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AMA-SX
TAKING THE LEAP
Mere metres separate Cooper Webb and Ken Roczen from victory at Houston ‘three’ and after a controversial last lap. Supercross 2021 was a welcome distraction from all the continuing uncertainty around sport, freedom and restricted mobility affecting large areas of the world. The summer, stability and a degree of normality remain a ‘triple jump’ away Photo by Mike Emery/Align Media
RALLY AMA-SX
TAPPED
A second consecutive Dakar victory for HRC and a sweet one for former podium finisher Kevin Benavides. There was no talk of ‘moral victory’ by Honda this time with their success in the Middle East despite a strong late rally by KTM and Sam Sunderland. It was a race where some of the big-hitters took some big hits and GPS and fuel gremlins played their part. The Dakar still defines the discipline Photo by HRC
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UNDER
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SUPERCROSS Blogs by Steve Matthes & Mike Antonovich Photos by Mike Emery/Align Media
450SX WINNERS Houston 1: Justin Barcia, GasGas Houston 2: Eli Tomac, Kawasaki Houston 3: Cooper Webb, KTM
250SX-E WINNERS
Houston 1: Christian Craig, Yamaha Houston 2: Jett Lawrence, Honda Houston 3: Colt Nichols, Yamaha
SUPERCROSS
SUPERCROSS
SUPERCROSS
SX BLOG
AWAY WITH THE GUN! These 2021 Monster Energy Supercross races sure come fast and furious huh? Already three rounds down in this COVID-induced series and we’ve had some tremendous action in the 450SX class. Three different winners, eight different riders on the podium and we’ve have had two controversies also! It seems that things are already in mid-season form.
Whatever it was, Roczen was slowed up behind Wilson and this allowed Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb to get by and grab the win with just a few turns to go.
Honda’s Ken Roczen has the red plate and has gone 2-5-2 in the three races and he’s one point up. But Kenny and the rest of the red rider crew have reasons to be upset that it’s not eight. Roczen was docked four points at round two for jumping on a red cross flag that was out for his teammate Chase Sexton and then was held up by Rockstar Husqvarna’s Dean Wilson on the last lap of the H3 main event while he was lapping him. Wilson had numerous chances to get out of the way of Roczen but as Dean explained on social media, he didn’t see the flags and didn’t hear Kenny yelling.
Roczen was furious with Wilson after the race and rightfully so, I’m not sure what Dean was thinking there. He knows the drill and wasn’t doing anything on purpose. Of that, I’m sure. But nevertheless, he cost Roczen the win, the deduction of points from H2 was more loss and here we sit. I think Kenny’s got a right to be upset. Upon watching the H2 video, he does make an effort to check up when he suddenly sees the flag, the flagger themselves could have been in a better spot, there was a rider sort of blocking his view and in the end
Roczen’s action didn’t directly affect his position on the track. We’ve seen riders get docked points before so there is precedence for the penalty, but there should be some sort of understanding of this, especially for a rider that doesn’t have a history of this stuff. We’ll have to wait and see if these valuable eight points comes back to haunt Roczen. Meanwhile- a few other thoughts after three of seventeen rounds: The 250SX eastern series has been hit hard by injuries and an already shallow class got a lot smaller after H3 when Austin Forkner and RJ Hampshire both exited with injuries. This one really sucks for Forkner and the Pro Circuit Kawasaki guys for
CREATED THANKS TO BY ADAM WHEELER
BY STEVE MATTHES sure, this is the third series in a row that he’s not been able to complete. Up front, it’s Yamaha’s Christian Craig and Colt Nichols that are tied for the series lead with a win apiece. Honda’s Jett Lawrence has a win as well and from here on out, it’s hard to see any of these three ending up off the podium. Each guy has a unique story about them and would have almost anyone cheering for them to get their first title. Lawrence being the young kid, the next great one and kicking off his career the right way. Craig with the fact he’s been in the class forever, besieged by injuries and an FIM suspension and Nichols with the fact he’s been quietly very good for a few years and also been bit by the injury bug.
injury as well as some bike set-up issues (a lot of the KTM/Husqvarna/GASGAS riders are going back and forth from an air shock to a traditional spring) but he’s cooking now. In Webb’s championship season it was the third round that kicked things off so let’s see if history repeats itself.
With Webb getting the 450SX win at H3, you have to wonder if he’s starting to heat-up now. After a slow start at the first round, Webb’s been dealing with a bit of a back
I know people are blown away by Justin Barcia’s rides on the new GASGAS and it was super impressive how he won the opener for the third year in a row but don’t forget, he was
Another former SX champion, Jason Anderson, hasn’t been very good to start the season and must be wondering, with the races so close to each other, how he’s going to work on training and practice to try and turn things around. He hasn’t been anywhere near the front at the three races and has been sucked up by the guys he starts around in most mains.
near the podium last year also on the Yamaha. He’s been very good to start the year and his charge up through the pack at H3 was awesome until he fell over in the sand. GASGAS has been very vocal with the media in making sure that we know (and therefore you know) that they’re the “fun” Austrian brand and so far, so good because watching the #51 has been very fun.
SUPERCROSS
SX BLOG
HIDING THE REVEAL? Every racer shares their personality with the public in a different way. Some feed the social media machine with posts from the practice track. Others will recount every detail about their world when the voice recorder is rolling for an interview. A few prefer to say nothing at all, as they think staying shrouded in secrecy gives them an advantage over the competition, which only leaves us with one or two small storylines that get rehashed every time their name is mentioned. Think about it for a minute, and you’ll be able to match different riders to every one of those descriptions without much effort. Ken Roczen manages to be a mix of all those things at once. The Team Honda HRC rider reinvents himself every year, understandable given his age (he’ll turn 27 in April) and the challenges faced over the course of his career, and we always spend part of the preseason
speculating which version of Ken will show up to the first race. He’s given us a genuine look at what’s going on in life through Instagram, with posts that have shown the darkest days of his backto-back arm injuries to the happiness of his son’s birth mixed in with riding footage, photos from the races, clips of him relaxing on the lake, and the latest training technique that he’s a been turned on to by the gurus at Red Bull’s athlete development program. But, really, the best way to see what’s going on in Ken Roczen’s world is to look at details of his Fox Racing apparel. The company is known for leaving not so subtle cues in their kits (skull and crossbones victory stickers are just as important to some as trophies are), but they really make it a point with Roczen. His return to action in 2018 was
celebrated with a one-ofone white kit, complete with a bright red and blue sleeve on the jersey and a “Bleed For This” message on the pants that suggested the searing pain he felt for months. Last year, a “1092” patch noted the number of days between Main Event wins at the 2017 San Diego Supercross and 2020 St. Louis Supercross. When Roczen noted that fatherhood gave him a new outlook on life and that coming home to his family after a day at the track is a welcome distraction from work, “Griffin’s Daddy” graphics were added to the back of his V3 helmet and Flexair pants for Houston One. A few pieces get cycled through every so often, including the usual rider initial and number, or in Ken’s case, a cartoon of a hand throwing up a shaka:
CREATED THANKS TO BY ADAM WHEELER
BY MIKE ANTONOVICH the international sign to “stay loose” has been added to Roczen’s gear quite a few times, including on Saturday night, but after a last-lap incident that determined the win, it’s more than just a butt patch; it’ll be a reminder to “go with the flow” when things are out of his control. Roczen was the best rider through the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Series’s opening rounds, something that the current standings do not accurately reflect. He was the fastest on the track multiple times, led laps, and had the best average finish (third place) of anyone in the field. He pursued Justin Barcia for the win at Houston 1, didn’t go for a cut-throat pass, and settled for second place. He backed it up with a fifth-place ride at Houston 2 and was poised to take control of the championship lead until it was determined that he’d doubled through a rhythm
section where cautionary flags were displayed. Race officials rebuffed the plead of innocence that he could not react to the cautionary flags in time and docked him four points, which was enough to drop him from the top of the standings to fifth. “I wanted to say that I am disappointed in how this situation was handled. I just wanted to get you guys an idea of what the deal was. Put yourself under my helmet,” he explained on Instagram. “I have spoken my peace. I am just disappointed with the decision, especially since it says it black and white in the rule book... I’ll just deal with it.” There’s no need to rehash what happened on the last lap at Houston 3, as it’s been covered at length elsewhere and because the moments after the checkered flag proved to be much more important. Roczen’s frustration was obvious and
audible on his ride to the podium, completed by outbursts that were louder than running bikes and body heat that implied his anger. He talked with the team, peeled off his gear, signaled his disbelief about the situation when Dean Wilson exited the track, and then congratulated Cooper Webb all in a matter of moments. The massive stadium screens replayed the incident, and though Roczen was seething after seeing it again, he composed his thoughts for the NBC television feed and stated, “Part of me wants to punch a hole in the wall, but I have been practicing my patience, so I’m going to keep it cool.” He had an even better handle on the emotions during the post-race press conference, where he summarized the night’s incident, the three-race residency in Texas, his plan
SX BLOG
for the next segment of the season. “I feel like if it wasn’t for the Dean incident, the night would have been mine. Obviously, it happened, so let’s move on,” he stated. “We were dealing with a lot of traction here, a lot of different conditions than what we practice on, especially with me being in California,” he continued. “I wasn’t stressing about it by any means, but we were making some changes to the bike, something that helps with the starts. That’s what got the best of me in the second round because going around the first turn in 22nd place didn’t really help me. We got a lot better on that.” Roczen controls the championship as the series heads to Indianapolis for the next triple-header, and although the one-point lead is not as big as it could have been, he knows it’s a step in the right direction. “I would like to build from here and get better because I think we still
have a lot in the tank. This is just the beginning. Going to Indianapolis is like going to round one because everything is tight in points. I feel like I got robbed here a couple of times, and it’s a lot of valuable points that were left on the table for me, but I’m going to move past it and not let it faze me.” What will occur next in the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross Series is anyone’s guess. This recent rotation of different racers on the podium could continue on, making the championship impossible to predict, or one of the usual front-runners could go on a charge and click off wins. Will Ken Roczen’s newfound notion that he can only control so much of the situation, and a more complete approach to life, be what guides him to the number one plate after all these years? Perhaps we’ll have to look at the latest Fox attire to find the best clues.
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DYL AN FERRANDIS
FEATURE
“IT WAS TALKED A By Adam Wheeler, Photos by Ray Archer
RYAN VILLOPOTO ON HIS MXGP STINT
T
his is not the first time I’ve interviewed Ryan Villiopoto – one of the most successful and prolific Supercross and Motocross racers in the modern era. On one occasion we were invited to his remote home in Menifee, California (complete with an ‘RV2’ insignia on the private basketball court) where we spoke in his small gym and had to wait until he’d finished a promotional video for a massive sparkling Toyota pick-up that had been wheeled onto his driveway.
Famed trainer Aldon Baker turned up at one point as well to cast an eye over the dusty private supercross track at the back of the property. Ryan was courteous and co-operative for the chat and also the photographs, if a little aloof. It was 2012 and his growing apathy towards the grind of racing was already apparent. The length of the combined supercross and motocross calendar was a particular bugbear.
Just as memorable was time we spoke in the tiny private compartment of the Monster Energy Kawasaki race truck in Las Vegas in 2011. RV had won everything that year. Supercross, Motocross, the Motocross of Nations at St Jean D’Angely and had just given the Monster accounts department palpitations by scooping the million-dollar bonus prize at the inaugural Monster Energy Cup. His star had never been higher, so it was a shock to be allowed to grab a ten-minute chat in a window-less room that fit three
S VERY ABOUT...”
FEATURE people as he pulled off his Alpinestars Tech 10s only minutes after hoisting a Perspex box of fake cash into the air on the podium. Cheesy though it was, I had to ask if he had thought about how and where the money might be spent. He grinned, cheekily, and answered something along the lines of “not yet… I’ve won enough this year already…” One of the last occasions we spoke with a recorder was the eve of the 2015 MXGP series. It was over a coffee in the foyer of the plush W hotel in Doha and ahead of his first Grand Prix appearance after the sensational switch to the FIM World Championship. In 2014 he had won his fourth Supercross title in a row. Even then it was hard to decipher Ryan’s full intentions for MXGP. Was he reluctantly filling obligations? Or holding his competitive desire close to his chest? Perhaps he was seeking some sort of international life-experience before chucking in the towel at 27? Hindsight would reveal different degrees of these strands of motivation. Villopoto raced professionally for ten years in the US and captured ten titles and four Motocross of Nations victories, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011.
“LOOKING BACK NOW IT WAS REALLY COOL BUT AT THE TIME I WAS LIKE ‘F**K, I CAN’T EVEN GO TO DINNER’...”
For an international audience he was the natural successor to Ricky Carmichael in both approach, results and intensity. His Grand Prix episode was a bizarre story of full-blown hype, pressure, mismatch, brief achievement, deflation and injury. He went 9-8 for 7th in Qatar, 1-3 for 1st in Thailand, 4-4 for 4th in Argentina and was 4th again in the first moto in Italy. A barrelling career ended with a painful crouch by the end
Firstly, your current Yamaha role seems quite in-depth and you were testing for Justin Barcia in 2020. Are you doing more than you originally thought it would involve? Yes and no, whatever they need doing really. The engineer that was on Yamaha when ‘factory’ had the team, Sergio, I had worked with at Kawi for two years. We got on great there and he’d left the industry but came back with Yamaha. He asked me a year ago at Anaheim 1 if I’d do some riding. As we know the corporate side of things don’t move as fast as a private team. There were some hoops they had to jump through and
RYAN VILLOPOTO IN MXGP
of the pit-lane at Arco di Trento some fun and forthright views and a broken tailbone after his and recollections. In light of infamous loop. some of the memories and opinions (“I couldn’t tell you Ryan has since mixed too much of what I said on retirement, fatherhood and the Pulp show!” the 32-year mini-bike racing with a baffling old jokes now in reference to development ambassador role some of the drink that flows for Yamaha after spending his through Steve Matthes’ whole racing term representing occasionally wild and Kawasaki. He keeps one boot entertaining broadcast) we in the industry with various asked for a Facetime chat to small projects. His two PulpMX go over that fateful GP podcast shows in the last few episode. We’d heard his months with former teammate impressions on the tracks, the Jake Weimer have produced format and the culture shock at the time but, six years on, some reflection was called for. Cue plenty of knowing smiles and typical blunt honesty…
maybe some questions about how I could or would be able to set up Justin’s bike. I wasn’t setting up the bike for him. I was setting the Yamaha, and then Justin would have to fine-tune it for himself. You are never setting up the motorcycle per se for a rider. We are doing the ‘dirty’ work that some riders don’t like to do or cannot do because they won’t have the time if they are deep into training. When I retired and got the chance to do it then I actually had a lot of fun. I was an ‘OK’ tester but I think it is so much easier to do it for somebody else because you are not thinking ‘is this going to mess up my race?’ or ‘am I heading in a wrong direction?’. I have no problem or ego to be able to come in and say to the guys “I can’t feel it...”
FEATURE
“ANTONIO HAD WON FOR SIX YEARS STRAIGHT AND THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT KNEW A LOT MORE ABOUT HIM THAN I DID! WE’D RACED EACH OTHER AT THE NATIONS FOR THE YEARS HE WASN’T HURT OR I WASN’T. IT WAS ONLY A FEW TIMES AND WE DIDN’T KNOW EACH OTHER AT ALL. I THINK THAT WAS A HOLE IN OUR ARMOUR. WE COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER PREPARED...”
I think people get in trouble if they make things up or try to search for things; if you can come off the track and say “I don’t feel it…” then that’s the best answer you can give rather than sending them into the leftfield. It sounds a lot like a day job… It was only two days a week and we did it for six weeks. Yes, I have a Yamaha deal but I haven’t rode that much
because of the kids and things…I still like to ride, and having someone say “your bike is ready, let’s go” made it easy and fun. It’s puzzling that you’re not doing this for Kawasaki… I still get that on social media. People asking why and how long I’ve been in blue and I was much better in green: stuff like that. I get it. I spent my entire career with
Kawasaki and there were a couple of people who, I think, were quite upset over the Europe thing. They don’t really know a lot of the ins-and-outs of why that transpired and why I ended up over there. So, there was a bit of bad blood, and I don’t think they did me any favours that way. OK, so go back to 2014. The talk was that you wanted to stop but there were some
RYAN VILLOPOTO IN MXGP
lucrative contracts that would have carried some penalties. You were clearly exhausted with racing in the U.S. and you’d been to Europe a couple of times for promotion trips and the Motocross of Nations. Was it a case that you ‘had’ to do MXGP? I wouldn’t say it was 100% like that. I was ready to retire. Yes, I had a [Kawasaki] contract for another year but
– as far as I understand – nobody can make you race if you don’t want to, right? It puts everybody in a bind. Mentally I was totally burnt out and didn’t want to do it anymore. That’s what it came to. I had made my decision, but they said ‘sit on it, give it a couple of weeks’. So, I did that and during those two weeks – I don’t know whose idea it was – but the Europe thing came up and I thought ‘that
could be cool, I do like going to Europe’. I like seeing the sights, trying the food. It’s an enjoyable place. Would I want to live there? No. But my wife and I do like travelling there. So, we entertained the idea, got the ball rolling and made some contacts. Monster obviously helped a lot with that. I hadn’t signed anything and no amendments had been made to my contract and I hadn’t even started
FEATURE training for Europe. Around three weeks went by and I said “I’m not feeling this at all: I want to retire” but Monster were really keen for me to go over and race, and so were some other people. I won’t sit here and say I was forced into it but ultimately the boat had sailed when it came to racing. It was hard. Once it was a case of ‘OK, we’re doing this’ then what I was told about the team was not what I expected it to be. I’m not saying they did a bad job but the standards I was used to and the way things were run were not the same. That would explain why there was a bit of a delay between the rumours and the announcement… Yes…and looking back on it I wished it [his GP career] had gone another way. I was ‘OK’. I was not as fit as when I was racing in America and, mentally, I was not in the same place as when I was racing here. I’m not saying ‘it cannot be done’ but I’d like to see anybody say they are going to race in Europe and then go over there and win in the space of six months. It’s not going to happen. I would bet against it because the lifestyle, the travel, the way to live, the weather, the distance to get to practice tracks and going against almost everybody who has grown up over there – going
against a team like KTM – is an uphill battle. On the Pulp show you mentioned something along the lines of having the wins and the championships but a rider like Zach Osborne had the story and a substance to his career. Did you want to have more of a ‘story’? Was
that in the back of your mind when it came to choosing MXGP? Erm, no because I was so far ‘out of it’. Mentally I didn’t want to be anywhere near a track. It was something I was kinda made to do. I had to do. My heart wasn’t in it. But going back to Zach he grew up racing here, turned Pro
with a factory bike, lost that ride and it wasn’t going well. He had to do something and ended-up over in Europe on his own. The story for him to do that – and do pretty well – is really good. I think if I would have been that age and didn’t have any other option then I would have made it work. Racing is all we know,
so I would have done the same thing probably. Going over at 27, with the factory ride and all the wins then your expectations are set way-up.
You’d competed at the Nations but did you have the chance to look around and learn about who and what you were up against? When we went over it was tough. The team did a good job but we were three Americans kinda stranded there [Villopoto, his wife and Tanner, his training mechanic]. If you wanted to come and rent a house here in the U.S. then it would be simple. For us to get a place in Belgium was not that simple. We ended up spending all our time – four months or so – living in Centre Parcs! It wasn’t ideal. Bo [Rasmussen] at the team was a great practice mechanic and I really enjoyed working with him but the team could have done a better job in getting us situated. We had a car and that was it.
There was also a moment when former racer and Fly Racing honcho Jason Thomas mentioned he saw your face on TV at the first race in
Was having Tyla Rattray as teammate a big help? Yeah and Tyla kinda knew the ropes but he’d been in the U.S. for a few years!
RYAN VILLOPOTO IN MXGP
Qatar and thought ‘it’s over’ because you were not the fit, trim RV that had been racing in the States. You were obviously being professional to race but were you ‘off’ when it came to prep? I was probably 80%, I would say. Maybe a bit less. I definitely wasn’t where I was in the US when I was going for championships.
FEATURE
It helped having him there. I think if it had been like the stories I’d heard: a place to stay, hooked up with a gym, travelling and moving with the team then I think it would have been a whole different experience than us on our own. I mean, I know people do that, and we just talked about Zach doing it, but I think we were in different ‘places’ and I was expecting to go over race and fight for a championship in the premier class. Apparently you ‘stalled’ the bike on your first start in Qatar. It seemed to sum-up how the whole MXGP episode would go… I got told I stalled the bike and - before it happened - I had never looped-out while racing professionally either
but a few other guys did it in the following years! Those 450s won’t stall at 9800 rpm, especially on dirt. The tyre is going to spin or you are going to loop-out. The bike died there. Our set-up was way-off anyway in Qatar. But it was still not the way you wanted to start. Were you aware of the impact of your arrival in MXGP? The American #1 against Tony Cairoli who’d won the last six years: there was a lot of hype… I was. I knew it was very talked about. Again, it was something where I felt I could have used some more help. Antonio had won for six years straight and there were people that knew a lot more about him than I did! We’d raced each other at the
Nations for the years he wasn’t hurt or I wasn’t. It was only a few times and we didn’t know each other at all. I think that was a hole in our armour. We could have been better prepared. When I first came over I was told the motorcycle would be the same if not better [than what he had] and we finally got it working just before the race where I got hurt. There had been a lot of back-and-forth and searching to get better stuff. I couldn’t get out of the gate. In Argentina both me and Rattray were buried in the pack off the line. It was a long start and we were at altitude and we got roasted. It seemed that every way we turned we faced a wall and for some of it I put myself in that position – for sure – but there was also a lot I couldn’t control. Argentina was one of the very few times where I saw a rider surrounded by a security detail. The clamour from the fans to see you race or to get some access was intense. It seemed suffocating but also pretty cool… Looking back now it was really cool but at the time I was like ‘F**k, I can’t even go to dinner’. We wanted to walk out and around that little town nearby and see and experience things in a new part of the world but we couldn’t go anywhere.
would ever have had the balls to do that. But I imagine it’s really cool to do it: the stories, the people you meet and the memories you have will be unbelievable. You hear those from people and you think ‘f**k, I should have done that!’ If you can wrap you head around it or just get out there and do it – like Zach had to – then you’ll have memories that many can’t even dream of and that’s really cool. Everybody has a different path.
“I THINK GUYS MIGHT HAVE THE VIEW THAT THEY DON’T NEED TO GO IF THEY CAN RIDE SUPERCROSS & MAKE DECENT MONEY BUT...IT’S A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE...”
Experience-wise it was something you’d never have again. Is your legacy in MXGP a potential deterrent? Will Americans think ‘well if RV can’t do it then what chance will I have?’…? Erm. I don’t know. On one hand I think guys might have the view that they don’t need to go there if they can ride supercross here and make decent money but on the other hand it’s a lifetime experience that you will never forget. It’s like when you’re seventeen, eighteen or nineteen years old and you take the backpack and you travel Europe. I don’t know if I
The ‘Villopoto Loop’: was that a harsh or funny way to finish things? Were you not tempted to heal, come back and close the book differently? Well, with the way things were going and the struggles we were having – well, they weren’t ‘real life’ struggles – it was clear it was not the best way to carry expectations to win a championship. I guess I was happy, in a way, that it had happened. Obviously not the crash. Nobody wants to crash and if you asked me what happened then I still don’t really know. I do know that those were two of the best starts I’d had all season and it was only the fourth
race. It was one of those things where, at the time, you think ‘s**t, that didn’t look very good’ but then a few years later a few other guys have done it! Maybe our bikes are getting faster: I don’t know! You can always laugh about it and I don’t get worried about my legacy and people thinking ‘in his last race he looped out’. I think they will look at all my races and championship wins and even though I was not ‘gun-ho’ to go to Europe, I still went there and tried to race those guys…and managed to win one!
RYAN VILLOPOTO IN MXGP
It was a bit of a bummer but given that the fans are so diehard into their motorsports it was pretty cool. Looking back now it was insane! I can remember going back to the airport. Jeffrey [Herlings] was in front of us with Ruben [Tureluren, training mechanic] and we were in this train of cars being escorted at 60-70 mph and one guy on a bike flew off the road trying to keep up with us. The forks snapped off and he just cartwheeled!
MXGP SBK BLOG BLOG
TITULAR TITULAR THE FINAL CHARGE? The first Blog effort of 2021 is about potentially the last career chapter of the greatest motocrosser of the modern era…in my opinion at least. It is impossible to say what will happen in the next two months in terms of border closures and harder travel restrictions but I’d like to think the first Grand Prix of Oman stands a good chance of taking place. The confidence comes from the assurance Dorna are placing in the neighbouring Qatar to get MotoGP underway with a test and two races in March and early April. Oman is an unknown entity to MXGP but has a large, diverse topography with a population of only five million people. Containment and control should be theoretically easier than, say, a European fixture. Infront Motor Racing President Giuseppe Luongo has already talked of delaying the next segment of the ’21 schedule in order for the transcontinental vaccination programmes to gather pace.
The procrastination could be an advantage for Tony Cairoli. The nine times world champion will eventually start his eighteenth season and twelfth in Red Bull KTM colours hoping to be free of any hobble as a result of his left knee recovery. “We knew the cartilage was already damaged and the operation didn’t help too much but we took out some pieces of the broken meniscus, so it was a clean-up,” he told me late last week after surgery in early December. “The recuperation is going a bit longer than we expected and I’m not riding yet. Hopefully I will start in two weeks, until then I’m just building up muscle in the leg. I can afford to wait a little bit because we have some time before the GPs start.”
The messy joint affected Cairoli’s 2020 when hesitation and weakness dented his ability to post fast laps in Timed Practice. From the list of eight riders that seized ‘Pole Position’ last year Cairoli was noticeably absent. By way of contrast world champion Tim Gajser rolled the new Honda into the gate first for eight of the eighteen Grands Prix. Cairoli’s starting skill and the power of the KTM proved to be a valuable assist in narrowing the handicap but the Italian frequently had too much to do, too often. And he continually tweaked the knee, making the situation worse. By the final round in Arco, Cairoli had secured his tenth top three result in the premier class standings but won only two motos all season and had looked curiously
CREATED THANKS TO BY ADAM WHEELER
BY ADAM WHEELER ‘mortal’ in his favourite terrain a week previously: the sand of Lommel. A weird campaign came to a close in November (MXGP’s latest ever finish) and the early summer mystery of his contract situation had long since been resolved when KTM elected to re-run the pricey MXGP dream team trio of Cairoli, Herlings and Prado for 2021. Cairoli had been momentarily out on a limb for the first time since 2003 with the Dutchman and Spaniard already tied to long-term KTM contracts. Neither the intense and truncated 2020 championship or the knee handicap dented his enthusiasm for another crack at MXGP. He briefly and subtly touted his services in the paddock for one of only a few limited factory team places, but to most of us it seem unfeasible he would break away from the De Carli structure (that already had Prado firmly seconded in the programme and were eying
Cairoli’s Italian successor at the time, Mattia Guadagnini) which had been his crew and home since 2004.
“THE SICILIAN, 36 YEARS OLD IN SEPTEMBER, WON THE FIRM’S FIRST EVER PREMIER CLASS CHAMPIONSHIP AND GATHERED TITLES ON BOTH THE 350 SX-F AS WELL AS THE 450 SX-F.”
KTM eventually crafted a satisfactory deal to accommodate Cairoli’s desire to continue and remain part of the team pressure cooker: Tony doesn’t only have to worry about other manufacturers and rivals but also the ‘championship within a championship’ with Herlings ravenous to reverse a dismal trend of injury since the beginning of 2019 and Prado, now just 20, getting faster, better and more hungry with each passing month.
Cairoli, Herlings, Prado is not only one of the most illustrious line-ups in Grand Prix history but also the most expensive in the paddock and while KTM rightfully see small worth in filling the stable with premium ‘horses’ there was no way they were going to let one of their true racing icons end his career in another colour. The Sicilian, 36 years old in September, won the firm’s first ever premier class championship and gathered titles on both the 350 SX-F as well as the 450 SX-F. He also has a seventeen-year associated with Red Bull. It’s all speculation of course. Cairoli could deal with more injury in 2021, which will most certainly wind the curtain down. He might struggle to vie for podium results (his weekly objective) although it seems unimaginable and – like countryman Valentino Rossi – the twilight is firmly in view. Or he could construct yet another title bid and win an FIM gold
MXGP SBKBLOG BLOG
medal for the tenth time and the first since 2017. Although he has repeatedly said that numbers do not hold much stock, bowing out by equalling Stefan Everts’ ‘unmatchable’ feat of double-digit championships would be an epic mic-drop. As we’ve seen with Gautier Paulin and Clement Desalle, the prospect of ending a career with a crowd-less and limited season is not something that will delay feelings of retirement. Of course, it’s a shame they were competing for the last time in closed circuits but the situation seemed to solidfy their doubts rather than weaken them. Cairoli has been the biggest public draw in MXGP for more than a decade and has boosted the sport in his country to the point where Grand Prix can visit Italy several times in one year. Despite this it would seem unthinkable for the #222 to leave the coliseum to the sound of wind whistling through empty seats.
As for 2021 – whatever shape and form it might take - signs could be weirdly positive for Tony. The last time MXGP started in the Middle East was in 2017 for the fifth and final Grand Prix around the Losail International Circuit course. Cairoli had placed 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in the previous editions but reversed the trend in ’17 with a 1-1 scorecard that launched his championship campaign with the highest spray of champagne.
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MXGP TV Still the best way to indulge in MXGP is through the official App/website software www.mxgp-tv.com which has now had an overhaul thanks to a deal Infront Motor Racing have made with StreamAMG. For just under 115 euros customers get access to the full season of on-demand MXGP, MX2 qualifying and races, EMX and WMX and Motocross of Nations, as well as all the behind the scenes content through the video show (studio chats, GoPro laps etc). Subscribers for 2021 can watch all the material from 2020. Another 5 euros will allow access to the archive vault and the chance to watch any previous Grand Prix for a full year, although the system does not state how far back the championship coverage extends. As MXGP-TV has yet to kick into life in terms of live streaming it’s hard to comment on how much of an upgrade the new system will carry but the interface and presentation has had a necessary makeover. “Back in 2011, we were one of the very first sport promoters to believe in the potential of developing this kind of media platform to reach our fans directly,” said Infront Motor Racing CEO David Luongo. “Almost 10 years later, MXGPtv.com became a must for everybody who wants to follow all the actions related to MXGP, but also all the support classes too.” Have a click to see more.
www.mxgp-tv.com
FEATURE
JU
UMPING SHIP
By Adam Wheeler, Photos by Ray Archer
(AND THE SHARK?) GLENN COLDENHOFF TALKS ABOUT HIS BIG SWITCH TO MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA
T
he 29-year old’s transfer from factory GasGas to factory Yamaha equipment for 2021 is significant. Only two other Grand Prix winners in the premier class during the last five years have made such a high-profile jump between teams and brands. Those athletes were Clement Desalle (from Suzuki to Kawasaki in 2016) and Romain Febvre (from Yamaha to Kawasaki in 2020). Coldenhoff’s leap from Austrian machinery to leading-spec Japanese hardware is also unusual. Perhaps the only other notable and similar case in recent seasons was when Max Nagl bounced ‘the other way’ from HRC to Husqvarna (and then vaulted onto the nowdefunct Italian TM) in 2015, swiftly followed by Gautier Paulin doing the same. Coldenhoff has become one of MXGP’s premium names through a slow-burn seven term stint in the division. He claimed MX2 victory in 2013 and was Suzuki’s first great hope on the RM-Z250 until a knee injury ended his title plight. A rookie MXGP success on the RM-Z450 came in 2015 but he found himself searching for a saddle as the Suzuki team fatefully reshuffled that summer for 2016.
The Dutchman’s amiability and approachable character helped him bag a surprise Red Bull KTM saddle next to Tony Cairoli and he remained on the 450 SX-F until a sideways move to the satellite Standing Construct team for 2019: the same crew with whom he posted that MX2 win in ’13. The Belgian outfit morphed into GasGas for 2020.
Coldenhoff had won fans inside KTM and Red Bull for his application and professionalism. It meant when KTM narrowed their line-up to the exceptional talents of Tony Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings in 2019 he was given strong backing at Standing Construct. His all-conquering performance at the 2018
“A DECISION LIKE THIS IS NEVER EASY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU NEED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO REALLY GOOD TEAMS. IT WAS HARD. I THINK I MADE ALL THE BEST RESULTS OF MY CAREER WITH STANDING CONSTRUCT. ALSO, IT’S TRUE ABOUT RED BULL, AND I’D BEEN FIVE YEARS WITH KTM BUT I FELT THAT YAMAHA WERE REALLY INTERESTED VERY EARLY...”
2019 turned out to be pivotal for two reasons. Firstly, there was the horrific crash while training at Lommel in December 2018 that led to the compression of three thoracic vertebrae and a broken wrist.
GLENN COLDENHOFF
season-ending Motocross of Nations at RedBud also helped his stature.
FEATURE
The YouTube video has been watched almost half a million times. Secondly, once Coldenhoff had been able to recover and test with his team he turned into a fierce MXGP force; claiming five straight podium finishes and two victories in the final five rounds of the series. Add the Netherlands’ milestone team triumph at the Assen MXoN at the end of the summer and Coldenhoff was hitting a peak. Back and rib injury would blight an intense 2020 but
not before he’d claimed round three in Latvia - the first race post-Covid-19 lockdown - and gave the GasGas marque their first ever FIM Motocross World Championship GP winner’s trophy. 2020 saw Coldenhoff at the top of his game, holding a decent contract in an efficient and proactive team with the technical excellence of Wim Van Hoof at the helm and with a KTM 450 SX-F-derived motorcycle on which he knew he could win. Aside from any
The YZ450FM had been hitand-miss in recent times and Febvre had been the only Grand Prix winner on the factory bike since 2015 (Shaun Simpson owned the 2017 Indonesian round with the then-Wilvo satellite motorcycle). Seewer would graduate to the same mantle by the ninth race of last year but, by-and-large, Coldenhoff was not joining a prolific set-up. However, he had been head-hunted by a formidable team. Since Louis Vosters grabbed ‘the bars’ of Yamaha’s MXGP effort from the semi-retiring Michele Rinaldi at the end of 2018, he has poured a lot of time, expense and resources into his fledgling squad. There is little doubt of the quality that surrounds the three-man Monster Energy Yamaha lineup; a brief glimpse into their modern and expansive workshop provides just one piece of stark evidence. From Yamaha’s perspective, they already had Seewer under contract for 2021 and the Swiss would again
demonstrate his worth with a second consecutive runner-up championship finish, but they ejected the classy Paulin and the stuttering skills of Tonus to accommodate #259 and invest in youth with the recruitment of 23-year old Ben Watson. “The idea with Glenn was to bring some fresh air,” says Yamaha Motor Europe Off-Road Racing Manager Alexandre Kowalski when we called him for some insight. “He’s a super-talented rider and one with the potential to win the title. We know he is really fast, very professional and very focussed. Importantly he is also very experienced even though he is not that old. We have a mature rider. It was a good moment to have him onboard.” Ignoring any changes to his bank account, Coldenhoff’s exchange of GasGas red for Yamaha blue is a calculated and hopeful punt. Outside of the subsequent retirement for Paulin and also the likes of Clement Desalle it was the biggest switch of pieces on the 2021 MXGP chessboard. As if to compound the novelty of the challenge ahead, Glenn is sitting in a strange hotel room in Italy a few kilometres from the Rinaldi workshop (the Italians are still responsible for a lot of the R&D of Yamaha’s motocross
GLENN COLDENHOFF
financial incentive, it seemed hard to believe the early season rumours that he was being lined up for Monster Energy Yamaha, who already had their own deep pool of talent with Jeremy Seewer, Gautier Paulin and the luckless Arnaud Tonus.
FEATURE tech) when we talk. He’s about to embark on his initial tests with the YZ after recovering from two more thoracic vertebrae compressions sustained (again at Lommel) during the Grand Prix of Flanders and the season-ending accident in October. Any new chapter demands a look back before understanding the reasons for ploughing forward…
usual time-off after the season because I went straight into rehab. I had two weeks where the injury forced me to stop but since then I’ve been working. No holiday and, of course, the pandemic has stopped us from going anywhere or seeing anyone. Now I’m with a new team I decided to go riding as quickly as possible but in the safest way. It was
Maybe after a heavy race or a small fall? A little bit. I wouldn’t say so while racing but I notice it more in general. If I’m busy all day from early morning until the evening then by night-time I need to do some stretches. It’s not that bad though, maybe once a month it’s like that. I’m normally training twice a day and some recovery work anyway.
“The last injury was pretty bad but not as bad as the one from two years ago; if I have some pain in my back now then it’s from the old one, not 2020!” he smiles through the WhatsApp call. “I feel normal, good. But the injury from two years ago still means I need to do some stretches each day. I didn’t have the
the end of November, which was quite fast after the injury, but I felt ready. I still haven’t done any testing but went out to get to know the team and the Yamaha, which is a bit different for me.”
Tackling the main subject: why did you leave a winning bike - a familiar bike - a close sponsor and a close-knit team for 2021? It couldn’t have been an easy decision… Yes, sure. A decision like this is never easy, especially when you need to choose between two really good teams. It was hard. I think I made all the
Do you sometimes get reminders of that 2019 injury?
are in Bergeijk [southern Holland] which was also good for me.
say a single bad word about anyone in KTM, I also felt there was more interest in me from Yamaha than there was coming from Austria. Yamaha seems a big set-up but, having been there a few months, everybody knows their place. The general picture means [Michele] Rinaldi is involved and the facilities
making the decision. But since I started working with the team I had the feeling that they could make a bike for me that I’d like. I knew there was so much knowledge in the project through Rinaldi and Japan that they would make it work, and there was no real need to get worried.
Did your level of competitiveness with the KTM and then the GasGas mean you had some small worries or doubts about changing manufacturer and bikes? It’s difficult to say. I didn’t do any testing while I was
Many riders change teams because they want better equipment or support or resources…but it seemed like you already had that… That’s true. The 2020 bike was very good and the years before as well. I think KTM made a big step in 2018 and from then-on we had this base that I also used for the past two years as well. I knew it well and I knew how it would
act and behave. For sure the Yamaha is different and reacts differently. I just needed some time and that’s why we decided to ride a lot in December. I wanted to find out those small things before I really started to test. It was a good plan.
GLENN COLDENHOFF
best results of my career with Standing Construct. Also, it’s true about Red Bull, and I’d been five years with KTM but I felt that Yamaha were really interested very early. They made me a good offer and I went to the workshop and saw the whole set-up. With their structure it is clear they are one of the best in the paddock. I felt I was ready for a change and, while I cannot
FEATURE What about your position? You were one of the leading riders for Austriabased manufacturers and #1 for GasGas but now you are going into a team where you have to dislodge Jeremy Seewer who has been Yamaha’s top rider for two years… Hmm, it’s not such an issue. I know all three riders will be treated equally and Yamaha will only have to focus on three guys in the class and I’m one of them. I’ll have all the attention I need. Talking about Jeremy, he’s already done his testing. He’s sorted. There is more time ahead for Ben and me, and from what I’ve heard Ben is also quite happy. So, I need to catch up a bit but, in general, I don’t feel that I need to prove myself. The team and I have sat down together and looked at my weak points and we’ll try to solve those. When it comes to my physical condition then I’m always looking for improvement and at the small details. I feel like I have entered a very motivated team and we’re all looking the same way. Standing Construct were very complimentary about your professionalism and feedback when it came to the bike. Do you think Yamaha wanted to tap into some of this as well? I don’t know. I think Yamaha hired me to get some great
results and not be a test rider! But every rider is different. I know the other two are happy with the bike at the moment but I have some different comments and Yamaha, Michele and Japan have been working already for quite some time to take the engine in the way I want it. I’m really interested in the tests ahead.
Kowalski: “We know Glenn is very technical, super-precise and very sensitive to the bike. We noticed this was another area of his professionalism. It is an advantage to have another top rider coming into the team to work with our bike and to set-it-up. Professional, positive and technical feedback is always good for improving our level of performance.” 2021 will be your seventh season in the MXGP class, making you the most experienced rider in the team. Is there any time or desire to help a rookie like Ben Watson? Or Jeremy, who will be in his fourth term? I think that is something the team would like. We’ve made a proper plan and we’ll try to ride and practice together as much as possible. Especially in the wintertime when we’ll be in Sardinia. I’m open to help Ben, if he wants! I’ve got some experience now in the MXGP class. Maybe I’ll learn from him as well!
It’s a positive thing to have a young rider in the team.
Ben Watson: “I caught-up with Glenn just before Christmas in the workshop, otherwise he has been in Italy testing so I’ve not done any riding with him as of yet... but in Sardinia we will be full time together, so that will be good. Of course my first impressions are that seems
a really cool guy and open to helping, doing stuff together etc…” Kowalski: “Jeremy and Glenn have a friendly and respectful relationship with no ‘stories’ in the past. Jeremy was also positive when he heard about having Glenn as a teammate and the reaction was mutual.
Do you have to be ready for two types of season? The ‘normal’ MXGP type of schedule and perhaps a condensed Covid-19 repeat? I think so. The situation at the moment is not so positive. We’re supposed to start in April but I’m a bit worried about that. When it
comes to my training schedule I have to be ready for any delay. I have to be a bit flexible but it’s difficult when the championship schedule feels unpredictable. We have to be ready to go at the snap of a finger, and maybe for more than one race in a week. An example is the planning around the pre-season races.
Normally we would be on the line somewhere soon but we’ve already had to delay where and when we will go. The Italian races have already been put back. We cannot plan too much in advance. Is there a chance it could take longer than you’d like to get competitive with the Yamaha? Maybe…but maybe not.
It’s really hard to say now. I still need more testing time and I don’t know how the bike will be. I still have a few points that I’d like to change. If they can make those happen then I’ll be ready to go. We’ll have to look again in a few weeks and then after the first few races.
As an athlete is the ‘unknown’ weirdly exciting? You knew the KTM very well, so is there even more motivation to make the Yamaha work just as well for you? Yes, I believe so. Also, for the team. This [partnership] is something new and I’ve made some comments that none others have said. In such a small period of time I already
feel that the group is very strong. The guys are so motivated and we want to work to have good results. At the very least there will be a lot of effort.
GLENN COLDENHOFF
I think they will complement each other.”
FAC E F OA M
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www.flyracing.com
FLY RACING Some tasty Limited Edition stuff from Fly Racing and a reminder that it’s always worth checking-in with the brand on a regular basis for the latest effort from their design department. Why the potential haste? Well, the Lite LE Racewear White/Copper gear that was launched just before the 2021 Supercross opener in Houston is almost sold out already and was shown off by Justin Brayton who took the product onto the podium at H2. We’re talking about four-way stretch fabric for the best and easiest movement (particularly around the ‘seat’ of the pants), advanced panel construction, a removable elastic band for the low profile leg cuffs and, significantly, the BOA closure system for the belt has now been modified and moved to the front. The jersey is an example of how leading companies like Fly are still experimenting with the most effective creation and formation of ventilation and profile. It is an athletic fit and comes with a new streamlined taper collar. A white/copper Formula helmet, Fly goggles and Lite gloves are other key parts to the full look. For something else consider the Evolution DST Racewear Mint LE. The ‘DST’ stands for Durable Stretch Technology made from four-way HEX fabric. The Evolution is the more robust product among the gear lines. Have a glance at the full complement by visiting www.flyracing.com
MXGP SBK BLOG BLOG
TITULAR TITULAR GREEN AND BEAR IT The Monster Energy KRT team ensured that MXGP maintained a lofty position in news feeds last week as they finally announced their squad for the forthcoming season. The details surprised very few people and prompted mixed reviews; a financially-sound rider in the form of Ivo Monticelli will pilot the second KX450F-SR. Traditionalists were in uproar when that news was confirmed but no one quite managed to offer a solution that would be better than the fast-starting Italian. Thomas Olsen and Ben Watson had been some of the hottest MX2 commodities on the market, but those guys landed in their ideal homes. Names like Glenn Coldenhoff and even Antonio Cairoli, who re-signed with Red Bull KTM in June, would have never been considered for that second KRT spot, so who could they have snatched up that would have been a much better option? Calvin Vlaanderen would have been a brilliant candidate and Dylan Walsh
was in consideration, but Monticelli is in the same league as those riders. Kawasaki’s long-term strategy is an obvious question mark, but it sounds as though that initial deal with Monticelli does not stretch beyond the next 11 months. The future of KRT is an intriguing point of discussion – Romain Febvre has obviously been tasked with leading the team into action and is the perfect candidate. Febvre, the 2015 #1, is a potential Grand Prix winner each weekend and could even be a dark horse for that premier-class title, a crown that Kawasaki has not acquired since 1998.
Becoming a consistent winner would even be enough to give Kawasaki a boost in European competition, as victories have been few and far between since the birth of the four-stroke. Kawasaki has won 22 Grands Prix in the MXGP class (previously MX1) since 2004 – those were delivered by nine different riders. Gautier Paulin is the winningest Kawasaki racer in the MXGP (or MX1) category, as he amassed six wins during his three-year stint in green. Five triumphs this year would allow Febvre to hit the same figure as his countryman. The point here is that Kawasaki has not had one rider who they can rely on to put the KX450-SR on
CREATED THANKS TO BY ADAM WHEELER
BY LEWIS PHILLIPS the top step of the podium each year in quite a while. That is not through a lack of trying though; Ryan Villopoto was supposed to do it (longevity was never a priority there) and Clement Desalle was a consistent threat before KRT picked him up five years ago and renewed his contract twice.
“KAWASAKI’S LONGTERM STRATEGY IS AN OBVIOUS QUESTION MARK, BUT IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH THAT INITIAL DEAL WITH MONTICELLI DOES NOT STRETCH BEYOND THE NEXT 11 MONTHS. THE FUTURE OF KRT IS AN INTRIGUING POINT OF DISCUSSION...” Febvre is a rider who they can rely on. A single Grand Prix victory in his first term with KRT was a reasonable start (especially after recovering from an early season knee injury) but
there is no doubt that he was capable of more and will be again when competition starts in Oman. One would think that he would stick with KRT until the end of his career as well, which could help drive the Kawasaki operation into its most prolific spell in recent memory. The leaps forward that the F&H outfit is making could be an additional help in years to come, providing that the talent is actually used when it is ready. CLS was a formidable operation in the MX2 class but that talent rarely went straight to KRT, like both Olsen and Watson have done with their respective manufacturers. Instead KRT have opted for Tyla Rattray, Jordi Tixier (who spent a year with CLS but was really a product of the KTM system) and Julien Lieber in recent years. Those three guys amassed just five top five moto finishes across five seasons – the bar is relatively low with the
second KRT position. 2020 was actually the exception, as the team fielded two moto winners for the first time since 2012 (Gautier Paulin and Xavier Boog that year). That powerhouse effort was a reminder of what KRT can do, and perhaps they will again in the future? It is probable that such a successful campaign has caused onlookers to be even more angered by the latest acquisition. The odd thing is that Yamaha were in a position similar to this not too long ago, where victories were hard to come by and spoils were dwindling. Who was the one to turn that around and push Yamaha back to the forefront in the premier category? Romain Febvre. Yamaha were far from a powerhouse at the start of that 2015 season, with no lead sponsorship to speak of, but that title was like a shot in the arm. Their MX2 effort has developed since
and now talent is being passed from one team to another – Watson is going to be the first benefactor of that in the premier class. The framework is there for Kawasaki to follow and also in evidenced by the way Honda pushed Tim Gajser and Mitch Evans from MX2 and KTM have also reared Jeffrey Herlings, Pauls Jonass and Jorge Prado. The fact that Monster Energy KRT invested in a rider like Febvre is proof that they are keen to replicate the success that they are having in other disciplines, like WorldSBK, and the fact that a change in team management was made hints that moving forward is a priority (Thierry Chizat Suzzoni is now the team manager as well as the owner and technical manager Vincent Bereni has taken a step up too). Febvre is responsible for taking race wins, but what about Monticelli?
If he could put that second KX450-SR into the top ten in points at the end of the season, then even that would be a step up. KRT has had both their riders in the top ten in points just once since 2014.
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FMF/100% An attractive co-operation between the exhaust specialists and the goggle brand has led to creation of a new goggle range with ‘Powerbomb’ and ‘Powercore’ models featuring sand, enduro, OTG and Youth versions plus a range of accessories. Husqvarna’s Zach Osborne is arguably their premier athlete/’carrier’ for what is 100% tech but with strong and identifiable FMF branding. It would not be unusual for licensing deals between companies to see limited edition wares here-and-there but the FMF Vision collection is vast and comprehensive.
www.fmfracing.com
FEATURE
THE FORGOTTEN MA
AN?
By Adam Wheeler, Photos by JP Acevedo
PAULS JONASS: LATVIA’S FIRST EVER FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPION, 2019 MXGP ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AND STILL JUST 24-YEARS OLD. BUT #41 NOW HAS TO COME BACK FROM THE WILDERNESS OF GRAND PRIX AFTER A TORRID 2020 WHERE HE BARELY RACED. IT COULD BE TOUGH TO FIND A MORE MOTIVATED ATHLETE BEHIND THE GATE FOR WHAT WILL BE JONASS’ THIRD (MAKE THAT ‘SECOND’) TERM IN THE PREMIER CLASS…
FEATURE
P
auls Jonass has been waving a banner for his country and has won a growing number of fans inside the sport for his friendliness and professionalism since he entered Grand Prix as a European Champion in 2014. He fought for the world title as a Red Bull KTM rookie in ’15 when Jeffrey Herlings suffered one of his three season-ending injuries, then sustained a concussion and provided YouTube with some spectacular crash footage the next year until 2017 when he deservedly earned the MX2 gold plate. A memorable duel with teammate Jorge Prado followed in 2018 before a knee ligament injury accompanied the decision to move to MXGP in 2019 with the Rockstar Energy IceOne Husqvarna team where he promptly captured 6th in the standings with three podium appearances. The future was an open book. Then in June 2020 Jonass momentarily folded the top corner of the page. A practice crash effectively ended the Covid-19 compacted season. We last spotted him gingerly walking around the paddock at Kegums in August for round three of the championship – Jonass’ home event – in a chest brace and with rumours
of his 2021 employment buzzing around like small Latvian flies in the evening dusk. It already seems like a long time ago when we catch-up through WhatsApp in mid-January 2021. “I’ve already forgotten,” he smiles when we ask for the full and final physical tally of the accident that ‘hit pause’ on his impressive career trajectory. “I think it was compressed four vertebrae, six broken spinous processes – the ‘spikes’ coming out of the vertebrae bones – and ligament damage in the back, which was actually a bad one because it meant quite a lot of time with a neck brace. Oh, and two ribs as well.” He makes light of the problems but the extended recovery period came at a sticky time for one of the highest-rated young riders in MXGP. Husqvarna had confirmed Arminas Jasikonis and Thomas Kjer Olsen on the works FC450Fs for ‘21 and Jonass was without a ride. For a while it was tricky to see where he could sign; it even looked like he would have to leave the KTM-structure for the first time in his career. When Glenn Coldenhoff finally accepted Yamaha’s offer the principal berth at Standing Construct GasGas was an ideal fit and he morphed from white to red, remains on similar
equipment and with a set-up that had already won Grands Prix in 2019 and 2020. Pauls has wasted no time in submersion with GasGas. Once fit and cleared to ride a motorcycle the work with Standing Construct began at pace. “The first time we met was in the workshop and very quickly there was a good feeling,” confides Team CoOrdinator and Technical head Wim Van Hoof. “We went riding and he’d been off the bike for a number of months but when he came in from the first run he said ‘woah, I’m really surprised…’. There was a big smile on his face. He was able to step things up quite fast. Harry [Everts, Jonass’ trainer/ adviser] was also with him, and even he was surprised. Pauls’ attitude? I can speak honestly when I say that I don’t think there are many people like him in the paddock who are so respected for what they have done or how they are with team staff.” Standing Construct is not a new team. The Belgians have worked with three different brands in the last ten years and will run GasGas branding for the second term in 2021. Dutchman Brian Bogers joins Jonass on the roster to give the squad a brand-new line-up. As well as adapting to the riders, Van Hoof and his crew will have the ongoing task of
PAULS JONASS
“I WOULD SAY MOST OF THE GUYS HAVE ALREADY FORGOTTEN ME! THAT’S WHAT I’VE HEARD ANYWAY…BUT IT DOESN’T MATTER TO ME. I GUESS WE’LL HAVE TO SEE HOW THE RESULTS ARE…BUT THE SIGNS ARE GOOD SO FAR AND I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO BEING BACK...”
FEATURE developing the MC450F from its KTM roots. Jonass, who has intimate knowledge of the KTM 250 SX-F and the Husky, could be particular useful for this task. “At the moment we are still riding with mostly the same set-up that Glenn and Ivo [Monticelli] were using last year,” Van Hoof says. “Brian as well, he was riding the factory [KTM] bike for the last six GPs between Lommel and Arco in 2020 and he commented that the GasGas was a step for him.” While Van Hoof says that a new GasGas frame is “still not quite ready” the team themselves have marched ahead
as vanguards for development. “At the moment we are still riding with mostly the same set-up that Glenn and Ivo [Monticelli] were using last year but there have been changes: we’re using quite a different link system and the shock also. We tested on different tracks and the riders were happy because they felt the bike would not ‘surprise’ them. They are more confident in the shock. Engine-wise and chassis-wise we found a really good base in 2020, and this was confirmed by Paul’s comments because he is another top rider. He gave us confirmation that we’d done a good job. Now we have a few small things to tick in the next direction.”
Speaking to Jonass now he is looking trim. Hair-styled, fit, Alpinestars t-shirt in place and considerably more animated about MXGP. He’s currently in Spain getting bike time in Catalunya before negotiating the tighter country borders to head back to Belgium. You must have learnt a lot about patience in 2020Wow. The first two weeks after the crash were the worst because I didn’t know how long the rehab would be. That ‘not knowing’ was pretty bad. I couldn’t stand up for the first two days. It was a struggle to get to the toilet. On the third day I was given a ‘corset’ to stand but I almost passed out! After twenty seconds my heart
Talk about slowing down the pace of life…! Yeah, overall I spent more than
half a year at home. I couldn’t travel or do anything. So much time away from the track. I wasn’t happy. Even when I could start to do physical training again it was not so satisfying. The adrenaline from racing was missing and not much can replace it. I will say that four months without racing or riding you kinda get used to that inactivity…but then with just one taste of the bike the story changes again. Was there anything new to do in that time? Not really. I was busy! My daily routine was more about physios, rehab and training. The bike was nowhere to be seen but I think I did more hours of
rehab and training than usual. It was the summertime so people were getting active when they could and looking for fun on the beach or doing things like jet-skiing. I couldn’t do any of that. That time was complicated as well by my contract, which was up in 2020, and for a two-three week period the thought of what to do was bringing me down. Add Covid-19, the injury and no racing and it was difficult. Explain that then. It seemed that Rockstar Energy Husqvarna IceOne had to choose between you and Arminas Jasikonis as Thomas Kjer Olsen had good momentum coming up from MX2.
PAULS JONASS
rate was going like hell. I had to use a Zimmer frame to get around after that. It wasn’t so bad for me; in fact, I think it was harder for my family and my girlfriend to see me that way. Once I could get strong enough to begin some rehab then I was on my way…but I was in a centre for more than one month, and with Coronavirus I was pretty isolated. I could go out for a walk but nobody could visit me. The only active thing I could do was walk. So, apart from the work with the physios, some days I was just doing 30km by the sea.
FEATURE
After 2019 had been a strong rookie season for you it was a surprise you departed and ended up at GasGas… In the end there was a contract on the table [from IceOne] and we were talking. It’s a great team and they work so hard for the riders but I wanted something different. What I had wasn’t really working for me. The results were OK but I was not enjoying my riding. When I was stuck at home because of the lockdown I was doing my own training and thriving on it. It brought back the fire, I would say. I changed because I wanted to establish my own programme and as soon as GasGas came into the picture with Standing Construct and the offer was there I was happy to change. So, the switch was about finding new personal motivation? Yeah, as I said, the [IceOne] team is very good and the mechanics work their assesoff, and Antti [Pyrhonen, Team Manager] is really committed. They all try to make everything as professional as possible. Moving was my choice, and my wish to have more freedom. Sometimes from the training side it got a bit too much for me.
Was the decision to break away and be more independent a similar scenario when you stopped working and training with Marc de Reuver? Obviously, that collaboration delivered that MX2 title in 2017… No, that was a different situation. It was pretty easy working with Marc. We spoke again at Valkenswaard in 2020…but he still has to keep a promise to me because he said if we won the world championship then he’d get a ‘41’ tattoo! We have a good relationship. How do you have things setup now? At Red Bull KTM the structure was very clear and then with Husqvarna also. Now you are arguably the lead rider at GasGas… I would say it is similar to the KTM days. Yes, we had everything we needed there but we also had the possibility to do our programme. I’m really enjoying the working relationship with Standing. Sometimes it is important to be flexible. I’m in Spain at the moment but if I felt it was really important to head back to Belgium tomorrow then they would be OK with that. As a rider you want a good bike, a hard-working team and a good atmosphere and all of
that helps you to go fast. I feel I have that. What did you make of MXGP in 2020? It was another Tim Gasjer year but also very demanding on the paddock… Watching the races on TV it felt strange to have three GPs at one track. After the first one it felt very familiar. Gasjer showed how strong he can be. I think he was even better than he’s been in previous years. He pushed the limit more. [Jorge] Prado was good when he was there; as you know, when you have the start then everything is a bit easier! It was a shame for Jeffrey because it would have been interesting to see him battling Jorge. In 2021 you could be the surprise again. New bike, new team but also the fact that you missed all of 2020. It’s like you are a ‘rookie’ again… I would say most of the guys have already forgotten me! That’s what I’ve heard anyway…but it doesn’t matter to me. I still have a lot of work to do on the bike and with the riding, but we still have a long time until the season. I guess we’ll have to see how the results are…but the signs are good so far and I’m looking forward to being back.
PAULS JONASS
FEATURE
Lastly, how is the GasGas different to what you already know? You raced a KTM 250 SX-F and a Husqvarna FC 450F: what’s the red bike like? It’s strange but somehow it feels smaller and more compact than the Husky. I haven’t ridden a KTM for quite a while now so my nearest reference is the Husqvarna. Wim and the guys set up everything as I liked and I feel comfortable when I can move the bike around. When I’m on the bike it feels more like a 250 than a 450. I like the smaller bike, so it’s all good for me! But, like I said to the guys, practicing and testing is one thing and racing is another so we’ll get more information in the pre-season races we can do and the first GPs.
PAULS JONASS
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L E AT T. C O M
PRODUCTS
MIKE VAN CLEVEN A rapid shout out to creative photographer and videographer Mike Van Cleven. The Belgian spent many years covering MXGP and working with some of the top names and brands in the industry thanks to strong contacts with people like Monster Energy. Mike took advantage of some of the U.S. Grands Prix and Supercross trips to indulge in his heavily stylistic photography and has now put together his first coffee table book called ‘Dear Motel’. Costing 50 euros and available in either a red or a blue version, the publication has high production standards in terms of design and printing. It’s hardcover, linen, 160 pages, more than 100 photographs and with dimensions of 284 x 240mm. Hit the link to find out more and how to order.
www.voncleef.com
PRODUCTS
SCOTT SPORTS Scott’s three-decade link with the fabled Pro Circuit race team and shop has led to the latest limited edition of the Prospect and arguably the best off-road goggle on the market. Scott decided to unveil the eyewear in time for the 2021 Supercross season and where Pro Circuit will be trying to add to the vast quantity of 275 AMA race wins and 31 championships. “Throughout the season you always hear about guys having goggle problems, and with Scott that’s the one thing I don’t have to worry about – goggle problems. So kudos to Scott, 30 years now and we’ll keep going!” said Mitch Payton, Pro Circuit Team Owner. The Prospect has a blue, yellow and white retro vibe (very cool blue tinted lens) and a special carry bag. As regular readers of this magazine will know the Prospect is a favourite of ours thanks to the wide field of vision, the excellent lens-lock system, robust frame and the NoSweat 3-layer foam.
www.scott-sports.com
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FEATURE
DREAMSTATE By Adam Wheeler, Photos by Johnny Douglas Hamilton
FEATURE
E
ver fantasised about buying and building your own riding facility? And getting the best track designer in the world to make it a reality? Former British Championship racer Ryan Gower has endured years of working, saving and logistical headaches to finally open the gates to CDG MX Retreat in the heart of Catalunya, Spain. What’s the fuss? Aside from the highclass ClubMX vibe that Gower wants to bring to the project
he has also struck gold with the circuit’s terrain; a palette of earth that track builder Johnny Douglas Hamilton described as “the best I’ve ever worked with.” ‘Ambitious’ is a word we’d apply to ‘Casa de Gower’. In the track-rich and motorcycling haven that is Catalunya on Spain’s northeast coast, the CDG MX Retreat is another venue vying for the attention of the collective of professional racers that roam
the country during the winter. Catalunya’s (mostly) friendly climate and diverse topography mean it is a popular draw, not only for MXGP, European and national championship participants but also road racers and fast amateurs. CDG is currently in ‘Phase 1’. The second stage of development will deliver a stateof-the-art gym, workshop facility, wash bays, changing rooms and toilets, an outdoor
The hype is already building around CDG so it was an apt moment to ask 31-year old Gower how it all came to be…
From 2004 we’d drive down to Catalunya in the winter to find tracks for riding and training...we had a folded map of the area and asked people at tracks where we could find other places. It was like that for a few years until Google Maps came about! We kept that routine for about a decade so I knew this region was a hub for motocross in the winter. When I finished racing I worked for almost ten years on private super-yachts and my girlfriend and were thinking about the next step. We tried California because
I wanted to make sure I had the correct permits before I brought some land... so, we went through the process for a property that we’d found, and it was denied. We needed a place with a different level of environmental protection. We looked, applied again and it got approved. It was very expensive. It was around this time when I first got in contact with Johnny. Finally we couldn’t afford the second plot of land but the estate agent suggested one more in Móra d’Ebre. I was away on a yacht in Miami but my Dad went to check it out and said it was per“WE WERE GOING TO NICE fect for a track and the house TRACKS BUT THERE WOULD was good. Michelle went to look BE RUBBISH EVERYWHERE: and agreed. We paid the deposTHEN YOU’D GO TO it. I needed land where I could ANOTHER CIRCUIT WHERE construct the track and two THE TRACK WAS CRAP BUT extra buildings for the facility THEY’D HAVE NICE and for my residence. In Spain FACILITIES: OUR GOAL WAS you need to have the planning TO HAVE THE BEST OF for the activity before one for BOTH.” any new building on the old property. It took me a year to Michelle had family out there get that and as soon as it came but didn’t get a feel for it and through we completed the deal so we ended up in Spain with and that was June 2018…but the plan to give the motocross six days afterwards there were facility a try. She had started some bush fires in the area and up an online clothing the whole lot was burnt down. A company, so she could work nightmare. There were a lot of from anywhere, and we moved beautiful pine trees all through to Barcelona for a year. I was the land but a lot of them were looking for land at that time damaged. and my Dad decided he would invest in a place also and found this estate agent that helped both of us.
DREAMSTATE: CDG MX
pool and a bar. Johnny Douglas Hamilton, he of Isle of Wight, Matterley Basin, Sun City fame and other international courses, was hired to chisel the landscape and therefore prove that Gower knows that there is little point having the trimmings if the pie is tasteless.
FEATURE When we were driving around looking for places to train we always said to ourselves: “what if someone actually did it properly?”...we were going to nice tracks but there would be rubbish everywhere: old cones, tyres and scrap metal. Then you’d go to another circuit where the track was crap but they’d have nice facilities like showers and toilets. So our goal was to have the best of both. The main thing was to have a nice landscaped track where a racer like Jeffrey Herlings could come to and enjoy himself but it would also be safe for a lower level rider. Johnny’s tracks speak for themselves but an important part is also the landscaping. You see the facilities in the States and they seem to have everything but they are private; I wanted something similar but open to the public. I don’t know why other people haven’t really had the same idea...but now I have done it and started the process I can see why many would get half way through and want to stop. I’ve done everything by the book and had lawyers, architects and every kind of specialist you can imagine involved in the process. It’s long-winded and costs more than you’d think. You cannot be precise with your budgeting because fees
It’s remote...I had to make sure I had irrigation. I don’t have a legal resident neighbour within 6km, so that wasn’t an issue. My girlfriend and I had no problems with living ‘in the sticks’ and our little kid can run happily around the place. At the moment we’re not living there but I think it should be good. We have permission to
reform the house. We cannot make it bigger and there are a lot of rules to adhere to, such as the ‘activity’ cannot exceed an area of five hectares. We also don’t have any phone signal yet but there are ways around that. Electricity will be solar. There will be challenges but that’s all part of it. Spain is a big help...This would be impossible in the UK. I have 70 acres, and the price was a tenth of what it would be in England. The locals are all quite mad for motorsport. When we started the build last September we’d have people stopping and wandering over; I was thinking ‘oh no, here comes a complaint’ and they’d be like “circuito de motocross? Bien, bien!” I haven’t had one negative reaction. I even had the grandson of the original owner - when it used to be vineyard - stop-by. He explained that he used to
pick grapes with his grandad when he was a boy, and I’d just ripped out all the stone terrace walls through the little valley. I was apologetic but he said what we were doing was brilliant because the land had been neglected for the last thirty years. The Spanish mentality to motorsport is at such a high level. People love it. You’ll go into a bar and MotoGP will be on the TV. The main part of the land goes into a valley and I have a mountainside to the left and one to the right... The road is on the right so I couldn’t use much of that side so that took me mainly to the left for the track but when I first saw it there was a lot of growth and scrub. I knew I had to use that section because that’s where a lot of the character of the track would come from but I was worried about the dirt there.
DREAMSTATE: CDG MX
that you haven’t even thought about would come up. It was an education. I overlooked getting a sound-study and got hit with that. Other people might build a track that is not 100% legal and then they cannot put any facilities. There were plenty of obstacles and the fact that I wanted to live there as well added another dimension because we weren’t just buying a field we’d lock-up and leave every day. We were able to put that personal touch.
FEATURE
DREAMSTATE: CDG MX “IN THE END WE WENT TO THE MAIN TERRACE AREA TO DIG THE BIGGEST HOLE WE COULD AND WE MUST HAVE GONE DOWN BY ABOUT SIX METRES WITHOUT HITTING A SINGLE STONE. I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT. JOHNNY TURNED UP ON THE FRIDAY AND ASKED ABOUT THE DIRT. HE WAS BLOWN AWAY WHEN HE SAW IT.”
FEATURE
We initially put a few loops just to get us into the trees and the majority of the layout would be in the flat stuff. We were waiting for so long to start and in that time I’d go up there with Michelle and a shovel and dig a hole as deep as I could to see if I’d hit stone. I needed to test the dirt and it, in the end, it was insane how good it was even though I was only a metre and a half deep. When we could eventually start building the track for real a friend of mine from the UK, who can drive a digger, came over and
we spent a week pulling out all the stone walls and I was again getting worried because we were endlessly working with stone. In the end we went to the main terrace area to dig the biggest hole we could and we must have gone down by about six metres without hitting a single stone. I couldn’t believe it. Johnny turned up on the Friday and asked about the dirt. He was blown away when he saw it. We did the track in three weeks and Johnny was really passionate about it.
I’d never driven a bulldozer before...and I had the whole of lockdown in 2020 with a halffinished track to get to know what I was doing. When Johnny could come back he’d noticed I had been taking care of the grading. I got the hang
Insurance with the federation was an option...but I spoke with some other tracks and we don’t plan to have any races yet so there were other possibilities. I was told the federation would want control over the way the track is built and they had sent me an info sheet of specifics that were allowed and what was forbidden. In the end I went with RGB Sports insurance and they cover all my liability and all of that on the property. Riders can take their own insurance for 25 euros a day or they can pay a yearly policy with RGB that comes at 117 euros and can ride at my facility as much as they want. Much of my clientele over the winter will
Instagram has been one of my best friends...when we did the build last year I was posting a lot of stories and live material and photos. It ‘blew-up’. It was in the middle of December and I was getting so many messages asking if we were open. I had to string people along a little bit until we were ready and now it’s getting crazy again. It’s been really good. Races? I haven’t thought too much about it yet. If I did I’d need the help of the neighbouring farmers and their two fields. The infrastructure up there isn’t the best at the moment so it would need a lot of work to get it to event space. Parking-wise I’d probably got enough room for 60-80 vans.
of the game’. I’d probably start-off locally and see how it goes. Winter training is the main bulk and then I’d slow it done from March to June for locals. I made mistakes with certain things...I bought an old tractor from a guy in Madrid and it didn’t run and our bulldozer had issues and I had to order parts from England. Right now we have a couple of portaloos and an unbelievable motocross track and it’s been almost 300,000 euros to get that far. A lot of that was administration. The property was a third. Then the rent and use of the machinery. The work on the yachts means I can go away, top-up and go again. It’s been a three-year project so far and getting the track open was the main goal. It’s not just a circuit for me but also my house and will have decent facilities. It will take a while to grow and get it where I want it to be. We’re ‘all in’.
WWW.CDGMXRETREAT.COM
be foreign professionals and none are Federation approved anyway, so there wasn’t much point. I guess I will have more local clientele from March and into the summer, so then we’ll need to see how it works.
Over the road I have a portion of land that can be used for parking and the architect actually asked for permission for us to tunnel under the road for pedestrian access and I thought ‘he’s thinking ahead
DREAMSTATE: CDG MX
of it and just followed his shapes on the grading.
PRODUCTS
KTM
www.ktm.com
KTM unveiled the latest expression of their segment-busting 1290 Super Adventure S (the version oriented more towards the road with an offroad edition expected to follow) as this month’s magazine was about to close. The Austrians have sculpted the Super Adventure S to beat stern rivals like BMW (the GS), Honda (Africa Twin) Triumph and Ducati based on power to weight, electronic features, safety technology and standard equipment.
reworked electronics, increased agility with the redistributed weight, a shorter chassis, new subframe and longer swingarm. Add altered ergonomics, re-designed handlebar switches and an innovative new car-style adaptive cruise control and the 1290 ranks as one of the most sophisticated travel bikes on the road. We’ll deliver a full verdict in the next issue after a having the good fortune to weave through current travel restrictions for the press launch.
The 2021 model boasts 160hp and 138 Nm of torque, new generation semi-active WP suspension (with software technical packages to take full profit of the systems),
MotoGP BLOG
WHAT DO YOU EXPECT? With the year’s first official test still a month away we present a number of big stories likely to keep us intrigued through 2021.
HRC on 14th January posited more questions than answers. “A satisfactory clinical and radiographic evolution has been confirmed for the time of evaluation,” read the short statement. “Marquez will continue with the specific antibiotic treatment and with a functional recovery programme.”
The King’s Return He hasn’t finished a race in more than 14 months but the recovery of Marc Marquez will no doubt dominate the early stage of the year. An operation on 3rd December was the third on the troublesome right humerus bone he originally broke five months before at last season’s Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez. The most recent procedure was followed by news the 27-year old had suffered infection of the fracture, requiring a lengthy hospital stay and antibiotic treatment that has continued into January. The eight-time world champion has only given fleeting insights to his struggles since last July. And a vague press release issued by
Normal prognosis suggests recovery will take a full six months after the operation, meaning he could well miss preseason testing and even the opening races. No doubt Marquez will be pushing his limits to shorten that process. But even when Marquez does return to the track, more questions will come. Like how will he fare after a year out of competition? Will this serious injury hamper his aggression? Is the Honda really bad as the 2020 standings made out? How well can it be developed with Pol Espargaro at the helm while Marquez slowly recovers? All valid questions. In spite of this, reigning champion Joan Mir is adamant
the #93 will be his most ferocious opponent in 2021. “He’s not crossing a great moment, let’s say,” said the Suzuki star in December. “It’s difficult for him, this situation. Three operations on the same bone. It’s difficult to see the light. I don’t know if when he comes back, he will be fast straight away. One year off is a lot. But the talent this guy has is something not a lot of riders in MotoGP have. For sure he will be on the level.” Suzuki’s Big Gamble Evolution sustains success. Riders scour their environments for fresh motivation, teams appoint new personnel, factories build better, faster bikes. Standing still when at the summit is one way to hasten the fall. How Suzuki performs as reigning champions will be of great interest. And attentions will be fixed on that garage from the first test to see how it copes with the unexpected loss of Davide Brivio, off to new pastures in
Formula1. The former team manager’s role in leading the modest Hamamatsu factory to the top of the sport cannot be overstated. His long-term planning, communication and man management skills were second to none. Perhaps even more intriguing is the factory’s decision to opt out of replacing him. According to project leader Shinichi Sahara, “I think we can manage the situation with people inside Suzuki, and it’s the best way for us.” This makes sense in the short term. With development frozen, the GSX-RR – 2020’s most balanced package – should be more than capable of scoring further wins. The future of riders Mir and Alex Rins have also been secured until the end of 2022. So, no big work needed there. But to see how the reshuffle will deal with the day-to-day challenges of a MotoGP campaign will be intriguing. One of Brivio’s great strengths was his evergreen enthusiasm and positive outlook. How will Suzuki’s new unidentified figure-
head publicly and privately deal with a run of tough results, for example? And how will this affect the factory’s plans for a satellite team in 2022? Suzuki will begin the year in a position of strength. But the decision to not replace Brivio with another notable figure could be something of a gamble.
CREATED THANKS TO Moto3’S NEWEST RACING TEAM
KTM’s continued rise
BY NEIL MORRISON
As Miguel Oliveira swept majestically to his second win of 2020, the season’s numbers made for pleasant reading for KTM bosses. The Austrian factory were 89 points better off in the Constructors standings than the previous year. Incredibly, they narrowed the gap in the table to the top factory from 315 points in 2019 to just 21 a year later. There hasn’t been a rise that pronounced in this recent era. True, this year will pose further challenges for the factory. Pol Espargaro led KTM with distinction during its four years in the class.
MotoGP BLOG
His work ethic and aggressive riding style were the perfect fit for the project. It’s hard to imagine any other rider matching his feat of scoring seven top four finishes in the season’s final ten races. Those are fairly big shoes to fill. But this can also be viewed as an exciting new era. Oliveira’s rise to the factory team is entirely merited by his own fine run of results (nine top eight finishes). He and Brad Binder are reunited in what was a brilliantly successful team as witnessed in Moto2 (2017 and ’18) and Moto3 (2015). Considering Binder’s blinding success at times last year, the factory’s trust in youth seems well founded. Furthermore, engine development is a reason to suspect KTM could be even stronger in 2021. It lost its resultsbased concessions courtesy of Binder and Oliveira’s wins in the Czech Republic and Styria respectively but it remains exempt from the engine development freeze this winter that affects four of its main competitors (Ducati, Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda).
This development led manufacturers to fear the Austrian factory could be working on something special, with test rider Dani Pedrosa capable of fine tuning it. With Espargaro gone, bettering fifth place in the riders’ championship is a big ask for both Oliveira and Binder. But both men have experience of contesting championships at junior level. Witnessing KTM fight even further forward in 2021 is a very real possibility.
PRODUCTS
RD COFFEE
www.rdcoffees.com
Ryan Dungey’s coffee company ‘RD Coffee’ was established almost a year ago and now has a new roast blend: HOLESHOT espresso, which the press release states as: ‘meticulously sourced Colombian and Guatemalan beans provides the kind of added intensity and complex flavours that will be sure to help anyone get an early jump on their day.’ It’s the fifth different type so far and clearly another step in a passion project for the former KTM racer now three years into retirement. “It’s been an amazing journey so far with this new endeavour and I’m so excited to welcome our fifth roast, a number that personally means a lot to me,” Dungey said. The roasts herald from countries such as Guatemala, Brazil and Peru. The firm produce in small batches for the best quality apparently. Grabbing some beans (or one of the travel mugs or apparel) internationally might prove a headache at the moment but coffee drinkers in the U.S. can source RD Coffee from suppliers listed on the website.
FEATURE
BENDING WILL By Adam Wheeler, Photos by KTM & Polarity Photo
KTM’S RAPID EMERGENCE AS MotoGP GRAND PRIX WINNERS WAS ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL STORIES OF 2020. HOW DID THE RC16 ACCELERATE SO RAPIDLY THROUGH THE ROWS OF THE GRID? WE WERE ABLE TO QUESTION ONE OF THE LEADING TECHNICAL MINDS BEHIND THE VAST PROJECT TO FIND OUT.
FEATURE
KTM
know racing. They know all the elements that need to click together: people, parts, planning, projection. The Austrians know how to build a fast engine. For 2020 it turns out that they also reach a high level of proficiency with their MotoGP chassis technology in order to create a usable and adaptable motorcycle that better utilised Michelin rubber. The trophy shelf became more crowded. It’s late afternoon in the reception area of KTM’s Motorsport HQ in Munderfing, Austria. It’s winter, preChristmas, so dark and snowy outside. Wolfgang Felber sits across from us in the gloom, surrounded by plants and the occasional noise nearby from the emptying workshop floors of the large facility that houses all of KTM’s racing disciplines. Obscured glass hides the activity behind. We had to sign a privacy agreement just to enter the building. 58-year old Felber is typically one of the busy technicians burning grey matter somewhere inside the secretive labyrinth of race bikes and engineering and has become key to the costly and important five-year old MotoGP programme. We’ve spoken to the Austrian before. He was involved in KTM’s Moto3 resurgence and also had his fingers all over the company’s brief superbike project, the RC8. We’re keen to learn how he has exerted influence in the premier class and how he explains KTM’s boom in competitive performance. Luckily for us ‘Fewo’ is keen for a conversation…
“I USED TO RACE, AND THIS IS A ‘PLUS’. I CAN STILL IMAGINE WHAT A RIDER NEEDS AND HOW THE CONNECTION BETWEEN A RIDER AND THE BIKE MUST BE. IT’S A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH. WHETHER IT’S ROAD RACING, MOTOCROSS OR WHATEVER...”
KTM now must almost be unrecognisable compared to your first days… Looking back, I could never have imagined how KTM in general would have developed over these years. It is a massive difference. It is like jumping from stone age to modern times. The company rocketed from a local brand of dirtbikes to a global player in the motorcycle business.
Talk about current role then… Maybe I’m something of a counterpart to all the young engineers here that are much better educated than me but sometimes you need a guy with a bit of feeling, experience and who might think differently. Perhaps that has been my part in the game. I’m always happy when one of our guys comes along with a new idea. It means the level of the company is rising up and the younger generation also learn and develop their knowledge. I used to race, and this is a ‘plus’. Even if today - when I cannot remember every detail of what I was doing on my bikes decades ago - I can still imagine what a rider needs and how the connection between a rider and the bike must be.
WOLFGANG FELBER & KTM
OK, so, how many years for you in KTM now? 2020 was my 38th! I’m an old dinosaur. Part of the inventory. I can honestly say that every single day of those thirty-eight years was exciting, challenging and never boring. I love my job. It is my passion.
FEATURE It’s a philosophical approach. Whether it’s road racing, motocross or whatever, for a rider the bike must be like the girl to take to the dancefloor: they must be able to move together and the partner needs to be agile, capable. They need to be compatible. And beautiful! A race bike should always be something that your competitors can respect. In MotoGP this happened this year. How did your work change and evolve from Moto3 to MotoGP? I was in Moto3 until 2013 and then I spent time at WP for the Supercross project mainly. By 2015 KTM was already a modern brand with a lot of modern development tools and inventory, dynos, simulation and calculation tools and with
“I CAN SAY FROM WHEN I ARRIVED HERE TWO YEARS AGO THERE WERE COMPONENTS OR AREAS OF THE BIKE THAT ALREADY HAD A VERY GOOD BASE. IT JUST DIDN’T FIT TOGETHER 100%. SO, WE HAD TO MELD A UNION AND HONE THE PACKAGE...” a pretty good infrastructure. Of course, that has improved again in the last five years but I would not say it has been that dramatic. There is also the factor of me working here every day…so perhaps I’m not super-aware of the full scope of it! The race workshop is surrounded by buildings that were not here five years ago. So, what about your journey with the RC16?
I was more of a specialist for the layout of the chassis. But I can say from when I arrived here two years ago there were components or areas of the bike - like the engine or the electronics - that already had a very good base. It just didn’t fit together 100%. So, we had to meld a union and hone the package. You make it sound quite easy… It was actually not that complicated. In motorsport the approach is not too be too complicated. You have to make quick decisions. You don’t have three years to develop a bike. It has to be half a year. Much has been made of the chassis changes and the role of Dani Pedrosa. Was there much HRC knowledge going into the bike? There was no HRC knowledge. Dani did not say “on the Honda it’s like this-orthat” but he brought his approach of how to ride a MotoGP bike over a race distance or through a qualifying lap while bearing in mind eighteen different tracks and different temperatures. He had a general picture of what a MotoGP bike should be. First of all, it has to be good and reliable and a package where the rider can have confidence from Friday morning. Time on race weekend is very limited. You have the four Free Practice sessions then Q1 and Q2, warmup and into the race. There is not much time to work on set-up. If you are ‘off’ Friday morning then you will suffer all weekend. FP2 has turned out to be crucial… That’s right. So, the approach is then to develop a bike which is ready from Friday. It might not be 100% perfect but if it’s 97% then you already have more than if it was 90 or 85%.
Was that the difference between him and Mika Kallio in the way they worked? Hmmmm. No, but Dani is much stricter when it comes to putting a thumb on an issue or how something it has to be. He is more demanding. Sometimes it is very hard with him! It’s like you are the pupil in the school and he is the teacher. You get your marks. Sometimes you know you might deserve a ‘2’ and then he’ll give a ‘4’ just to make sure you keep pushing. We have a rating system for our bike also. 1-10. Sometimes we have left a test very demotivated and depressed because we had bad grades! But he keeps us moving and trying. He is a small person but with an extremely strong character and personality. While it was fascinating to work with him was it also a worry technically because of his stature and size? No, I was not concerned at all. I’m a fan of consistency in terms of which members you have in your team and Dani Pedrosa was a part of our development crew. From the beginning I was sure he was the right guy. We started work about one-and-a-half years, as soon as he recovered from his collarbone injury, and now we have the pay-off from that work. Quickly it was obvious that he has the right mindset and view on how to develop such a bike. It’s different for a rider who has retired and one who is still racing. For example, Pol Espargaro is a very fast rider, an exceptional one, but he is still a racer and he has to think
WOLFGANG FELBER & KTM
This is one of Dani Pedrosa’s big ‘pluses’. He has this picture, and every modification we test with him, every part, every strategy he keeps this in mind. He doesn’t think only about the next race, he is looking for the next years.
FEATURE from one race to another. It’s a different approach. He and his team have to think about making the bike more competitive for the next race and next weekend. Whereas Dani’s role in our development is about making the 2021 or 2022 bike faster. That’s where you’ve had fantastic success because the 2020 bike was competitive at a much greater range of circuits compared to 2019 where low grip conditions were very tough… Yeah, that was a big target. Also, to make the bike competitive for all our riders. Until 2019 it was obvious that the bike was very much designed for the needs of Pol and the others struggled a bit. Now it is designed more to Dani Pedrosa’s way of thinking and it’s astonishing that also Pol, Brad, Miguel and Iker could do well. We have a very good package now for the riders because their styles are very different. It’s a big gain. How difficult was it to make a big change on the chassis but also keep the KTM ‘DNA’? We didn’t think about the KTM DNA that much. We wanted to make the fastest, most competitive bike. A bike to win. This is automatically the KTM DNA. So, it wasn’t like you had to keep a strict principal with the frame? The strict principle was to make it from steel, and we are using the newest technology available with this material. Additive manufacturing: the more common term is ‘printing’ steel. The main parts of the frame are printed and welded together. 70-80% of the parts are printed and this gives us a lot of freedom with wall thicknesses and stiffness variations. It’s a big advantage.
The philosophy for this chassis – and all the bike – was to deliver more confidence to the rider. This I learned in the past when I was with WP and the Supercross programme with Roger De Coster, Ryan Dungey and those guys. When we were testing in the United States they were never looking for the fastest bike but the best compromise, and the most forgiving bike over the whoops. If the bike is forgiving then the rider builds confidence and a natural reaction is that he goes faster. Our human mentality always has that safety restriction inside and if the bike does something strange - like going sideways in an aggressive way - it says ‘no! we don’t go any faster’. However if our brain and body feel that the bike is moving but it’s forgiving and can be controlled then the response is ‘let’s go a bit faster’. This was the philosophy for the MotoGP bike and what these guys really need. A good example for me was the final race in Portimao and the Q2 qualifying laps of Miguel and Pol. The last corner is that fast downhill right hander and both were totally on the limit with their fast laps. The bike was sliding on the front and the rear with about 60 degree lean angle and around 200kmph and you could see the confidence they had: this is the package of rider and bike working fast together. If you can create it then it’s a great thing. What about the input from Miguel and Brad – the two winners - in 2020? Development had been dominated by Pol of course because, even from the arrival of the younger riders, he was the fastest one. Dani Pedrosa also. This was not easy because they both require a different bike! But, as I said before, what we developed around Dani also worked for Pol. He liked it and was extremely fast and successful and confident.
WOLFGANG FELBER & KTM
Johann Zarco’s stint with KTM was short but did he bring any benefit to the project? Difficult to say. He asked for something different to the bike that he was jumping on at the time. He was not going in the wrong way…but he was not passionate enough to wait until we had it ready. He is a special person, we all know. No further comment. Brad Binder was 2.5 seconds off the pace in his first tests but then delivered KTM’s first win by round three. Is that testament to the bike as much as his skill and attitude to learn…? You could see that Brad was still learning in the season and - 100% sure
– he is one of the big guys for the future. During 2020 you could see that he struggled on Friday with set-up and the different tyres. It is tricky in MotoGP because these bikes are so overpowered and so fast that you really need the right moment to pick them up and get the drive, the acceleration and the grip. Brad was learning extremely quickly and it was evident during the back-to-back races that he was always a lot more competitive on the second event. He did some astonishing things during 2020. He also had some poor moments but that’s part of the process, you know?
FEATURE So, let’s say the Yamaha is the ‘user-friendly’ bike, the Suzuki was the ‘all-rounder’ that used the tyres best in 2020, the Honda is the ‘fast-but-difficult’ and the Ducati is the ‘stubborn rocketship’; it seems that KTM is catching up in terms of all these generalisations. Would you agree? I would agree, and I would say that from the V4 concept bikes the KTM is perhaps the friendliest for the rider. We started looking at inline-four firing orders and what they do to the bike and the dynamics and it seems like there are some advantages here-and-there but also some disadvantages like loss of power or a lack of it against the V4s. It’s funny how different those layout concepts are because the Yamaha and the Suzuki are one family and the V4s are another. It’s curious how competitive both of them can be even when they are working so differently.
How do you feel about WP’s work and what they bring to MotoGP? Using their material is another way in which KTM differs from the rest… As soon as the bike became more ‘unified’ then it was easier for WP. They have been doing a great job and it is a big advantage to have them just across the road. We could have failed together but the reality is that we were able to work to create something better. With Ohlins everyone gets pretty much the same. OK, I don’t know the super-specifics because I have been a KTM guy since 1982. I remember when WP first arrived to present their product. It was 1984 – I think – so that’s I’ve seen it all and, like I said, I’m a fan of consistency. The worst thing you can do is switch from one product to another, or one concept to another, every year. You just get confused. Stick to what you have and make it work.
You must have been working with them around the time of the air shock for supercross… When I joined the project they had sorted out the air shock. They had one big drama at a race – I think it was Anaheim – where it failed. The air technology is extremely interesting. We kept on developing it with Andrew Short for three years, along with the air forks. We learned a lot and WP have that knowhow and can be pulled out of the pocket for the future if they want. WP said it was shelved because it was too complicated to set-up. It’s now back in MXGP and Supercross. Could it work in Grand Prix? For road racing it could be something
different. It’s a healthier environment for air suspension than off-road. It would be easier. It is extremely sensitive…for grip. For MotoGP 70% of the job is about looking for grip and how to manage it. Air suspension could play a big role in making a step with this matter. The RC16 seemed to make a big step in 2020. Is there another big step still to come in the next two models or some of the ideas you have? Or is it about small gains from here? I believe it will be small tweaks from now on because we have reached a good level. It’s different compared to when the project started four years ago when the bike was 2-3 three seconds off. When you start from scratch then you are ‘nowhere’, that’s normal, and you can quickly make big steps to get closer. Now we are in the ballpark and it is very difficult to find improvements.
WOLFGANG FELBER & KTM
WP is a given. It is a big part of our success and they are under-rated. Time will show.
FEATURE When we are testing and looking we are happy if we find something which makes the bike five-hundredths of a second faster and it is difficult to identify if it is an improvement or not, even with all the data. You always have the tyres and their rate of drop also, so it is hard to judge. You keep-on trying to make the bike easier then? Yes, but it also has to be a better bike to fight. The more it is at the front then the more our riders will be fighting others and it has to be a better package to ensure that the rider is ‘less busy’. The easier it is to manage, to predict and to push then it helps in the battle. We are not just developing for a better lap-time or speed but also to be very versatile.
“OF COURSE, WE WILL LOOK AROUND AT WHAT OUR COMPETITORS ARE DOING BUT WE HAVE OUR BLINKERS IN PLACE TO DO THINGS OUR WAY AND ON EVERY KTM, AND EVERY PRODUCTION KTM, YOU CAN SEE THIS APPROACH...” If you run wide because you out-braked or were blocked then you should be able to quickly react and comeback to not lose too much time. This is also KTM’s DNA because we have been racing for so long. We know from other categories how important this is.
If KTM are fast, reactive and can be innovative then why were the factory slower with something like the holeshot device? Especially with all the use and knowledge from other racing disciplines? We don’t overreact. We always go our own way and from a point of fully understanding our ideas. We don’t copy. So, it took longer with this part [holeshot]. We took our time to test this idea and bring it to the track fully developed and reliable so we could see if it ended up being necessary or not for Grands Prix. It turned out that we needed it…but we also didn’t panic when we saw Ducati arriving with one first. It is not our style just to copy what they had made. Of course, we will look around at what our competitors are doing but we have our blinkers in place to do things our way and on every KTM, and every production KTM, you can see this approach. Finally, as an engineer is it frustrating to only find crumbs of the cake now compared to a larger slice? No, not at all. MotoGP for an engineer is the biggest challenge. The harder you have to work to make improvements the more satisfying it is when you get it right.
Please make no attempt to imitate the illustrated riding scenes, always wear protective clothing and observe the applicable provisions of the road traffic regulations! The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost.
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Photo: R. Schedl
693 cc 75 hp 158 kg
The best lines happen offline. Just like surfing the web has nothing to do with the ocean, you will never Feel the thrill of twisting the throttle from behind a desk.
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husqvarna-motorcycles.com
MAKE YOUR DREAM COME TRUE RANGE 2020
FEATURE By Adam Wheeler, Photos by CormacGP/Polarity Photo
NO BRAKES: HOW AND WHY BREMBO RULE MotoGP THE CURVY RED BREMBO FONT LITTERS THE FRONT-ENDS OF EVERY SINGLE MotoGP MOTORCYCLE. THE IDENTICAL BRAKING TECHNOLOGY IS SIMILAR TO MICHELIN AND MAGNETI MARELLI AS ‘CONTROLLED’ ELEMENTS OF THE RACING, SUCH IS THEIR PROLIFICACY...
FEATURE Brembo claim that their group’s products (including Marchesini wheels and AP Racing clutches) have helped attain 500 world championships in both bike and cars worlds. 26 drivers titles alone in F1 since 1975 and 32 in MotoGP (not forgetting 29 in WorldSBK). The Italian’s omnipotence is not a recent fad. They have supplied all the teams for the last half a decade and Brembo-equipped bikes have won every 500cc/MotoGP race since 1995. They boast another ‘500’ for GP wins across the classes. Brembo have 24 production sites and almost 11,000 employees, over 1000 dedicated to R&D. Their presence on street bikes are seen as a sign of quality componentry and product. To understand a little of how and why they are so widespread at the top level of racing we were granted an audience with engineer Andrea Bergami, one of two technicians Brembo have inserted into MotoGP on a full-time basis… On dealing with a grid full of clients in a secretive world… It’s an interesting situation. Other companies that supply more than one manufacturer – like Ohlins – have one specialist for each team. There are just two of us to
‘competitor’ is all the data we collect from MotoGP each weekend. It’s a challenge and every Grand Prix we discover something new. We are also keeping close watch on whether our braking system is constantly ‘enough’ for MotoGP because I can tell you that the performance has increased so much in the last two years alone. For this reason we have to ‘compete’ with the rate of development brought to the pitlane by the teams. The performance of the bikes is becoming crazy,
“IT IS RELATED BOTH TO THE QUALITY OF THE MATERIAL AND THE EXPERIENCE WE HAVE. IT IS NOT SO EASY TO MANAGE THE CARBON. THE QUALITY AND THE PRODUCTION PROCESS...” It is really important to have good relationships inside the pitboxes to get the information you need. You have to win that trust and confidence; it takes time. Brembo is in a strange position because we are a supplier to every team but not quite a partner. On benefitting from the range of different technology, styles and work in MotoGP but maybe missing the competitive element from a rival braking company… We don’t have competitors in MotoGP. Our main
especially from an aerodynamic point of view and this helps the bike a lot during the braking phase. So, we are always ‘running’ to ensure our system has the correct level. In 2021 we know that the evolution of the bikes will be limited but we still hope to have some advancement based on our analysis from 2020. On the reason for the MotoGP monopoly… I think it is related both to the quality of the material and the experience we have. It is not
BREMBO IN Moto MotoGP GP
service all of the bikes, so we see a lot of technical things in each team, but at the same time that is not an easy situation. The teams know we are moving between all of the pitboxes so it is not simple to have that confidential relationship with all the people. We make sure we are very professional and very discreet. I have to reset my brain between pitboxes! It is strange because you are playing a small part in a certain team but ten minutes later you change the team!
FEATURE
so easy to manage the carbon. The quality and the production process as well as the quality control is something in which Brembo gets better every year thanks to that experience. It is very hard to produce carbon: it is a field where information is shared between bikes and cars. I won’t hide the fact that some progression comes from cars and their application to motorbikes…but it is also true that sometimes we discover interesting things in the bike application and the development goes in the other direction.
On the small testing window for brakes… We always try to offer the same material to every team. We don’t want to give any advantage to anybody in this respect. The material goes to everyone at the same time. The teams all have their own ways of managing tests of the material and there is a big difference between the Japanese and Europeans because the Japanese have a long procedure to bring the material to the ‘final destination’ which is the factory race bike. They start from the test team in Japan then to the official test team in
Europe and then only to the factory rider for official IRTA or private tests when possible. The European guys like Ducati, KTM and Aprilia are slightly easier with their system and what we are proposing. They can bring the components directly to the factory rider to test. It’s only a matter of who is faster with their process. On specific MotoGP brakers… Firstly, I have to say that the level of rider in MotoGP is amazing and I’m reminded of it every time I look at the data and see what they are
and the way the bike has adapted because the rider has more confidence to go harder. The KTMs were an interesting case because Pol Espargaro is another hard braker but it allowed us to appreciate how our material reacts in different ways with different bikes. Not every team is demanding in terms of the temperatures of the disc: some riders will brake hard or late but not raise the temperature too much and will keep in the correct range.
This is related to how the rider applies pressure to the braking system, such as a big peak in the initial part and then release, or more stable pressure. These things make a difference on our disc and the distribution of temperature in the system. Quartararo was able to brake very hard but not push the temperature of the disc. On strange preferences… For sure there are different riders with different feelings. Going back to Dovizioso he was someone who used a different configuration of the lever because he wanted a hard feeling on the brakes and not much stroke of the lever. There are other riders that like a more modular system that allow them to manage the pressure through the lever in the first part of the corner. The opposite of Dovi is someone like Valentino Rossi or Franco Morbidelli. The Yamaha guys in general like a more modular system rather than ‘hard’ brakes. On the costs of material… The most expensive part is the carbon disc, simply because of the knowledge and the expertise that goes into production. We are talking a good four-digit number per disc and they need to be changed after 5-600km. Then you have the carbon pads which come from
BREMBO IN Moto MotoGP GP
doing. A rider like Andrea Dovizioso was very demanding on the brakes because he was on a motorcycle that was very strong. Andrea was very precise with the material, the slightest feeling or difference meant a complaint! Everything had to be correct and in the best way. I was impressed also by Fabio Quartararo at Red Bull Ring because he was braking so, so hard. Every race you see someone going to a new limit and it depends on the track
TEST the same process, only the shape is different, and they are also into the four figures per pad. A calliper can be used the entire season. On the braking forces… In 2020 – for the first time in two years – I saw the maximum amount of deceleration which was 2.3G. When I see something like this for motorcycles I always wonder where the limit might be because bikes have the issue of the tilt – compared to cars – so there is a boundary. The new aerodynamics of the bikes are allowing more performance. 2.3G for a bike is very impressive before the tilt point is reached. That was at Turn 4 at Red Bull Ring, the corner after the downhill.
On highly visual misunderstanding of braking problems… The 2020 incident with Maverick Viñales in Austria is an example of something that can be frustrating and stressful! In the end, as we declared, we knew at the time that Maverick had decided to use a specification that myself and my colleague knew the possible consequences. We had explained to Maverick and the Yamaha team what could happen. It was frustrating that we were not able to convince him to go with a different spec. We pushed so hard…but it was not possible. On breaking into MotoGP… I started working as a design engineer in Brembo’s racing
department in 2016 initially on the car application and eventually we had some new products and I had the chance to focus in the motorbike world, which has always been a passion for me. So, three years ago I started a commercial and technical role in MotoGP but the main focus is the technical side with assistance to the teams in MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3 and MotoE for our products: brakes and wheels with data and technical analysis and tools to check the performance. Part of the analysis-side is evaluation for new products because we see how our products are working on the track and we are watching for ‘limits’. One goal for Brembo is to remove limits, so
On braking looking ‘cool’… When you see things like the rear disc glowing red in Qatar or riders on one wheel into corners then it does make you proud because you are giving the sport an amazing product. It’s a motivating way to continue to improve. On making the product better in a world of marginal gains… This is very difficult to say because we are already providing the best braking material there is. At the same time there are always discoveries with material and new technology that help a bit. It’s obvious that it is not
always possible to make a big step but year-by-year we can make small ones and it gets to the point where after two-three year cycles that you look back and realise the progress that has been made. The teams also help with this. They come up with new things and ideas that can keep the motorcycle more stable under braking. We can offer material to help them brake even harder. Ducati brought their wheel ‘aero’ but it’s rare that it only serves one purpose. It’s secretive! On any possible transfer of the tech to street bikes and the customer… Road racing is a world for us to try new technology and try to bring some of it to the
OEMs. As I said though, sometimes our stuff is so near to the limit of what it can do that it’s not possible to push it across. I ride my own bike on the track occasionally and I use our components. I’m impressed by them, but in my mind I know what a MotoGP system can or could do. I think in the near future we will see some developments coming to the street that is related to the material. Obviously, it won’t be carbon but carbon-ceramic and could be a valid solution for the road application.
BREMBO IN Moto MotoGP GP
evolution of the products starts from the feedback we bring from the track.
WorldSBK BLOG
JUSTIFICATION? We’ve certainly seen some brave moves in MotoGP and WorldSBK this winter. Those changes centred on the role of team managers. Davide Brivio decided to leave Suzuki’s MotoGP programme and Leon Camier has come in to front Honda’s WorldSBK effort. When the news broke both stories were met with sizeable reaction. Brivio left the MotoGP paddock in a wake of praise for his turnaround at Suzuki while Camier could be the perfect hire to turn around a sleeping giant.
Renault hasn’t’ won a Formula 1 Grand Prix in 13 years and changing the name over the door to Alpine isn’t going to suddenly reverse that. The Italian has a brilliant racing mind. He understands how to develop a team and make people feel valued. He saw patterns and trends and reacted well to them. The only thing is whether those patterns and trends are as clear to him in a very foreign environment?
Both have made the right decision for their careers. How could Brivio turn down a challenge in F1? While team management seems a natural fit for the newly retired Camier.
How many rugby league players converted successfully to rugby union? There’s always a Jason Robinson that becomes a star but there’s a lot of players that fell by the wayside. Brivio is attempting a similar transition. The field is the same but the rules are very different. What he saw clear as day in MotoGP might be a lot murkier in Formula 1.
But do we underestimate the challenges they face? For Brivio the task is astronomical.
The same path was trodden by Shuhei Nakamoto when he fronted the Honda Formula 1 effort. It almost ruined him. When he returned to MotoGP and immediately helped Honda to win titles again, he refused to talk about his time in the four wheeled world and laughed about his experiences. When Massimo Rivola left Formula 1 to front Aprilia’s MotoGP project the headlines all read that he was the man to turn around their fortunes. He had been the Sporting Director of Ferrari but how much has that helped him in MotoGP? Aprilia has made some progress but they’ve still been last in the manufacturer standings. Brivio’s reputation as a problem solver is well earned in the two wheeled
BY ADAM WHEELER
BY STEVE ENGLISH world. In Superbikes or MotoGP he’s been a success story. However, in Formula 1 he’s going to be running a tightrope without a safety net. In MotoGP he was a keen talent spotter and he understood that sometimes you need to think outside the box. It’s easier to be confident in those decisions when MotoGP has been your bread and butter. Can we expect him to find the next Joan Mir in Formula 2 or Formula 3? Suzuki’s success has given Brivio some breathing room and a warm welcome to Formula 1 but they’ll throw him out the door just as quickly if results aren’t up to scratch. As much as everyone in motorcycle racing wants Brivio to succeed it’s also worth asking how would bike fans react if Christian Horner came from Formula 1 and tried to find a star in the Moto3 field?
Riders don’t often retire. They get retired. Injuries, lack of form and age are typically the reasons. For Leon Camier it was a nagging shoulder problem that couldn’t be cured. That shoulder will now have to bear the weight of expectations of Honda’s WorldSBK programme. Amazingly after dominating the 2009 British Superbike championship, winning 19 of 26 outings, Camier never won another race. His ten-year WorldSBK career started with factory Aprilia before racing for Suzuki, BMW, MV Agusta and Honda. The talent and speed never seemed to be matched with luck. For Honda, the appointment was definitely a surprise that no-one saw coming. At the November Jerez tests rumours whipped around that Honda would have a new manager for 2021. Camier’s name wasn’t mentioned. Repsol Honda team manager, Alberto Puig,
was a former 500GP race winner. Maybe the Spaniard, who also oversees the Superbike project, saw something of himself in Leon? Camier’s biggest advantage is that he knows the WorldSBK paddock. Unfortunately, his first days with Honda saw testing cancelled in Spain because of bad weather. Honda will be back on track this week. The good news for the 34year old is that Honda are in surprisingly good health in WorldSBK. For a manufacturer that has gone almost five years since winning they now have a package to contend. The Fireblade isn’t as sharp a sword as the Ducati V4R but it’s certainly not a blunt, stage prop like it had been in recent years. With Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam he has riders that can fight at the front. Bautista proved himself as a serial race winner when he won 11 in a
WorldSBK BLOG
row as a rookie on the Ducati. The Honda has a great engine and a sweet handling chassis. The bike lived on a knife edge last year and tethered on the brink of disaster with violent highsides punctuating the podiums but the potential is there. Camier, like Brivio, has been hailed as a great hire. He was always an intelligent, dedicated racer so he’ll bring those traits to the table as a team manager. He’ll need to learn how to motivate a unit and hold them accountable for their mistakes. Also about the politics involved. It will take time for him to adapt to a new role but more power to him for trying. Camier never won a race as a WorldSBK rider but that experience of striving for the top will serve him well in team management. It’s up to him to ensure the small details are organised. It won’t be easy for Brivio or Camier but their journeys will be worth following.
PRODUCTS
BELL HELMETS Some praise for the Bell Race Star Flex DLX which ranks as the best street helmet we’ve worn and edges-out the very capable 6D ATS-1R by virtue of a slightly lighter weight. The Bell gathers acclaim for not only the highly-rated Flex technology (offering proven protection against low, mid and high speed impact scenarios) but the excellent fit that is tight and secure, which has good ramifications for noise. The visor build feels trustworthy and has a better closure than the Arai RX-7V that we tried. At first, I pined for the ratchet system of the Shoei for marginal opening but the combination of the vented system of the Race Star and the accompanying Pinlock meant there was little need for a compromise between fully open and fully closed. Bearing in mind the Race Star is developed for the track and this becomes even more understandable. The visor gives a great degree of vision and the lid transmits a feeling of good material in the hands. It’s compact (five shell sizes are available) and my Velocity Matte/ Gloss black scheme means it looks ace. The 3K carbon shell, the form and the weight distribution were a relief for the cervicals.
www.bellhelmets.com
TEST
By Roland Brown Photos by MV Agusta
TWIST TO FUN WITH THE SUPERVELOCE
NO SECRETS
TEST
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harging down a gently curving country road on the Superveloce 800 is an exhilarating experience. I’m crouched over the tank with my head behind the low screen, the scream of a highrevving three-cylinder engine in my ears and the hedgerows flashing past on either side. As sunshine glints off the shapely fairing’s scarlet-andsilver paintwork it’s easy to imagine for a moment that I’m a legendary MV Agusta factory ace – Surtees swooping towards Creg-ny-Baa at the TT, or Ago flashing into Eau
Rouge on a hot lap of SpaFrancorchamps – rather than a road rider aboard the Italian firm’s modern homage to its decades of grand prix dominance. Reality soon intrudes with the sight of a tractor up ahead – but not before the Superveloce’s bold blend of classical style and modern technology has helped make the ride memorable. Daydreaming is all very well, but there’s also plenty of substance with the Superveloce.
Essentially this 798cc triple is a retro-themed version of MV’s super-sports F3, complete with identical 146bhp, 12-valve liquidcooled engine. The tubular steel frame and single-sided swing-arm also come straight from the F3, as do the multiadjustable Marzocchi forks and Sachs rear shock, and the Brembo Monobloc front brake calipers. Bodywork is all new and backed-up by some gorgeous detailing. In reality the Superveloce doesn’t closely resemble the
The rounded, flowing shapes of the fairing, tank and seat are enhanced by details including the round headlight and tail light, and the leather strap running the length of the petrol tank. Despite the racy look, the riding position is slightly more relaxed than the F3’s, thanks to higher clip-on handlebars and lower rearset footrests. MV’s development team seemingly realised that this bike would appeal to riders with more experience than flexibility. They also specified a colourful TFT display in the cockpit, to aid swapping between the four riding modes; you can even make adjustments via MV’s smartphone app. There’s also a cruise control button on the handlebar. This all gives the Superveloce a rider-friendly air along with its light weight and low seat. The remapped engine’s fuelling is smooth even in Race, the most aggressive riding mode, though the slightly softer Sport is arguably better suited to road use.
In either mode this is a hardcore sports bike – rev-happy and eager for action. It pulls obediently from low revs and quite strongly from 6000rpm, but the real action is from 10,000rpm to the 13,000rpm at which peak power is delivered. Keep it spinning by tapping up and down through the gearbox, aided by the sweet two-way quick-shifter, and the Superveloce charges hard with a voice to match, its three-cylinder warble turning to a howl and then an angry shriek above 11,000rpm, especially when fitted with the test bike’s black-finished accessory exhaust system. Chassis performance is much like that of the F3, which is to say enjoyably sweet-handling and agile in bends, as well as reassuringly stable at speeds heading towards its maximum of about 150mph. Suspension is firm and well-controlled (at least after slight tweaking of the damping), without matching the sophistication or comfort levels of the latest semi-active systems. Likewise the Brembo front brake is powerful but the system doesn’t have the cornering ABS function of some rivals, though the electronics do include easily adjustable traction control. Pirelli’s Rosso Corsa II tyres are a good compromise for street or track riding.
MV AGUSTA SUPERVELOCE
relatively simple, aircooled multis on which Hailwood and Ago dominated GPs in the Sixties, or even the bike on which Phil Read won the Gallarate factory’s final 500cc championship in 1974. But it evokes that long-ago era, even in its alternative black/grey paint scheme.
TEST
MV AGUSTA SUPERVELOCE
“IN EITHER MODE THIS IS A HARDCORE SPORTS BIKE – REV-HAPPY AND EAGER FOR ACTION. ”
TEST Despite its classical appearance the Superveloce is very much a modern sports bike. It’s a compact machine that puts weight on your wrists at low speed, its seat is fairly thin, and it feels slightly flat and vibey at low revs. Wind protection is minimal unless you crouch, and pillion accommodation is mean. Against that, the bar-end mirrors are improbably useful and the engine’s respectable fuel economy (40mpg plus is possible) allows a range of over 120 miles. As a pure-bred, track-capable streetbike created to provide speed, style and agility, the Superveloce is hugely impressive. Its only real drawback is a price that is sky-high by middleweight standards, and over 20 per cent up on the F3 800’s (at £17,780 in the UK, rising to over £20,000 with the test bike’s accessory screen and exhaust). Considerably more power and technology are available elsewhere for far less. But for plenty of riders who recall MV’s glory decades that’s not the point. Only an MV Agusta could blend modern performance with retro style quite like this. And no other bike could match the Superveloce in making some anonymous country road feel like the back straight at Monza.
MV AGUSTA SUPERVELOCE
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By Mike Emery
ON TRACK OFF ROAD
‘On-track Off-road’ is a free, monthly publication for the screen focussed on bringing the latest perspectives on events, blogs and some of the very finest photography from the three worlds of MXGP, the AMA Motocross and Supercross series’, MotoGP, WorldSBK as well as the latest bike tests. ‘On-track Off-road’ will be published online at www.ontrackoffroad.com on the last Wednesday of the month. To receive an email notification that a new issue available with a brief description of each edition’s contents simply enter an address in the box provided on the homepage. All email addresses will be kept strictly confidential and only used for purposes connected with OTOR. Adam Wheeler Editor and MXGP/MotoGP correspondent Ray Archer Photographer Steve Matthes AMA MX and SX correspondent Mike Antonovich AMA SX Blogger Cormac Ryan-Meenan MotoGP Photographer www.cormacgp.com Rob Gray MotoGP Photographer David Emmett MotoGP Blogger Neil Morrison MotoGP Blogger & Feature writer Steve English WSB Blogger & Feature writer Lewis Phillips MXGP Blogger Roland Brown Tester/Columnist Núria Garcia Cover Design Gabi Álvarez Web developer Hosting FireThumb7 - www.firethumb7.co.uk Thanks to www.mototribu.com for the share PHOTO CREDITS Ray Archer, CormacGP, Polarity Photo, JP Acevedo, Mike Emery/Align Media MV Agusta Cover shot: Adam Cianciarulo @ H3 by Mike Emery/Align Media This publication took a lot of time and effort to put together so please respect it! Nothing in this publication can be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the editorial team. For more information please visit www.ontrackoffroad.com and click ‘Contact us’.