Tinseltown terms, means putting the finishing touches to Gravity, once vetted for Robert Downey Jnr and Angelina Jolie, but now falling to Clooney and close personal confidante Sandra Bullock. The 51-year-old is also currently working on a filmic adaptation of West End success Enron, chronicling the rise and fall of the energy giant, as well as his next directorial move with The Monster of Venice, a true story recount of Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi’s hunt for a serial killer. In recent years, the Oscar winner has changed trajectory in his career, migrating behind the camera for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Leatherheads, Goodnight Good Luck and The Ides... Could a permanent relocation to the director’s chair be on the cards? “Possibly,” he replies. “For the last decade or so, acting has become less of a priority, and yes, I could see myself doing that in the long run. But directing takes a long time to get done, and right now my bread and butter remains in acting. It just depends on the projects and scripts that come my way.” With shooting for The Monster of Florence planned on location in the Tuscan capital, it will give the former Oscar winner the chance to base himself out of his reported £20million Laglio villa, on the shores of Lake Como, where he regularly entertains superstar compadres, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Cindy Crawford and his never-ending procession of lady friends, most recently former wrestler turned TV host, Stacey Keibler. “There’s nowhere else in the world I feel more at ease. Como, I mean have you been there? You haven’t! Well I insist, go immediately; it’s one of the most breathtaking landscapes you’ll ever witness. Whenever I’m in Europe, I’ll try to spend even a few hours there if I can.”
A passionate motorbike aficionado, Clooney is regularly snapped cruising along the winding avenues of Como on his Harley Davidson Heritage - more often than not, with his lady du jour riding pillion and his bromantic amigos, randy Gerber and Bono creating a superstar trifecta. “I’ve been riding motorcycles for years but it took a long time before I could afford a Harley of my own. The Heritage is my favourite model; the purr it offers is second to none. Aside from taking to the water on a boat, it has to be my preferred way to spend my time, when I get any! “I love the thrill of going for a ride and exploring. I recently had a trip around Ireland, and even though some of their roads wouldn’t be in the best shape, it was a pretty magical experience as I’ve a lot of Irish in me.” A few years back, the kentuckian - who got his big break as Dr Doug ross in Michael Crichton’s hit medical series Er - found himself in a nasty road accident on a Heritage in new Jersey. The actor, travelling with then girlfriend Sarah larsson, was sideswiped by an oncoming car and ended up with fractured rib, while his partner received a broken foot. “That was quite scary, I’ll admit,” he goes on. “It was a very out of control experience and could have ended a lot worse but thankfully we were okay.” Did it provide any momentary hesitation for getting back in the saddle? “no, you’re always going to have a few spills. It could happen in a car, it could happen on a bicycle, it could happen as a pedestrian. You can’t live like that.” Particularly over awards season, flashbulbs were going wild for Clooney’s current lady keibler, the latest in a revolving door of lovelies, and rumours are already abounding over impending nuptials. Does the intrusion into his personal affairs become tiresome or remain simply par for the course? “look, I say over and over, I can handle it,” he says. “I’m an adult who’s been in this world for a while. I know what people are going to ask, and it doesn’t bother me in the slightest, as long as it’s kept clean. I would always rather talk about the films, but journalists have different agendas, which is understandable. There’s a compromise in every situation. At the end of the day people want to read about personality.” Speaking of the man behind the actor, in last ye-
ar’s The Ides of March, Clooney’s on-screen political aspirations appeared to reflect his own, much rumoured, move towards Washington. True or false? “False, he grins, seemingly amused by the notion. “That’s not going to happen, I don’t think! listen, I may dip my toe in and out of the arena with my own humanitarian work but I have no interest whatsoever in ‘real’ politics. It’s just not the world for me. “I worked on k Street in Washington many years ago for 14 weeks so, in a way, I know how that world works. And from my father’s own campaign, [nick Clooney, the actor’s journalist father, ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the uS Congress in 2004], I picked up many memories and influences for this movie, but that’s the extent of my political ambitions. If I wanted to get into politics, I would have done it by now.” recently, the star was arrested along with his father outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington after crossing police lines at a protest against an impending humanitarian disaster in the country, which the actor claims is propagated by President Omar al-Bashir. He claims it was his intention to be arrested was his goal from the beginning. “There are people dying all the time there, a pretty decent amount - maybe 35 to 40 killed, maybe 500 hundred injured in one month alone, and that’s from random bombings of civilians; these are not military targets. These are people who have been occupying land for thousands of years and they are either going to be killed instantly, or starved in a humanitarian disaster unless action is taken. It was my first arrest but I will do time and again if it means getting this message out there that the people of Sudan need help.” In what is probably deemed too politically volatile a topic, our favourite clench jawed publicist takes her cue to deftly end our conversation and swoop Clooney off for his next engagement. But the Hollywood star remains ever the gent, and holds back ever so slightly. “I hate it when I’m rushed from these things. It makes me look rude and that’s not something that sits too well with me. But duty calls…” and the man is ushered from the suite and onto to his next pressing engagement. Such is the life for those at the summit of the Hollywood heap.
Candlelight Dinner MIlAnO, ITAlY. “TrATTOrIA ArlATI” THE BEST rESTAurAnT In TOWn. I MET HEr On THE TrACk In MuGEllO. SHE PrETEnDED nOT TO BE lOOkInG, BuT I COulD FEEl HEr EYES On ME. THE GEnTlE TOuCH, THE SIlkY SkIn, THE SExY vOICE. I WHISPErED GEnTlY, SHE SAID, “I lOvE PlAYBOYS, lET’S GO”. THEn IT WAS OnlY ME AnD HEr, lOu HElDEBErG. photo: James Pipino
99 MAY 2012
“...I could feel her eyes on me...”
_
Chef COOKING AT FULL GAS
Riding
_
aLeSSaNDro BorgheSe
text: Massimo Visconti photo: Emacontino/AB Normal
Aless andro B org hes e i s the most esteemed Italian che f of moder n times. l adies love him , g uy s respec t him , he’s s o rock n’ roll, plu s he’s a hell of a r ider too. B or n in S an Franc i s co, he g re w up between l ondon, Par i s , ne w York , Milan and rome, he dis cove red hi s passion for cooking af ter g raduating f rom hig h s chool. He spent most
of hi s life travelling, s earching for the best f lavours f rom around the globe. ‘Simple but ex clu sive’ would be the r ight way to des cr ibe Aless andro’s cooking. A chef com municates u sing a vocabular y made of ing redients and f rag rances e ver ybody fanc ies s ampling. Thi s lang uage s of tly speaks both to our hear t and our tastebud s , of cours e .
COOKING AT FULL GAS
We spe nd most of our time boarding planes, v i siting ne w countr ies, meeting diffe re nt c ultures and di s cover ing traditions unlike our ow n , no mat ter where we come f rom . We pack our stuff, ki ss our kid s goodbye and catch another plane. T hat’s your life whe n you work in the Moto GP indu str y and we de f initely love it. Ele ven countr ies unde r one f lag. Honda lCr i s a tr uly international team . We mig ht all have our favour ite r ide rs , bikes or umbrella g irl s , but we all ag ree when we hit the dining table.
Food i s king in our hospitality. S o, the re was no way that we could mi ss the chance to allow such a renow ned chef introduce you the best recipes f rom all over the pla net. Pic ture yours elf in a kitchen that look s like a garage, f illed up w ith motor par t s , fair ing s , exhau sts , radiators , su spensions & spark plug s . Tur n the ke y and f ire up the stove. C an you hear the water boiling and the eng ine r umbling? C ooking ha s ne ver been s o intr ig uing. Aless andro w ill be your r iding chef.
105 MAY 2012
Motorsport Technology
SeCUre INVeStMeNt: WhY tYreS are So IMPortaNt to rIDer SaFetY
LorIS CaPIroSSI text: Carmine Moscaritolo photo: Alex Chailan & David PiolĂŠ
M
otoGP™ machines feature the very latest in engine, chassis and electronic technology and for the last ten years, Bridgestone have kept pace with this progress by continually developing tyre technologies that allow the world’s best riders to tap the full potential of the most advanced two-wheeled racing machines ever created. Bridgestone first entered the MotoGP™ championship in 2002 and after securing a first victory with Pramac racing’s Makoto Tamada in 2004, the Japanese tyre manufacturer quickly established itself as the benchmark MotoGP™ tyre supplier by winning a first World Championship with Ducati’s Casey Stoner in 2007, followed by another World Championship with Yamaha’s valentino rossi in 2008 before being appointed sole tyre supplier to the series in 2009. While race victories and lap-times will always make the headlines, for Bridgestone the most important consideration in tyre development is rider safety. With a 1000cc MotoGP™ engine delivering over 230 horsepower through a contact patch roughly the size of a business card, Bridgestone draws on its technical expertise and decades of racing experience to produce tyres that offer riders predictable performance characteristics across a wide range of track conditions. not only does this ensure MotoGP™ riders can ride to their limit in confidence, the key tyre safety requirements of fast warm-up performance, enhanced rider feel and a wide operating temperature range are just as applicable to road tyres as they are to race tyres. Furthermore, Bridgestone’s involvement in MotoGP™ gives it access to the best possible proving ground to develop these characteristics to the highest level for the benefit of both racers and consumers. One paddock personality who is well aware of just how important Bridgestone tyres are to rider safety is former MotoGP™ star loris Capirossi. After a twenty-two year career in which he won three world championships and scored nine MotoGP™ wins, Capirossi retired from racing at the end of last year and can now be found gracing the paddock in his new role as Safety Advisor to Dorna. “Bridgestone tyres are the only common component used in all MotoGP™ motorcycles and are the only thing between the motorcycle and the asphalt so their role in ensuring rider
safety is very important.” explains Capirossi. One of the key aspects of Capirossi’s role is acting as a liaison between riders and Bridgestone, a task in which his years of racing experience is extremely valuable: “As Safety Advisor perhaps the most helpful thing is that I know how to speak the riders’ language.” “I raced with almost all these guys so we have respect for each other and I also have a lot of experience with Bridgestone tyres so this means I can understand what they are saying about tyre behaviour. At each race I work closely with the riders to collect their feedback on tyres and pass this information onto Bridgestone so they can use it for their ongoing development” he adds. For the 2012 season, Bridgestone introduced a new family of MotoGP™ tyres that feature the latest developments in construction and rubber compound technology for unsurpassed warm-up performance and feel, as well as a wider operating temperature range. One of Capirossi’s first tasks as Safety Advisor to Dorna was to collect feedback on Bridgestone’s 2012 specification tyres during pre-season testing at Sepang and Jerez and the Italian was pleased with what he saw, saying “the feedback from riders on the tyres for this season has been good as they can see many positive changes. The 2012 specification tyres offer riders improved warm-up performance and feel for the rider and all this contributes to improving rider confidence and a confident rider is a safe rider.” The latest development in Bridgestone’s relentless pursuit of improving rider safety is its latest specification front tyre that was introduced at the second round of the 2012 MotoGP™ season at Jerez. This new specification front slick features a revised construction for even greater levels of front-end feel. Commenting on this new specification front slick tyre, Capirossi said “straight away riders were very pleased with the new front tyre from Bridgestone as it suits the new 1000cc machines very well. Dorna, Bridgestone, IrTA and the FIM all worked together to make this new tyre available to riders as soon as possible and as we saw at Jerez, most of the riders used it for the race so the effort was worth it. Both Bridgestone and Dorna share a strong commitment to improving rider safety and I am very happy to be involved in this process.”
“As Safety Advisor perhaps the most helpful thing is that I know how to speak the riders’ language”
107 MAY 2012
THE RACING SPIRIT IN ONE SHOT alexandre Chailan started his photography career in 2005 when he was 25 in different sports: boxing, fencing, motorbikes, basketball etc… From 2005 to 2007 he worked for the French championship, WSBK and endurance growing his passion for 2-wheels. David Piolé commenced with photography in 2001, becoming a professional photographer in 2004 and his services included: Le Mans circuit activities, basketball and fashion. he hit the MotogP world in 2006 through the “Iconsport” agency. the French duo started their co-operation in 2009 mixing their skills (lighting, vision of photography, fashion and action shots etc) to create something different in the premier 2-wheel Championship. they now produce advertising pictures for sponsors or teams in MotogP, and for Dorna (official shooting of all riders, and special grid pictures). this stunning photo of Jorge Lorenzo was taken in Misano last year on Sunday evening after the Mallorcan had claimed victory in the race. It was a very fast shoot: 5 minutes and only 6 shots but a great result!
Photographer Alex Chailan & David PiolĂŠ
INSPIRE
Vintage Emotions PRESENTS
FREDDIE SPENCER text: Gavin Emmett - photo: Henny Ray Abrams
Freddie Spencer’s Grand Prix career was as brilliant as it was brief. It was a flash of record-breaking genius from a young rider who joined the raft of talented Americans who came across to Europe in the wake of Kenny Roberts’ three World Championship wins at the end of the 1970s.
S
p e n c e r i s w i d e l y re g a rd e d a s t h e m o s t n atu r a l r a c i n g t a l e nt t h e s p or t h a s e v e r s e e n , h i s i n n at e s p e e d on h i s Hon d a e a r n i n g h i m t h e n i c k n a m e ‘Fa s t’ ; qu it e a n h on ou r c on s i d e r i n g t h e
c a l i bre of r i d e r s w h o h a d b e e n a rou n d b e f ore a n d e v e n at t h e s a m e t i m e . Hav i n g c ut h i s t e e t h i n d i r t - t r a c k a n d A m e r i c a n Sup e r bi k e r a c i n g , t h e t e e n a g e r b e g a n t o g a i n a n i nt e r n at i on a l re pu -
“His racing fire burned briefly...� t at i on by w i n n i n g t w o l e g s of t h e 1 9 8 0 Tr a n s - At l a nt i c Mat c h r a c e s t h at pitt e d t h e b e s t of t h e U S A a g a i n s t t h e B r it i s h . A f t e r r i d i n g a s a w i l d c a rd i n t w o G Ps , Hon d a s upp or t e d h i m f or h i s f i r s t f u l l s e a s on i n t h e Wor l d C h a mpi on s h ip i n 1 9 8 2 t o s p e a r h e a d t h e i r c om e b a c k i nt o G r a n d P r i x r a c i n g . He f i n i s h e d t h i rd w it h s i x p o d iu m s w h i c h i n c lu d e d t w o G r a n d s P r i x v i c t or i e s , t h e f i r s t of w h i c h at Sp a m a d e h i m t h e y ou n g e s t - e v e r w i n n e r i n t h e pre m i e r c l a s s a g e d ju s t 2 0 ; a re c ord t h at s t i l l s t a n d s t o t h i s d ay. T h e y e a r t h at f o l l ow e d s aw h i m d om i n at e t h e e a r l y p a r t of t h e s e a s on , a n d h e w ou l d e v e nt u a l l y t a k e t h e t it l e at t h e f i n a l r a c e by t w o p oi nt s f rom R o b e r t s , w h i c h m a d e h i m t h e y ou n g e s t - e v e r c h a mpi on i n 500cc. He i s b e s t re m e mb e re d h ow e v e r f or h i s i n c re d i b l e a c h i e v e m e nt s i n 1 9 8 5 a f t e r d e v e l opm e nt pro b l e m s w it h t h e n e w V- 4 N SR 5 0 0 i n 1 9 8 4 d i d n ot p e r m it a v a l i d t it l e d e f e n c e . He w e nt on t o d om i n at e t h e f o l l ow i n g y e a r, w i n n i n g s e v e n r a c e s on t h e 5 0 0 a s w e l l a s s e v e n m ore on a s p e c i a l l y bu i lt 2 5 0 c c m a c h i n e t o s e a l b ot h w or l d c row n s , t h e on l y r i d e r e v e r t o f u l f i l t h i s s t u n n i n g a c c omp l i s h m e nt . S a d l y it s e e m e d t h at t h i s d ou b l e w i n w a s t h e c at a l y s t b e h i n d h i s d e m i s e . 1 9 8 5 w a s t h e l a s t t i m e a ny on e re a l l y s aw t h e b e s t of Sp e n c e r, a f t e r i nju r y pro b l e m s a n d s e v e r a l a b or t e d c om e b a c k s s aw h i m f i n a l l y v a n i s h f rom t h e 5 0 0 c c c l a s s . Hi s r a c i n g f i re bu r n e d br i e f l y, but br i g ht l y a n d h i s 2 7 G r a n d P r i x w i n s a n d 3 9 p o d iu m s a re t e s t i m ony t o a p e r i o d i n w h i c h h e c apt i v at e d t h e w or l d w it h h i s br i l l i a n c e .
THE
TOOL MASTER
get INSPIreD BY
GEORGE VUKMANOVICH text: Gavin Emmett - photo: Nick Little
STIll A FAMIlIAr FACE ArOunD THE GrAnD PrIx PADDOCk, SInCE THE lATE 1970S GEOrGE vukMAnOvICH HAS WOrkED WITH SOME OF THE WOrlD CHAMPIOnSHIP’S GrEATEST EvEr rACErS, OvErCOMInG AnY PrECOnCEPTIOnS ABOuT HIS ABIlITIES TO BECOME OnE OF THE MOST rESPECTED EnGInEErS WOrkInG In MOTOrCYClE rACInG.
Vukmanovich is involved back in MotoGP this season after a successful 2011 in the Spanish championship with Ivan Silva. However it is just the latest step on a career path that has seen the American sharing his expertise with some legendary figures in the sport. For him, it is a love of everything motorcycle racing and the life it has given him, that keeps him coming back for more. “I got started in motorcycle racing by an English guy who lived in Los Angeles,” he explains. “He was a chauffeur and I met him in a motorcycle shop in my town, where I went to buy a Honda 90. I wasn’t interested in racing at the time. Every day I would go to the shop and then one day in 1966 they took me to Willis Springs. It was fantastic, and I never looked back since.” Whilst securing a degree as a machinist, his love affair with racing continued and although he had a job ready and waiting, his passion got the better of him. “I had a very good job lined up on the Monday morning but had to go to Daytona first. I went there on what was supposed to be my first day of work and never looked back. I since have never worked a day in my life!” That is not strictly true, considering the names he has been an engineer for throughout his career, but he sees his work in the paddock as his life, rather than a chore, “The first year I came, I slept on the f loor in the van! But I wanted to be here. I was young and came for the same reasons that the riders did - I just wanted to do the best that I could. It was fantastic. It was enjoyable and never too much work, you were never tired from working too hard anyway. You were tired but you couldn’t wait to get to the next race.” Without a doubt he reminisces on the time spent with Freddie Spencer as one of his crowning achievements. “When he started, he was a club racer on the East Coast [of USA] and he would ride five different bikes in a day. Five races, five bikes, and many times he would win five different races. That’s what got everybody’s attention. “I was working with Randy Mamola at Suzuki at the time and I knew Erv Kanemoto. In 1978, Erv had put me with Randy and we did the AMA championship and we won it, then we came to Europe for the first time. I had been
here before with Warren Willing when he was a rider and then Erv hooked me up with randy, and when he went to Suzuki I went with him. “Meanwhile Gary nixon kept pushing Erv to see this kid Spencer. Gary did this for fifty years, ‘Erv, you’ve got to get that guy!’ They signed Freddie at American Honda, and everyone but him knew where he was going. HrC was already started and Oguma was organising everything before it was started. It’s a story people don’t know too clearly but it was a two-year plan.” He continues, “At the end of 1982 we all got fired from Suzuki, the whole team. It was no big deal! But Erv gave me a call and asked what I was doing. I said I didn’t have a job anymore and he just said, ‘you have a job now.’” George would form part of the crew along with a young Jeremy Burgess, who would help steer Freddie Spencer to the 1983 500cc World Championship, becoming the youngest rider ever to take the title. It is a record which still stands to this day. “Freddie had pure determination which was self-inspired. He was oblivious to everything else around him. He wanted to race and went every lap as fast as he could and it won him a world championship. The input of Erv and his technical genius along with Freddie’s riding ability just clicked. It was one big happy family. We were a real team.” “nobody could believe this kid and what he was doing on a bike which was sometimes 20-30 km/h slower than kenny roberts’ Yamaha.” After a difficult 1984 which saw the Honda factory struggle with a brand new machine, the team returned with a vengeance one year later. “They made a whole new bike in 1985, they saw what they had made in 84 was not right. That bike was incredible. Doing the 250cc and 500cc thing at the same time, that was incredible too.” Spencer rode in both championships, many in the know even say this burnt him out too quickly, including George, “He did it through determination and desire to win, nothing more.
I don’t think it would be possible now, if they tried they would end up like Freddie, it took too much out of him. Too much. “In Silverstone he won the 250cc race in the rain and he didn’t have time event to get onto the podium because the 500 was sitting in the paddock ready to go out. There was too much of everything and I think he did four or five doubles where he won the race on the same day it was pretty impressive.” ‘Fast’ Freddie went on to win both titles, the first and last time the feat has been achieved. “That was 1985 and then 1986 was a sad story,” George remembers. “With injuries and things like going to the race and setting up the tent ready to go and getting a telephone call saying, ‘I’m not coming’. You’re just had to put everything back in the truck and go home, that happened three or four times. Everybody was disillusioned and the time passed.” “People on the outside don’t understand though that his brother had stomach cancer, his father paralysed his arm, everything became too much for him. He had to call it a day and I think he did the right thing. He’d done it all and proved he was fast.” Since that difficult time, vukmanovich has continued to ply his trade in the MotoGP paddock, across all categories and with varying degrees of success, but this has not allowed his passion to wane, “I never miss one practice session, and always watch the races at my house on the internet. I think it’s the emotion. I’m 61 years old and to me there’s no better place in the world than a racetrack. I live here, wake up here and I’m alive here!” His enthusiasm is infectious, and he describes it as being like an addiction of some sort, “Sometimes the racing can be too much for some people. Sometimes this life can destroy your goals, but I’ve been lucky. I keep wanting to stop, but I can’t… I’m a sucker, I never say no. My body wants to stay home, but I can’t. My life is here in the paddock. I’m not here just to pass the time, this is my life.”
“I’m 61 years old and to me there’s no better place in the world than a racetrack”
BRAKING INSTINCT
SPEED UNDER PERFECT CONTROL
www.nissinkogyo.co.jp
PORTUGAL
RACE HIGHLIGHTS
PORTUGUESE
FEVER text: Elisa Pavan - photo: Milagro
On MAY 6TH THE rED lIGHT WEnT OuT AT THE ESTOrIl CIrCuIT GIvInG THE GO-AHEAD FOr THE 3rD MOTOGP EvEnT OF 2012. A BrIllAnT CASEY STOnEr WOn AGAIn On HIS rCv HOnDA, WHIlE THE lCr rIDEr STEFAn BrADl HAD A GrEAT STArT, FIGHTInG WITH vAlEnTInO rOSSI AnD BEn SPIES FOr SEvErAl lAPS.
AWKWARD CONDITIONS ON OPENING DAY IN PORTUGAL
E
storil, 4 May: The opening day of the Grand Prix de Portugal started in a similar vain to the first day in Jerez, with a partly wet surface in the morning. Nonetheless the afternoon session was held in dry conditions with the premierclass riders starting to set up their bike packages properly. LCR Honda MotoGP´s Stefan Bradl, who
has been in impressive form in his rookie season, taking an eighth and seventh place so far, is drawing on the fact that his last outing at Estoril saw a victory (in Moto2 class) but the German could not finish any higher than twelfth (1’40.898) and is hoping to improve his pace ahead of tomorrow’s qualifying session.
Stefan: “So far it has been the most difficult day in my MotoGP career I guess... I had a very bad feeling with our rear grip and we are losing so much in corner entry. In the middle of the corners especially I do not have enough rear grip because I cannot warm up the tyre properly, and this causes me a lot of movements. Like this I can’t be as aggressive as usual but we have a lot of adjustments to try tomorrow after checking the data. We are not lost so I am confident we can better our pace.”
RED FLAG DISRUPTS BRADL’S QUICKEST LAP AT ESTORIL QUALIFYING
e
storil, 5 May: In cool but dry conditions this afternoon, LCr rider Stefan Bradl delivered another positive performance in the 60-minute qualifying session at the estoril gP, but for the first time this season, the german rookie had to deal with misfortune as the session was red-flagged during his quickest lap. eleven minutes before the end, De Puniet lost
the front end of his bike taking out edwards, and Bradl, who was producing his fastest lap on soft rubber, had to slow down to wait for the session to be resumed shortly after. the morning practice saw Bradl hunting a set up to provide more rear grip for his honda rC213V ahead of tomorrow’s race but now he must deal with a tough 11th place start (1’38.265).
Stefan – 11th: “We have been unlucky today: without the red flag we could take 7th
spot on the grid. I am a bit disappointed because we were doing a good job improving the bike a lot compared with yesterday when we were far away from the top. Today we are just one second from the top but during my quickest lap I saw the red flag in the last corner. Starting from 11th spot will be more complicated at the beginning of the race, but I think we made a good job today and I was capable of adapting my riding style to this track.” 127 MAY 2012
ANOTHER TOP TEN FINISH FOR MOTOGP ROOKIE STEFAN BRADL E
storil, 6 May: The LCR Honda MotoGP rider Stefan Bradl took another positive 9th place in today’s 28-lap Grand Prix of Portugal at Estoril seizing seventh position in the world championship classification with 24 points after only three rounds. The complex, bumpy and narrow Estoril circuit is always a special challenge, especially for MotoGP rookies like Bradl, but riding the Honda RC213V the German made a typically professional job of his first weekend here on a MotoGP bike. He ended free practice in tenth and demonstrated his skills in qualifying until a red flag incident which relegated him to 11th on the grid.
Stefan– 9th : “Well... this has been a very hard weekend for us in general. We struggled a lot with rear grip straight away on Friday morning, but Saturday we found some good adjustments. Unfortunately for the whole race we had some issues going into the corners. My start was ok and I could make some good manoeuvres at the beginning but then I was a bit on the limit and in the middle of the race I was losing too much in the corner entries which was our problem all the time this weekend. I needed to wait to open the throttle, especially in the fast corners, and this cost us a lot of time. We have never had this problem before and Spies had a better pace than us during the race but I can say this is another good weekend for me and the team.”
BEHIND THE SCENES
This win is for you! Casey dedicates his second seasonal victory to the fans (and to Adriana who is at home with their little daughter) and nakamoto shows his satisfied and proud smile. Happy Bday Jorge! Do not eat too much chocolate! lCr Team look cool in green photo: Milagro 131 MAY 2012
Those three have booked the podium once again‌ Stoner, lorenzo and Pedrosa are fighting for the title. 3-time World Champion luigi Taveri enjoys MotoGP at lCr garage. We feel honored to host such a great champion!
photo: Milagro
133 MAY 2012
TRACK KEY NOTE
TRACK KEY NOTE
ESTORIL ALEX BARROS text: Nelly Pluto-Prondzynska - photo: Milagro
CIRCUIT INFO lEnGTH: 4.182 M. / 2,599 MIlES WIDTH: 14M lEFT COrnErS: 4 rIGHT COrnErS: 9 lOnGEST STrAIGHT: 986 M. / 0,613 MIlES COnSTruCTED: 1972 MODIFIED: 2006
A
lex Barros finally ended his career at the end of 2007, after 17 seasons in motorcycle racing. Although he had never become a World Champion, in GP he won seven races, and finished 32 on the podium. He is the only rider in history, who won races in 500cc, MotoGP and in WSBk (in 2006). He was born in Sao Paolo on October 18th 1970 and started his career in motorcycles when he was 8 – winning the Brazilian Minibike Championship. After riding in Brazil, Alex debuted in international racing in 1986 in the 80cc class – riding in the Spanish Championship and in Grand Prix as well. In 1988 and 1989 he competed in 250cc class, but without any further success. Then
in 1990 he made the move to 500cc class and he was the youngest rider in history to join the top category. His best finish was a fifth place in Belgium GP and two years later he scored his first podium – third place in Assen. Alex’s first win came in 1993 at the Jarama circuit. After two years with Suzuki, in 1995 he started a partnership with Honda. For his next win he had to wait until the 2000 season, when he won twice – in netherlands and Germany - and scored three pole positions. later that year he was second in his home event in rio de Janeiro. When 500cc changed to MotoGP in 2002, he had his best season in GP. Barros won two races and in the next four he was on the podium. For the third time in a row he was fourth in the general classification. In 2003 he rode for Yamaha, but came back to Honda one year later. In 2005, at the Estoril circuit, Alex scored his final pole position and win in MotoGP. In 2006 he couldn’t find a place in Grand Prix, but rode in WSBk and won the race at Imola. In 2007 he had came back to MotoGP with Ducati and scored his last career podium – at the famous Mugello circuit. 135 MAY 2012
Situated on the Atlantic coast of Portugal, 28km from capital city lisbon, the Estoril circuit was used as a MotoGP venue for the first time in 2000. Built in 1972 by Fernanda Pires da Silva the circuit was used mainly for European F2 races in the seventies and after major redevelopment in the early eighties it staged its first Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1984. One of the trickiest tracks on the GP calendar, Estoril combines long, constant radius corners with heavy braking zones, bumpy straights and a difficult chicane which was added to the back section in 1994. Its geographical position means that weather can be unpredictable, although its generally warm, dry nature makes it a regular choice for pre-season testing sessions.
DRIVE RESPONSIBLY
ONLINE INSURANCE
presents
LUCIo CeCChINeLLo Former rider - MotoGP Team Manager
CITIES STIll POOrlY EQuIPPED, STIll BIG rISkS FOr CYClISTS It’s incredible to think that there are an estimated one billion bicycles on the roads and that 100 million more are produced every single year. More than 400 million in China,
photo: James Pipino
FEATURING
100 million in the uSA, 70 million in Japan, 60 million in Germany… then after India and Indonesia, in seventh place, we find Italy with around 25 million pedal two-wheelers! From a purely environmental point of view, these growing figures are great news for those hoping to make the cities more habitable. The bicycle is becoming more popular for various reasons; getting around in the inner-city chaos, keeping in shape, to save money because of the high petrol prices (not a problem in Qatar for example where a litre of unleaded costs less than 30 cents). Whether for traffic or cost reasons, the idea of “bike sharing” is a phenomenon that is becoming a more popular transport option in metropolitan areas to complement the public systems and the car: You get off the bus and hire a bike! Easy and convenient! recently I read a survey conducted by nextplora, who on behalf of our sponsor linear Insurance, asked Italians their opinions on the use of bicycles in towns and villages. The whole of Italy from north to south, expressed the same desire to see more bike la-
DRIVE RESPONSIBLY
nes: 65% of those interviewed would like to see more, with a peak of 70% amongst those in the north. In Italy there are just over 3,000km in total, much less than the rest of Europe. In this respect the Germans, as well as having a new World Champion in Stefan, are also the champions of cycle paths with over 35,000km, followed by the uk with 17,000km. In addition to unsuitable roads, the urban cyclist still faces other problems: they have to deal with daily anger from car drivers, who often resent the presence of the two-wheelers. 61% of motorists surveyed are annoyed by cyclists who ride in the middle of the road, whilst 58% pay no attention and pull out without looking. 44% of those surveyed pointed out that cyclists often don’t use lights or ref lectors at night, and another 40% point the finger at their sudden changes in direction, which threatens road safety. In my opinion everyone needs to pay more attention and show more discipline, both motorists and cyclists. To motorists, first of all I would say not to brake at the last moment when possible, because a cyclist needs to know for certain that they have been seen! A cyclist will
often react to the shock by wobbling to the left and right in a confused if not panicked manner! Another piece of advice I would give motorists is to avoid double parking, even if it is for just a few seconds: as well as obstructing traffic f low, cyclists are forced to move into lanes where other cars are travelling at vastly different speeds and then if the driver or passenger open the door without checking if cyclists are overtaking, it can become a real disaster!It’s also important to keep a safe lateral distance when overtaking too; I would say at least a metre or more bearing in mind that a cyclist is always liable to veer because their thin wheels are particularly sensitive to the bumps in rough roads. Finally I would like to ask cyclists to ref lect on the following fact: in Italy around 1.8 million bicycles are sold each year and only 300 thousand helmets: that reminded me of an advert I saw in Australia which pointed out that a helmet worth just 30 dollars is the value you put on your head… but those who don’t wear one, clearly don’t have anything in their head worth valuing.
photo: 123RF 137 MAY 2012
lucio Cecchinello
TRAVELS
FraNCe - 18th/20th MaY gettINg reaDY For the NeXt graND PrIX text: Sayaka Miyazaki
N
eedless to say, France is one of the most glamorous and most beautiful countries in the world. But it’s not just lovely, it’s not just wonderful museums. Paris is everything together, a harmony of old and new. outside Paris, you can be a time traveller. at the Palace of Versailles, you can hear the breath of Marie antoinette, at the Mont Saint Michel and its bay where more than 3 million people visit each year, you can see a mysterious island. Don’t miss also Chartres Cathedral, one of the finest examples of the French gothic style.
Palace of Versailles, located on western edge of Paris.
Mont Saint Michel and its bay, located in Normandy.
Chartres Cathedral, located in eure-et-Loire.
TRAVELS
SPaIN - 1st/3rd JUNe
gettINg reaDY For the NeXt graND PrIX text: Sayaka Miyazaki
o
nce you are there, you will fall in love with Barcelona with its beautiful sea and mountain. Barcelona is Spain’s most cosmopolitan city and one of the Mediterannean’s busiest ports. restautants, bars and clubs are always packed. You might get the impression it’s dedicated exclusively to hedonism, but it’s a hard-working, dynamic place hoping to place itself in the vanguard of 21st-century europe. Visit gaudi’s architecture which includes the Parc güell, the still unfinished Sagrada Familia and the houses of La Pedrera and La Casa Batlló.
gaudi’s La Pedrera in eixample area.
Palace of Catalan Music, UNeSCo cultural heritage. 139 MAY 2012
Parc güell offers the most complete view of Barcelona.
Team LCR is extremely grateful to all the friends and brands involved in our projects. With your hard work, support and passion, you keep on making us bigger as a MotoGP team. Your efforts also helped us in giving birth to an amazing magazine, we’ll be forever thankful. Life is a race, let’s get inspired. We keep on running!
INSPIRE
CREDITS
editor In Chief eNrICo BarBIerI enrico.barbieri@lcr.mc
LCr honda team Principal LUCIo CeCChINeLLo cecchinello@lcr.mc
art Director emanuele Vallorani graphic@lcr.mc
Production Coordinator errico gasperoni graphic@lcr.mc
Contributors Massimo Visconti, Nelly Pluto-Prondzynska, elisa Pavan, gavin emmet, Sayaka Miyazaki Special Contributors Loris Capirossi, Stephen Milton, Carmine Moscaritolo, george Vukmanovich Photography Milagro, alex Chailan & David Piolé , Davide esposito, James Pipino, hadrien Picard, Nick Little, Noémie hutteau, emacontino/aB Normal, Interviewhub, 123rF, getty Images Publisher Steve Burgess
steve.burgess@clearsightpartners.com
www.lcrhonda.com
Published by Clearsightpartners ltd 121 longmead Drive Sidcup - kent DA14 4nY © 2012 Clearsightpartners ltd and lCr - x racing s.a.m. All rights reserved
Nothing else comes close
Bridgestone’s all-new Battlax S20 hypersport tyre has thoroughly impressed one of the most demanding testers - the Motorrad TestCenter of Stuttgart. In a recent dry-handling test with three other manufacturers’ offerings, the S20 emphatically outscored the competition. If your demands are anything like as stringent as the Motorrad TestCenter, there really is only one choice of hypersport tyre for you - the new Bridgestone Battlax S20. 1st - Bridgestone S20 2nd - Dunlop Sportmax Sportsmart 3rd - Pirelli Diablo Rosso II
4th - Bridgestone Battlax BT-016 PRO 5th - Michelin Pilot Power 2CT 6th - Michelin Power Pure
Test date: November 2011, Test bike: BMW S1000RR, Test tyres: 120/70ZR17, 190/55ZR17, Test facility - Bridgestone Europe Proving Ground, Italy, Testing organisation: Motorrad TestCenter, Stuttgart, Germany
Bridgestone Corporation
For your nearest Bridgestone Authorised Dealer, visit our web site
www.bridgestone.eu/S20-test
www.inspire-lcr.com