JULY 5 – 11, 2021
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PETER PAN
Tony Cairoli is the most decorated rider in MXGP and the second oldest in the gate behind Kevin Strijbos. The Sicilian will reach his 36th birthday before the end of the 2021 season but he’s still setting the reference. Matterley Basin saw him grasp his 93rd career victory and extend a streak of eighteen consecutive seasons with at least one win Photo by Ray Archer
MotoGP
DOUBLE BLUE
Four wins from nine, arm-pump drama, six-pack showing-off and a teammate and team in crisis. Will Fabio Quartararo have anything else to do deal in the second half of the MotoGP season when the series returns in August?! Photo by Polarity Photo/Rob Gray
MXGP
FLYING START
Round two of MXGP and the start of the European section of the calendar took flight for Henry Jacobi during the first moto at Matterley Basin. Thankfully the German was uninjured after this scary spill Photo by Ray Archer
MotoGP
ONE IN THE EYE
The saddest man ever to unload a full bottle of champagne? There has been much fuss about Maverick Viñales over the past ten days and two rounds of MotoGP, largely because the 26-year-old is a fantastic rider and staggering racing talent. The Catalan now arrives at another crossroads in his career and might be in danger of never reaching the peak of the premier class Photo by Polarity Photo/Rob Gray
MXGP
[DON’T] HELP THE AGED
MXGP - GREAT BRITAIN
MATTERLEY BASIN MXGP 1. Tony Cairoli, KTM 2. Tim Gajser, Honda 3. Jeffrey Herlings, KTM
MX2 1. Maxime Renaux, Yamaha 2. Mattia Guadagnini, KTM 3. Ruben Fernandez, Honda Blogs by Adam Wheeler, Lewis Phillips Photos by Ray Archer
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MXGP - GREAT BRITAIN
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MXGP - GREAT BRITAIN
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MXGP - GREAT BRITAIN
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MXGP - GREAT BRITAIN
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MXGP - GREAT BRITAIN
MXGP SBK BLOG BLOG
TITULAR TITULAR ELONGATING THE GREATNESS? Through 212 issues of OTOR and at least 200 MXGP Blogs since 2011 I’m sure a decent percentage of those texts will contain the name ‘Tony Cairoli’. Whether it’s trying to dissect his greatness or analyse his influence (and in recent years speculate on when he will end his career or rush down the slick slope of mediocrity) the #222 has provided more than his fair share of discussion. I’ve already lauded Tony as the greatest Grand Prix rider I’ve had the pleasure to see. But even I struggled to see past the 2021 season for the nine-times world champion who will turn 36 in September amid the delayed MXGP schedule. I also felt that the inevitable physical niggles that plague every single motocrosser were beginning to take their toll on Cairoli’s overall condition, his competitiveness, and his motivation after a 2020 which was such a grind thanks to a left knee injury. Apart from a glorious ninth championship in 2017, it seemed like Cairoli has been paying for so many years of superiority and brilliance
with a due quota of misfortune and fitness hardship lately. There was the broken arm in 2015, the nerve damage in 2016 (although he still gamely pushed Tim Gajser to the final round), the humbling by the juggernaut that was Jeffrey Herlings in 2018, the dislocated shoulder in 2019 and the dodgy knee joint last season. I didn’t feel confident enough to put Tony in my top three championship prediction for 2021. The sheer energy and confidence of Tim Gajser, the speed of Jeffrey Herlings, the starting power and technique of Jorge Prado, the aggression and desire of Romain Febvre and the steely
consistency of Jeremy Seewer would be a challenge bigger and greater than any he had faced through his glorious career to-date. It’s as if his current crop of premium MXGP rivals all boast the best qualities of peak Cairoli wrapped into a barrage. I’ll admit though that Russia was a big eye-opener, and even though he crashed out of the lead in the second moto at Orlyonok and wrecked the clutch (nothing pisses Tony off more than a mistake that leads to a heavy hit in the points) it was a massive indication that he’s ready to say ‘ciao’ to doubters.
CREATED THANKS TO
BY ADAM WHEELER Cairoli’s hang-up with detaching his brain and stretching his battered body for a rapid Timed Practice lap in 2020 was an Achilles heel. His starts have been strong throughout his career (the mix of the KTM power and his slight stature is a fearsome combo) and he still managed to launch with the leaders from positions lower down the gate last year but there was often annoyance and desperation associated with his slow adaption to the forced one-day format. He had to race out of his comfort zone far too frequently and it led to mistakes as he had to try and match Gajser’s march. Cairoli has repaired his knee to a point where it is no longer a psychological barrier. After running to his 93rd GP win in Matterley Basin last week it was telling that he mentioned his enjoyment of being able to run and train like normal for the first time in two years.
Even a mental ‘monster’ like Tony Cairoli has to clear-out the insecurities in the search for better performance. He can rely on an archive of racing experience unlike any other to put that KTM alongside rivals that can be up to 14 years younger, but it’s the rate of work and the rate of belief where he is still virtually second to none.
“CAIROLI MIGHT BE RACING BECAUSE HE DOESN’T KNOW ANY OTHER LIFESTYLE, OR IT’S PART OF HIS EGO THAT HE’S NOT READY TO GIVE UP THAT #1 STATUS. KNOWING HIM HOWEVER THERE IS SINCERITY IN HIS WIDE AFFECTION FOR A PERILOUS DAY JOB...” There are two questions that probably make Tony inwardly roll his eyes. The first relates to how long he’ll keep on racing, despite forging a career that now features at
least one Grand Prix victory every single season since he became a full-time member of the world championship paddock in 2004. The second involves the secret of his continued success. I felt I had to throw it his way again last Sunday afternoon at Matterley, perhaps because whatever explanation he has provided so far just doesn’t seem to carry stock. What possesses a multi-millionaire and one of the very best athletes of his sport to keep on making the sacrifices? The parallels to Valentino Rossi are stark and extend beyond age, nationality and achievement (both are nine-time FIM title winners). Tony again pointed to his zest for riding and racing and identified the capability of his body to react to what the mind wants. It might not seemingly justify why and how he can still race a dirtbike better than anybody else but perhaps it’s a powerful synergy to which people don’t bestow enough credit.
MXGP SBKBLOG BLOG
Normally the efficiency of teams, bikes, starting technique and training programmes are the elements analysed for success. How about measuring fun factor? As a middle-aged man, softening around the edges with every passing month and still trying to play competitive football while hold a place in a starting 11 with other players young enough to be offspring, I can relate to notions of delusion and fear of ‘the end’. Cairoli might be racing because he doesn’t know any other lifestyle, or it’s part of his ego that he’s not ready to give up that #1 status in his country and wider sport. Knowing him however there is sincerity in his wide affection for a demanding and perilous day job. There are not many around with the same appetite for racing. 2021 will run quickly and Cairoli cannot be ignored. I’m already wondering what the next Blog subject will be: Tony’s proximity to an
epic tenth crown? Impending retirement while at the top? The emergence of another clash to eclipse those memorable tussles with the likes of Clement Desalle, Herlings and Gajser? Cairoli feels like one of those heavy encyclopaedias that live on the shelf of the sport: everpresent, unremovable and authoritative. But while he’s happy to keep filling empty pages at the end of the tome then myself and others are lucky to keep the narrative going as well.
PRODUCTS
RED BULL PRO STROKE NATIONAL From the people who brought UK dirtbike riders the Red Bull Ride-Outs, comes the brand-new Red Bull Pro Stroke National – a multi-class one-off race event within the Apico 2-stroke Festival and slated for the September 4-5 date at the Sellindge circuit in Kent, England. There is a real community vibe to the 2-Stroke Festival with its emphasis on bringing all machinery and family members together but an extra competitive element has now been added with classes for Pro/ Expert plus Clubmen MX1 and MX2 riders on their choice of twostroke or four-stroke bikes. Under the gaze of the vast energy drink brand, the Pro Stroke National is another way for aspiring racers to gain recognition. The one-off event is now no longer limited to two-strokes and is widening in scope. Festival organiser Dave Willet is aiming to maintain the same spirit that saw the gathering emerge as a sleeper-hit when it launched in 2017. “The Red Bull Pro Stroke National proves the brand is prepared to get
behind the off-road scene, supporting grass roots sport while paving a path for up-andcoming professionals,” Willet says. “Over the past year the world has changed and we want the fun of the Festival to be available for everybody – whatever they ride. Off-road is one big family so we feel it’s only fair that everyone - whatever bike they ride – can share in the fun of this great event with twostrokes and four-strokes sharing the same weekend.” The categories on track at Sellindge will be: ACU British 125 and British Open/ 250 twostroke, ACU British Evo/ super Evo, Youth 85cc SW/ BW, Youth 125 and 250F, Red Bull Pro Stroke National Clubman Open MX1/ MX2, Red Bull Pro Stroke National Pro/ Expert MX1/ MX2* (Sunday September 5 only) Click on the photo or link for more info.
www.2strokefestival.com
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CREATED THANKS TO
OFF SCRIPT It is rare for a guy to be as polarising as Jeffrey Herlings but years of domination have prompted everyone to generate an opinion. A consistent start to the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship has put him second in the premier class standings, with two podium finishes to his name, yet many fans are questioning his performances and asking what is wrong. It is bonkers to even think about that – it speaks to how brilliant he has been in the past though. Anything less than a win leads to confusion. Confusion continues to reign once one considers that what he is doing now: taking what he can get on days where he is slightly off. It’s something the naysayers have begged him to do for years. Perhaps it just comes down to not knowing what you have until it is gone? The fans demand to see brilliance in front of their very eyes! There is time for that, of course, and it will occur in the not-so-distant future.
Herlings seems content to stick the 450 SX-F on the box, stack points and pounce when the time is right for now though. “I am happy to podium for now and when I feel like I am ready to start winning then I will start putting that extra bit of risk in there,” Herlings stated following the Grand Prix of Great Britain. “For now, I just feel like I am a little bit off. Nothing to do with the bike – the bike is absolutely great. It is fast and pulling good starts. It is just me, myself, and I. I need to improve a bit. The bike is capable of winning, so it is just me letting it down now.” It is a rarity to hear these words come from a man who simply does not lose. Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things, but the statistics do confirm that this is not the norm.
This is just the third time that Herlings has lined up for the first four motos of the season and not won any of them. It happened back in his first year as a professional, which was obviously to be expected, and then when he jumped onto the bigger bike for the first time and begun the campaign injured (that being in 2017). Herlings has won at least two of the first four motos every other season. Starting slow is not what he typically does! The humbling fact here is that, despite such strong starts, he has only claimed four world titles from twelve seasons. There were four times where he started with multiple moto wins and it ultimately led to nothing (‘nothing’ being relative with his extremely high standards). That explains why Herlings comes across as so mellow and accepting in
BY ADAM WHEELER
BY LEWIS PHILLIPS the excerpt above – he has enough experience now to know that success so early on rarely means anything when the final chequered flag waves. Wins would be nice though, of course! A lack of intensity is the issue that needs to be resolved. Herlings does not have the aggression early in the motos and loses out as a result. Not pushing on the ragged edge when things are not quite clicking is not a bad trait, of course, but if the problem persists on tracks that play to his strengths, then this will become a hotter topic. A gaggle of sandy circuits (Oss, Lommel and Kegums act as rounds four, six and seven) are on the horizon and those will really tell the story, presuming that current trends continue in Maggiora. “When you watch him ride now it looks a bit like it is a practice moto,” Dirk Gruebel, the team manager at Red Bull KTM Factory Racing,
mentioned. “I do not think he is scared – he has come a long way since Faenza last year. An injury like this is hard to digest, I would say, but he needs a bit more time and it will come. This is his second podium in a row, so nothing is wrong – he is just building up constantly. I do not see any funny stuff from him pushing too hard and having scary moments.” It was always thought that Tim Gajser could be the one to strike first, with three hardpack tracks (Matterley Basin fell under that category more so than it ever has before) pencilled in to begin the campaign. Perhaps it would be fair to assume that no one thought he would be quite so strong though, much like few expected Herlings to be just a tick off the pace? Add the resurgence of Antonio Cairoli into that fold, as well as brilliant bursts of speed from Romain Febvre, and it becomes apparent that few riders are sticking to the
script. If there was really one in the first place for 2021. What does the immediate future hold for the stars of the deepest MXGP class in history? Time will tell. The smart move would be to bet on more of the same occurring at the Grand Prix of Italy, but the weekend off that precedes the introduction of sand tracks may just throw the status quo off once again. Buckle up.
FEATURE
IT BEGAN AT By Adam Wheeler Photos by Ray Archer
THE BIRTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF HOLESHOT DEVICES AND THE GROWTH OF A CONCEPT IN RACING
I
t’s exactly twenty years since Michele Rinaldi’s factory Yamaha team adapted and attached Corrado Maddii’s fork ‘holeshot device’ to the front end of Stefan Everts’ YZ-F at Spa Francorchamps for the 500cc class of the 2001 Grand Prix of Europe. The invention not only spread like wildfire in the sport but drifted recently into MotoGP as a measure of ride height manipulation to assist starts but also rear end traction. Installing a holeshot device to a dirtbike is now
a breeze thanks to concepts like ProTaper’s SELA (Self Engaged Launch Assist) that came out last year and other patented interpretations on the concept.
have quickly followed suit; not wanting to concede any possible advantages in a series that frequently sees less than a second covering almost twenty riders.
Motocross then dabbled with a rear suspension lock but the innovation was largely dropped when MXGP switched from dirt start gates to the standardised metal grill five years ago. Ducati were the first to test and implement the tech for MotoGP and the other brands
To appreciate where the holeshot device came from, how it has developed in two decades and where-and-why manufacturers are looking for their next performance upgrade, we spoke to MXGP Team Managers at Kawasaki, KTM and HRC as well as ProTaper.
T THE START
FEATURE The world championship’s prototype regulations ensure that the bikes seen in grand prix are the most advanced outside of the All-Japan Elite series (where the Japanese brands often trial their latest ideas even up to a year before they make it across the continents). Holeshot devices and ride height manipulators are an excellent example of rare, modern and original engineering that hasn’t broken the bank and have come to be accepted as a beneficial margin gain. Here is some of the story… HOLESHOTS AND ORIGINS Vincent Bereni, Kawasaki Racing Team Manager: I remember at KTM when we started using them in the early 2000s we were just using hooks that came out of the fork guard and we’d have to cut the plastic. When I think about it now it was pretty dangerous because those hooks could still attach while riding and landing from a jump. It would happen sometimes, and you’d see a fork guard go flying into the air or the rider going over the bars because the suspension was completely locked. It improved year after year. Dirk Gruebel, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team Manager: Michele Rinaldi was one of the first to use one and
it was basically just a hook, not a button. There was a hole in the front fork guard and then a simple, tiny hook. This was the beginning. Michele Rinaldi: Corrado Maddii was the first to have a contraption like this but he didn’t take it forward or test it more. He might have only raced only a couple of times with it, and it didn’t seem to be much of a success. A few years later we brought Stefan Everts into our team
and used the device again. After that everybody picked it up.
generate more forward motion instead of going upwards. The system like we know it now began in 1997 with Corrado Maddii, Team Claudio Federici, on the Principal Maddii Racing: I had Husqvarna. We saw quite the idea to compress the fork quickly that a bike with the but at first I thought of using device had the potential for a metal wire that would then great starts. The Husqvarna detach from the bike, but this had a big plastic fork guard wasn’t allowed. I wanted to use at the time. I was able to drill the bike’s own weight to a hole and put a hook inside SHAUN SIMPSON: “THE FIRST THREE YARDS OF MXGP ARE CRUCIAL THESE DAYS.”
Gruebel: The basic function is still there: you bring down the front. There are different versions, like the one from
ProTaper that loads itself. The device from X-Trig has two different positions. Randy Valade, ProTaper Brand Manager: We put a lot of time and work into the system and how the button would engage and disengage and how we could make it universal for all models. That’s the thing which is unique about SELA, it’s not model specific. We tried to eliminate any guesswork for the consumer, and in terms of engaging the device we eliminated the need for someone to help. As a rider it was tough to push the button in while pushing the fork down, so we removed that hassle: you twist the nob, ride forward, hit the brake and it’s set. You see some racers with three guys around them in the start gate trying to get the front end pulled down!
HOLESHOT DEVICES
and we tested it and thought ‘this could work’. It wasn’t like it is now with a big compression. It was only a small amount. But we also wanted to keep the work a secret. It was an immediate advantage. Federici then he went to ride for Yamaha and we had Alessio Chiodi for a couple of years. These riders eventually go to other teams and the secret quickly gets out. Everyone started to use it. I asked Husqvarna if we could make a patent but it was not possible to stop people making their own version at home. At the time I was only looking at the competition, the racing; I wasn’t looking at the business! I was only thinking about racing.
FEATURE
CORRADO MADDII: “AT THE TIME I WAS ONLY LOOKING AT THE COMPETITION, THE RACING; I WASN’T LOOKING AT THE BUSINESS! I WAS ONLY THINKING ABOUT RACING.”
Obviously the lower you go the hard you have to hit the brake to get the forks to depress but we’ve taken the extra people out of equation. Gruebel: it depends on the guy but you couldn’t really force the holeshot device yourself. There were some artists that just used to hit the front brake and dive into it. This worked fine…but this time is over.
Shaun Simpson, MXGP rider, SS24 KTM MXGP: At this level we have the suspension set pretty hard. Everyone wants to get a great start so a setting at 100mm is now bigger. I have mine at 170. It’s really far down. Others are the same. If you cannot jump on the forks enough then you need a hand to engage it. Marcus de Pereira de Freitas, MXGP HRC General Manager:
To activate the lock I think it is always good to have the mechanic taking care of it because sometimes you might have a bit of dirt in the system and if the rider is in a rush he might not be paying attention to that. Normally the mechanic can clean the clamp, check the equipment and hook the bottom. If you don’t check it then as soon as you rev the bike it will pop out. The rider loses concentration and then
HOLESHOT DEVICES
it’s over. To pull it down is tough. It’s good suspension with a lot of damping force, you might even need two mechanics to pull and clamp it. I don’t think one rider will do it easily at our level. Valade: When I was racing we didn’t have these devices and the second they became readily available it was clear they brought a huge benefit for any type of start. It’s a big
advantage to be able to hold any bike down for those first metres.
everything though. One with a nice reaction between throttle and clutch and the bounce through the gate Pereira de Freitas: A lot of the makes it more smooth rider’s technique comes into through to the first corner. a start and how they maintain Losing balance means you balance. You see a lot of them have to play with the controls, using these metal blocks for and you can have contact their feet nowadays and that’s with another rider and the because they are trying to start is gone. Look at [Jorge] keep the balance straight away Prado: it’s quite impressive and into the dirt. The rider’s how straight he goes when he reaction is still wants to. It makes everything
FEATURE easier. If you are not veering left or right then you are just pulling forwards. The riders make the difference. You can see it with the KTM boys: I think they pretty much all have the same bike but there are differences in how they can make the starts. PROGRESSION AND REASONING Rinaldi: We did some short testing. It didn’t take long to make it perfect. I think we had it in one season. Even the strength and the brand of the plastic became important. With some you could use the hook and with others you couldn’t. We never had a big issue. It was working fine from the beginning. Maddii: it is so simple, but it has become much better. At first it would only make one or two starts before breaking. The position of the bike with the device is important but even more so is the way to use the weight. It was a big difference. Simpson: The hook and the catch were originally a bit smaller, with the idea that the first bump you’d hit would pop it free. It was quite sensitive and there were times when it would pop-out in the gate and ruin your first five metres.
The hook length now is about 15mm when it used to maybe be 7-8 so it takes the first big braking bump going into the corner. If you look at photographs then you can see that many start devices are still hooked for the first turn and that does make the corner a bit trickier because the suspension is not working and
the front of the bike is quite rigid. There have been times when it hasn’t even popped until the first jump. In the past we’ve modified the height of the hook at certain tracks so it would click out sooner. Gruebel: It has evolved slightly but the principal is the same. When we had dirt start
Valade: The only issue we’ve had is that people weren’t cleaning out the devices well enough. Dirt gets into everything right? So, it needs to be cleaned properly to avoid any stickiness with the whole twist process. We made a subtle change recently to help with that. SELA has been received very well and sales have been strong since we launched it last year. We cannot keep it in stock.
gates then you went down 80-100mm and now it’s 4070mm more or something.
more compression. The clamp itself has been pretty similar for quite a few years.
Pereira de Freitas: Over time we’ve learned more about the height setting on the fork. When you are in the sand you might go a bit further up the fork. For hard-pack or a start going uphill it’s better to have
Simpson: Another area is the strength of the fork guards. People used to lose them. Now we have four screws holding them on whereas beforehand there were only two. On a hot weekend the
Bereni: We still use starting devices because of the power of the bikes. Many people are using guide lights with RPM on the front fender and you can use these ‘assists’ but at the end of the day I’ve done stuff with a rider like Clement [Desalle] in terms of throttle position – you could see Clement always looking and lining up his throttle when he went to the start – but then you have that adrenaline rush and all of this [prep] is gone. You can repeat, repeat, repeat in practice but if you are mainly using a light as a guide then this is wrong. You have to feel the start. One piece of advice I give to riders a lot is to trust their natural instincts. Look at a rider like Ashley Fiolek. She was deaf and could not hear the bike but she was great on the
HOLESHOT DEVICES
plastic would also get hot and the screws would loosen. That’s a rare sight these days.
FEATURE motorcycle because it had vibration and could be felt. Gruebel: With so much grip on the metal grid now you need to have a start device, otherwise the bike will wheelie straightaway and you’ll loop it. You have to have the centre of gravity very low so the force is forwards. The grip level is now pretty consistent, unless it rains but even then it doesn’t change that radically. In the past when it was still dirt - or the early metal grids were quite different - then if you had more grip then you went lower with the setting and with less grip you kept the bike a bit higher. Bereni: The goal for all teams are the starts because there is this general idea that if you don’t get a good one then it’s over. It has almost become an excuse: if you didn’t get a start then that’s why the race was s**t. Even though [Tim] Gajser proved this isn’t the case in Russia. But it’s still the main thing in many riders’ heads and therefore you must always work to try and improve it. We spend a lot of time and energy analysing and looking at how starts can be better. I think motocross began giving a lot more help to the riders in terms of electronics but it’s a taboo type of deal in terms of what is legal and what is illegal. I believe that Honda has something on their bikes
when it comes to electronics that is not being developed by any other manufacturer. It’s a grey area and I think everybody is chasing this technology and trying to understand it. But on the other side I remember working in the U.S. and people were looking at Mike Alessi and wondering how it was possible that he took the holeshot every weekend. It was just his natural instincts, and I think some people are getting away from that as they put everything on achieving repeated holeshots over and over. We analyse starts but then we give that input to the rider to be able to say ‘this is the best area for the bike to work, and this is where you need to be…’. We work on that and repeat behaviour becomes a sort of DNA.
Pereira de Freitas: I can tell you that we have been using our current start strategy for a long time and we just try to work on our proficiency in the gate. We try to react more for the engagement of the clutch and the throttle position. I think as soon as we get good starts the other manufacturers begin to say ‘there must be something good there’. I can tell you that there is nothing special or new we are using at the moment for electronics that hasn’t been there for the last few years. Gruebel: You play with different mappings and set the best RPM. Then the torque level and make a stronger or weaker second gear, depending on what gets you off the gate quickest.
Pereira de Freitas: You are just trying to set your rev limit Gruebel: I’m convinced that at a base that you like to have Honda have something…but – not too low, not too high – nobody really knows for sure. so you can have all the power They cannot have traction con- through the gate you need. In trol. We’re not allowed to have our case we don’t have the rev wheel sensors so it’s hard to light guide. We have a 8-9500 measure real wheelspin. It’s rpm marker that means the a mathematical formula from riders can rev and go full GPS position to RPM through throttle but then the revs stay gearing and the acceleration. where they’re set. That’s Is it normal or faster than you important because if the rider think? If you remember has to pay attention the mark[Gautier] Paulin and [Ryan] er, keep it poised and then Villopoto…they had some also react to the gate, it’s all weird loop-outs which nobody a bit tricky. So, we just have could really explain. a way of setting the rev point, the rider goes ‘full’ and then
HOLESHOT DEVICES
as soon as he moves from second to third it disengages. TRANSFERRAL OUT OF MXGP Gruebel: When Ducati showed up with their MotoGP device then our own road racing guys came over to see what we had. It’s quite a simple process of lowering the front for us but Ducati had a system where they lowered the whole bike. It’s different for us of course
because we have less than two metres of full grip and then we hit the dirt, so you need a functional rear suspension once you are on the dirt. Blocking the rear means it’s not optimum for grip whereas in MotoGP it works like normal suspension of course. For years it seemed like the MotoGP bikes were getting lower and smaller. So, they had a very good base but then they looked at us and worked out that lowering the front means
less wheelie. Instead of just doing that electronically, like they did before, they could also do it mechanically. It was a simple idea for MX that could also work for them. They needed to develop it well because it needs to be activated by the rider himself. They have both ends now, front and rear, whereas for us it was simpler and already accepted.
FEATURE Bereni: We haven’t spoken with the Kawasaki WorldSBK guys about it. They have one of the greatest superbikes in the paddock and I’m sure they are analysing what other bikes are doing, even something like Ducati in MotoGP, but an engineer will take a direction and often needs to be proved wrong to change. Rinaldi: I totally agree that it’s quite cool motocross has influenced road racing. I was not the father of this system, but we played a big role because we brought it back to racing. I think Corrado should be very proud of this idea. I don’t remember how he came up with it…but it brings back some value to off-road. Maddii: The biggest shame is that I didn’t or couldn’t make a patent. When I was racing I used to spend so much time during the night thinking of how I could make the bike better. The start is important in MotoGP but really important in motocross because if you are towards the rear then you are covered [in dirt]! REAR DEVICES AND THE FUTURE Bereni: I think a few teams started to use a rear device in 2013-14. Gautier was famous for being on-and-off. One day we’d have a block for the start, the next day we’d use a
device on the rear, the next on the front but not the rear, and sometimes with devices both front and rear. Gruebel: We only tested it but never really used it in the race. We were usually pretty good starters – rider-wise – and we couldn’t really find a benefit from it. I remember
Kawasaki and [Jeremy] Van Horebeek being one of the first to use it. Then [Gautier] Paulin, then Honda and others jumped on the bandwagon… but we never gained a lot through the rear device. It was not really our game. Pereira de Freitas: I think the last time we used it was in
HOLESHOT DEVICES
2016 with Gautier and Evgeny [Bobryshev]. Everything came from Max Nagl and when we had him onboard. We didn’t have any requests from the riders after 2016 to keep the rear low for the starts so we just kept the front fork device. When you have the lock on the rear then this means the back of the bike doesn’t squat
so much before the weight transfer. On the dirt you needed that effect, or the rear was spinning too much. With the metal grid we already had so much more grip. We had to reduce what we were doing for the starts otherwise the bike would wheelie too much and we were not going forwards as effectively. The rider
would have to play with the clutch and ease the throttle. Our decision not to use it was based on the extra grip from the gate. Simpson: I think I ran it for a full season in either 2014 or 2015. The Holeshot link. We had some good results with it from the dirt gates but you
FEATURE could take it or leave it. You couldn’t contemplate a race start now without the front system in place. Bereni: When MXGP switched to the metal grill the use of it was not as efficient, and disappeared from the bikes. The purpose of it was to improve the traction on dirt from the gate by locking the suspension, similar to what you see in MotoGP now, to avoid weight transfer to the back and the wheelie of course. It locks the chassis in place and is rigid. It was positive to get the drive but if you had wheelspin then you just carried that wheelspin. For MotoGP it is much more complex than just a mechanical button and there are also electronics working together. Maddii: The idea is not bad but you lose too much traction from the gate. Everyone is now looking for the smallest details but the rider is still the most important factor. If he can start then he can start. You cannot make a strong bike for a bad starter. Valade: We looked into the rear device system a little bit. We definitely thought about it, even if it’s not in the product plan for ProTaper right now. It’s in our development notes. We focused on making SELA the best it can be.
Simpson: It would be very unusual to start without the device now. You would have to go back to the drawing board and develop your technique, change your seating position, the way you hang over the front of the bike, the RPM, be less aggressive with the clutch. It would be a whole other process. I think without the holeshot devices our speed towards the first corner would be a lot lower. I heard Rick Johnson saying it on the PulpMX podcast show recently and it’s quite interesting to think about how their removal would alter starts. We’re all quite equal for settings now but starts are still a special art. Even if you have them dialled-in then it might only be good 7 out of 10 times. There is a lot to be said of that clutch connection, engine setting and being surrounded by all the other guys and that noise. The first three yards of MXGP are crucial these days. Valade: Four-strokes have so much more electronics now. I’ve been riding for 35-years and even I cannot comprehend all of it and the possibilities. It’s pretty crazy. There are mappings and launch control. We’re just trying to make items and products that create an easier life for the consumer. Bereni: What is interesting in MXGP is the rules.
They are open, and if they want to keep improving the motorcycles and the interest in the series then they need to keep opening them further… even if I’m sure it won’t go in that direction to be honest with you. Having prototypes is the great thing about MXGP and the reason for teams and manufacturers to be there is the technical development. For the last five years with KHI we have not stopped developing ideas and stuff on the motorcycle. We are allowed to try so we can bring a better production bike to the market. Electronics is part of this, and I think it can be a good help with race starts but it is also very limited by the rules. I’m pretty sure some people are flexing the rules to do things on the bike that are borderline legal. You can see a lot if riders touching a button before the start. We are one of them, but you don’t really know what is going on with other bikes. You can listen to some people’s launch devices and starting devices and you can hear the RPM chugging up. Gruebel: If you open the rule book for more electronics then you invite ride-by-wire and that’s a whole new game. You will need more people for programming. Motocross is already getting expensive. It will mean more people, more data and more tests. Also, if you have a season of racing
HOLESHOT DEVICES
with only one-day GP formats then you have no time to play with anything. To find the ideal set-up is almost impossible. MotoGP has way-more track time, and they need it. We’re all rushed now because we came down from 4.5 hours a weekend to 2.5. One Free Practice that is combined with Qualifying. That’s it. You cannot try other stuff. If you want to try tyres or different suspension settings then you
are already struggling because we don’t have that warm-up period. Pereira de Freitas: For sure if a change is going to happen for safety reasons that could avoid any crashes or add some protection – then I agree. The level that we have in motocross right now is already good. I don’t think we need to go much further to have a better bike. The level of
electronics we are using right now is already good enough. For sure in the coming years development will continue to run and new things might come through but what we have is sufficient.
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FEATURE
BULLET-IN ON THE PHONE WITH JEFFREY HERLINGS By Adam Wheeler, Photos by Ray Archer/KTM
MXGP NETHERLANDS
JEFFREY HERLINGS
T
hey say the same about Valentino Rossi: when you get him, he’s great. Speaking from personal experince, the rep is true. While the Italian is notorious for an abject approach to punctuality, Jeffrey Herlings is usually on-the-money, generous with his time and endlessly earnest with his thoughts and opinions while also maintaining a high level of respect for his sport and his rivals. That he answers requests from journalists over the phone is something to be thankful for…and you normally don’t have to chase him too much, certainly less than some of his peers.
Rather than wait for an interview at Matterley Basin and the British Grand Prix we chased the 26-year-old Dutchman after the 2021 season-opening event in Russia. Why? It was an eventful race where Herlings finished 2nd overall to Tim Gajser, was slightly humbled by the world champion’s speed and slipped out of the lead in the second moto. It says much for the Red Bull KTM rider’s influence that it is rare to see him overtaken and beaten. In typical style Herlings had set Pole Position in the morning Timed Practice (2021 fully committed to another one-day format for the year) at Orlyonok and was again part of a podium ceremony.
FEATURE He had uncorked champagne in five of his six appearances in 2020 until injury again reared and curtailed his participation. Russia represented Herlings’ re-introduction to MXGP and a series he last contested in September 2020. He looked fit, fast but rusty and insecure all at the same time. Crucially it was the first joust in a potential duel with Gajser with both riders healthy and in their prime. In the UK Herlings would again make the box but had little say in the speed offered by Tony Cairoli and both Gajser and Romain Febvre. On the phone however we wanted to gauge his initial reaction to finally making a Grand Prix start and the scope of the challenge he faces to reach his peak and tackle the formidable red #243. Before Russia your last race was September 6th. Do you think that’s easy for some people to forget? Yeah, you need to get back to a routine. I missed not only last year but also the one before. I did five GPs in 2019 and only six in 2020 or something like that. I think a lot of people forget this. They just see how Tim was so fast and Herlings was off. But I know where
I am coming from. I was close to eating milkshakes for the rest of my life in September. There have been a lot of injuries. This means I’m more than satisfied with a 2nd place in Russia, especially on a track that is slick and not as wide, open and grippy as other places. Being so far from home I wasn’t going to take major risks. What was going through your mind when Gajser passed you? Was it tempting to push limits or just accept that fact that he had superior speed? If I was leading and we were battling going into the last two laps I would have tried to fight for that moto win but at that point we were early into the moto, I could see him coming and I just didn’t have the speed. I could have probably matched it but there would have been a big chance of me going down. I was happy with letting him go. I didn’t fight hard and could have been harder but I knew he’d probably eat me alive anyway with twenty minutes on the clock. I was fine with it. I could follow him for a few laps but eventually he pulled away. I know we have some work to do and I think it will get better and better with more races and getting into the racing groove, as well as battling. I know I am still capable of winning and I wasn’t too far off in Russia.
JEFFREY HERLINGS
Physically are you in the best place you’ve been since that dominant season in 2018? Everything is pretty solid. I’m more or less healthy. My foot will never be 100% but it is way-better than it was in 2019. So that’s a big improvement. I’m not on the level today like I was in 2018 but it’s the best I’ve been in the last three years. It really helps that my foot isn’t painful every single day. I want to get close to that 2018 level…but it will be difficult. I still want to improve. It will be tough to win the championship this year but at least I can fight for it. If you look down the standings then there are a lot of names with distinguished results and careers. It’s a busy class… There are a lot of GP winners. They are really good riders and many can make podiums this year. It shows how competitive the class is. Even if you finish 10th that doesn’t mean you are a bad rider or even that you are having a bad day! They are all high-level racers and top athletes. It’s hard being in that class and knowing that every single time you go out there that you need to fight like a lion to be anywhere near the front. But it’s also good in a way because it’s the world championship and it means the best riders are here.
Tim Gajser is looking strong and it’s his second year on that new Honda. How do you beat him? The Honda looks like it’s performing well but I know our KTM 450 SX-F is a great bike tool. I strongly believe our bike is just as good. If I’m not winning, then it’s not due to the bike. It’s just how I want it to be, and it’s up to me to perform…To beat Gajser? There are many different ways. You can try to put him under pressure, match him for speed or just try to out-pace him: it’s not easy! He’s a four-times world champion for a reason and the defending champion. I was leading the series by more than a GP when I crashed but he ended-up winning it and I didn’t. The guy is a great athlete and a great rider and to be beaten by Tim Gajser is nothing to be ashamed of. He’s one of the best in the world. To beat him you need to perform on a weekly basis. If I had to beat him today, right now, then I don’t have the exact answer…but I do know that I’m gonna try and will get as close as I can. I hope I can fight with him in some of the tracks coming up like Lommel, Latvia and Finland, more than I could in Russia where I had to back-it-off. I will do my best at the very least.
FAC E F OA M
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MOVEMENTS
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We’re only three rounds down in the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross championships and there is a lot left to be settled on and off the track. The silly season is in full swing and things are trucking along behind the scenes. Let’s talk about a few high profile riders that will be making a change. Or will they? Of course the worst secret in the pits is Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac switching from green to blue. Same sponsor, just going from Kawasaki to Yamaha. Tomac’s first five motos of the 450MX series weren’t good. In fact he was off to the worst start of his motocross career by the time sixth race came around, the second moto of High Point. It was that moto that Tomac ripped up from a third place start to easily win and go 6-1 on the day. It was vintage Tomac with his aggression and attack of the track. Afterwards, ET seemed as perplexed as anyone as to why he was able to ride so well and what had happened to him the first five motos of the year.
If you’re Bobby Regan, owner of the Star Yamaha squad, you’re pretty stoked that Tomac’s still got the ability to win in him right? The Kawasaki guys are doing all they can over there to make their KX450F shine but this switch was more due to Eli looking to get to a different color, rather than Kawasaki wanting to move on from their #1 rider. So, Tomac, like all riders that jump teams, thinks that it’ll be the bike and/or team that will spark him in the right direction. His second moto showed maybe, just maybe, the old Tomac is still in there. The courtship of Yamaha’s Aaron Plessinger is in full swing right now. It’s been a real breakout season for
the former 250SX and MX champion, AP’s been on the box a few times and now healthy, is really showing what he can do. A couple of years of injuries and sub-par performance made us start to wonder if Aaron was going to make that leap. Well he did and Red Bull KTM came calling. From what we know, Aaron signed a letter of intent with KTM to ride there for 2022 and he was out shopping himself around for gear and such. Seemed pretty open and shut really. But now we hear that Yamaha might be back in the running for AP. Every OEM contract has a “right to match” clause in it but
BY ADAM WHEELER
BY STEVE MATTHES it’s rarely enforced. After all, you could match every bit of term, dollars, perks of a deal to keep a rider but if he wanted to leave in the first place, why make him stay? Well, Aaron Plessinger might just be that rare exception. He’s been at Star Yamaha for a long time now and things appear to be on the upswing for him and the BluCru. We’re hearing that Yamaha may match the offer and keep Aaron over there. Stay tuned, this one could go either way but the real winner in this is AP, he’s going to get rich and have a great team either way. Something else that is happening is we think Jason Anderson is leaving his Rockstar Husqvarna ride after a long time there to take Tomac’s spot at Factory Kawasaki. Anderson won a 450SX title for the squad but ownership changes have probably ruined some of
the feelings JA had with the squad over the years. It looks like a two year deal for #21 to take his talents over there. To replace Jason, we’re hearing that Malcolm Stewart will be taking up with the Rockstar Husky guys for a contract that will cover him racing indoors and out. Stewart’s not done outdoors for many years so it will be interesting to see him jump back in outside. It’ll be the fourth team in four years for Mookie so another adaption to a new bike for one of the more popular riders in the pits. So, there’s four high profile riders and the latest of what’s been going on behind the scenes. Stay tuned for more as the races wind down over here.
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FRENCH FANCY
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Dylan Ferrandis is doing everything he can to win the 450 class title this summer. Through six motos at three rounds, the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider has finished no worse than third, has claimed two overall wins, and sits at the top of the standings with a three-point advantage over Ken Roczen. It’s rare for a competitor to take control of anything in their debut season, especially at the highest levels, and those who can do it often become idols of their respective sports. Coincidentally, Roczen is an ideal example of this, as the 450 MX title from 2014 is just one accolade to his illustrious career. Ferrandis is not your average rookie. At twenty-seven years old, he is a multi-time 250 Class champion (two in SX and one in US MX) that’s twice triumphed at the Motocross of Nations with Team France and finished
on the podium in each elite MX discipline (MX2, 250 MX, 250 SX, 450 SX, 450 MX). He’s lined up against many of the superstar racers over the last seven years, including Herlings/Cianciarulo/ Tomac/Roczen, and beaten them all in “their prime.” If anything, this summer might be what certifies him as one of the top riders to come from the motorcycle-loving country and of the current motocross generation. Being at the top of the 450 Class in the United States has always been the principal goal for Ferrandis. He openly declared as early as his MX2 days that staying in Europe was not part of his long-term plans, and a transitional path to the US was a clearly stated detail to a multi-year contract extension he signed with Kawasaki in 2014. That, obviously, didn’t pan out as planned,
and Ferrandis instead joined Star Racing in 2017 for what turned out to be an extended four-year stint in the 250 Class. The first year in America was not easy. Crashes throughout the season resulted in injuries, including a concussion at Hangtown and a broken wrist at Budds Creek, and there were offtrack issues that seemed to bother him just as much. Ferrandis and his wife moved to North Carolina in 2017 to train alongside Cooper Webb and the entire Star Racing crew, but it was a cultural shock neither enjoyed, and the couple eventually made a move back to California for a more personalized program guided by David Vuillemin. Vuillemin’s experiences and input have had a tremendous impact on Ferrandis. A central figure of the 2000s
BY ADAM WHEELER
BY MIKE ANTONOVICH and arguably one of France’s best MX riders ever, Vuillemin went through it all during his decades-long international career and knows what it takes to win. Regularly on-hand for Ferrandis’s training sessions, Vuillemin has taught the rider to maintain very high expectations of himself and the team, even if it means coming off as harsh or self-centered. His input can be recognized everywhere, from the tall bend of handlebars on the bike to the line choices on the track, and he’s often one of the first to celebrate or critique Ferrandis’s performance. Ferrandis had to learn a few things on his own, though. A hard crash at the 2018 Atlanta Supercross showed how little room for error there is on an SX track, and his season was cut short by a broken arm and busted teeth. A mistimed pass attempt on Christian Craig at the 2019 Anaheim Two
Supercross, meanwhile, revealed just how quickly the public can turn on a rider, especially those from foreign countries. This is year five of the rider’s time with Star Racing, and thanks to developments and an active two-year contract, there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight. Yamaha’s outsourcing of their official MX operation gave Star Racing the final say over the setup of the YZ450F, and the team has turned the big, bucking blue bike into one of the most powerful and stable machines on the starting line. The added obligations prompted the group to purchase Ricky Carmichael’s GOAT Farm, and Ferrandis bought a second home in nearby northern Florida just so he could ride the iconic property and work with the team full-time in 2022. There’s a French connection to everything in
the DF14 program. Star Racing mechanic Alex Campbell, a Minnesota native, has learned a handful of simple French phrases and words that he can display on the pit board to keep Ferrandis focused. Photographer Larry Neihaus, a childhood friend from the same area of southern France, drives the motorhome to every round of the MX series and helps with assorted tasks on race day. Ferrandis has joked that he’s still too French, with a phone set up to display in French, a preference for music and movies in his native language, and a plant-based diet similar to his country’s cuisine, but it’s helped keep him happy thousands of kilometers from home. Ferrandis doesn’t adhere to the “everyone else is my enemy” and “faster is better” mantras that others tend to live and die by. Instead, he’s willing to back
SX BLOG
it down to reach the checkered flag and give praise to his opponents, even if it spurred a mental block during Supercross. “I felt like the first Moto [at Thunder Valley] was really one of the best of my career, being patient behind the two great riders [Roczen and Cianciarulo] and passing both with really clean and good moves. I was really stoked on that,” he explained while doing a cool-down spin after a runner-up result at the Colorado track. “I’m like a fan, I love all these guys, but when it comes to racing, I put the guards on my eyes and try not to look at who is in front of me, and I give everything. In Supercross, it was more difficult for me. It took me time to be with the group of strong riders, and it was hard. I felt really intimidated, but now [with two races in a row], I feel like I belong with this group. It’s really cool.”
That belief became even more apparent at High Point, where 2-2 scores earned him the overall win and the point leader’s red plate. “At this point, I just want to fight for this championship, and every point is going to count at the end of the year. It looks like my main rival is Ken, so beating him today is a really good point for the championship,” he noted after one of the most powerful performances of his career. “I could have pushed for more, but I kind of hit my top speed at some point, so I couldn’t go faster. And some places on the track, he was faster, some places I was faster, but the place where he was faster, I couldn’t match his speed. I think we both were great today.” With years of experience and a list of achievements, Ferrandis knows what it takes to win a motorcycle
race. “I’ve raced enough in my life to be in that zone, in that moment where nothing matters, like you just want to pass the guy in front of you until you’re in first and then reach the checkered flag.” Simple enough.
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MotoGP
TT CIRCUIT ASSEN MotoGP 1. Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha 2. Maverick Viñales, Yamaha 3. Joan Mir, Suzuki
Moto2 1. Raul Fernandez, Kalex 2. Remy Gardner, Kalex 3. Augusto Fernandez, Kalex
Moto3
1. Dennis Foggia, Honda 2. Sergio Garcia, GASGAS 3. Romano Fenati, Husqvarna Blogs by David Emmett & Neil Morrison Photos by CormacGP/Polarity Photo
MotoGP - NETHERLANDS
CALM IN THE YAM STORM
MotoGP - NETHERLANDS
MotoGP - NETHERLANDS
MotoGP - NETHERLANDS
MotoGP BLOG
FILLING MAVERICK’S BOOTS... Maverick Viñales departure from Yamaha comes as a shock, perhaps. Although, then again, perhaps it doesn’t. The Spaniard won the first two races of 2017 after he joined the Japanese factory, and then added his third victory at Le Mans, race number five of that season. He didn’t win another race that year. Indeed, in the 73 MotoGP outings since Le Mans, he has notched up just five more wins. Not what he signed up for. You can read about the whys and wherefores of his departure from the talented Neil Morrison elsewhere in this magazine. But what I’m interested in is what this move does for the riders’ market. For a long time, it looked pretty much sewn up, the only real interest being the second seat at Aprilia. Viñales’ exit from the Monster Energy Yamaha team changes all that. And radically.
All of a sudden, there is an open seat in the factory Yamaha team. And with Valentino Rossi saying he will take a decision on retirement based on his results in the first half of the season (adding “the results of the first half of the season are not what we expect”), it is almost certain that there will be a second Yamaha seat vacant.
Viñales’ contract should cover that nicely.
Filling those saddles should in theory be easy. The bike is competitive, at least in the hands of Fabio Quartararo, who has now won four of the first nine races. The trouble is not so much the bike, as the lack of available talent. The big names in MotoGP are all locked up for 2022. The top riders in Moto2 are all (mostly) spoken for. So where can Yamaha turn?
That could leave two seats open at Petronas. Who fills them? Surprisingly, Andrea Dovizioso may be available, the Italian unimpressed by the organisational aspect of Aprilia. Dovizioso on a Yamaha is an intriguing prospect – he scored six podiums on an M1 when he raced for Tech3 in 2012 – but the real problem for the Italian is his age. He will be 36 at the start of the 2022 season, and Petronas team principal Razlan Razali has made it very clear he believes that the role of the Petronas team is to cultivate young talent and get them ready for the factory team, as they did with Fabio Quartararo.
The most obvious choice for Yamaha is to simply promote Franco Morbidelli from the Petronas Yamaha SRT team to the factory squad. That requires them to buy out Morbidelli’s contract – the Italian is one of the few riders contracted directly to a team, rather than to the factory – but the savings on
But if it’s young riders you’re after, what are your options? At the top of the Moto2 championship table sit the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders Remy Gardner and Raul Fernandez. Gardner has already signed a contract to race with Tech3 next year, and Raul Fernandez insists that it is “99%” certain he will remain in Moto2.
BY DAVID EMMETT
Fernandez is a high-profile target, however. Paddock rumour has Yamaha chasing Fernandez hard for a seat at Petronas, but that involves buying out his deal with KTM for a price rumoured to be 500,000 euros. If Fernandez proves to be as good on a MotoGP bike as he has been on a Moto2 machine, that’s cheap at half the price. The complication is that he is managed by Hannes Kinigadner, son of Heinz Kinigadner, with deep ties to both KTM and Red Bull. The incentives there are to remain within the KTM family, even if it means staying in Moto2 for another season. But there are good reasons to make the switch as well. KTM is building up something of a logjam of talent at the moment, with Brad Binder signed through 2024, and Miguel Oliveira winning races and locked up next year as well. Gardner will also by vying for a factory seat, and Pedro Acosta is on the way from Moto3. Yamaha does not have the talent funnel which KTM’s afford them, and so Petronas may offer a quicker path to a factory seat.
The most interesting prospects lie in WorldSBK. MotoGP team managers are notoriously reluctant to look across at “the other championship” as they sneeringly call it. Toprak Razgatlioglu was offered Franco Morbidelli’s M1 this weekend, but turned it down, fearing a poor result might negatively impact his chances of a full-time MotoGP ride. But he made it clear that if there was a seat open next year, he would be all ears. GRT Yamaha rider Garrett Gerloff took on the challenge, and though he finished seventeenth, 53 seconds behind the winner, Fabio Quartararo, he left a strong impression, was quick to learn and get up to speed. Dorna would love to have an American in MotoGP to help sell TV rights, and Gerloff fits the bill. Likewise, Razgatlioglu would be great for the Turkish and Middle Eastern market. Will we at last see riders start to cross between paddocks again, against recent trends? The confluence of Viñales and Rossi’s departures may well force Yamaha’s hand. And that would be good for both series’.
MotoGP - NETHERLANDS
MotoGP BLOG
OH MAVERICK, WHERE ART THOU? The mercurial nature of Maverick Viñales has never been on display quite like the past 28 days. What a whirlwind of a month... when the 26-year switched crew chiefs, went from finishing last in Germany to placing first or second in every session at the TT Circuit Assen and then sensationally cut ties with Yamaha a year early before telling us, “everything is supergood” in the garage on Sunday. This year’s whirlwind of a Dutch TT was just the latest piece of the Viñales puzzle that gets no easier to put together as time goes by. There has always been an element of chaos to Maverick’s time in the factory Yamaha team, a feeling that he was forever searching for that magic and feeling that carried him to three wins in his first five races (which played a role in stressing Marc Marquez out to the extent his began to lose his hair) aboard an M1.
But never more so over the past month. Yamaha deciding to switch his crew chief after the Italian Grand Prix was a real indicator all was not well. Not least because Viñales insisted he wanted Esteban Garcia to stay, rather than Silvano Galbusera coming in. On the back of a disastrous German Grand Prix, he vented that his job was simply to “collect data,” that he was fed up of issuing the same complaints, which usually fell on deaf ears. On Thursday at Assen, the previous result was still eating away at him. He had “never been so angry in my life,” after qualifying 21st and second last, before finishing 17th, at the very back of the field. How quickly it has unraveled. At the end of March I wrote – tentatively, I might add, but still – that “maybe – just maybe – everything is finally in place for him to kick on.” Valentino Rossi had departed the factory garage, making him the most experienced name. He got married over the offseason, had moved back to his native Roses in Catalunya and had a baby girl
on the way. Yamaha had remedied the ills of a troubled 2020. But by the third round there were signs the old weaknesses were still there. While Fabio Quartararo has proved himself capable to adapting to the challenges a race throws up, Viñales was devoid of inspiration in Portugal, where he dropped to 20th on lap one. He never recovered from Marquez’s qualifying intimidation tactics at Mugello. And Germany was a whole new nadir. Yet just six days later not even championship leader Quartararo could live with him in qualifying. It was therefore fair to understand Monster Energy Team Manager Massimo Meregalli’s point of view when, on Sunday morning, he said, “It’s very frustrating for him. (But) It’s frustrating also for us to understand this kind of behaviour.” Yamaha, he explained, couldn’t get their heads around him featuring so low when, in terms of lap times, he was the fastest Yamaha rider in the race.
Also, how must Yamaha management have reacted to Maverick’s post-race claims in Germany that, “I spent 15 laps behind (Luca) Marini and (Enea) Bastianini and I decided to go (to the) back (of the field), get fresh air and collect data to see how the bike is working alone.” In a race? Backing off and slowing on purpose? In some regards this was an admission of surrender. I can empathise with Yamaha management’s wonderment at how a man of his talents can blow so hot and cold. In Maverick’s defence, he feels slighted. It can’t be easy watching a less experienced rider whose style is so much more suited than his merge seamlessly with the M1. From Maverick’s comments in Germany, you got the impression Yamaha is dogmatic in its insistence of how the bike should be set up and ridden. He may look at a rider like Pol Espargaro, whose aggressive style was better suited to KTM’s RC16 than the M1, and think he could have more success elsewhere. You do wonder whether more could have
been done to accommodate his needs over the past couple of seasons. Yet Sunday’s press conference was just bizarre, 40 minutes of awkward body language and mixed messages. First Maverick denied the stories of him intending to leave Yamaha were true. Then he proceeded to thank Yamaha for all they had done, which sounded suspiciously like the decision had been made. Which, of course, it had. If this is how Maverick communicates to us in a time of crisis, it does make you wonder whether his communication and feedback within the team is this muddled. Compare his words to Marquez’s clear, impassioned call for HRC to fix the electronics issue that caused his enormous Friday high-side, and then his thanking of engineers on Sunday. The difference is night and day. It’s interesting that Viñales recruited a new personal manager this year in Giovanni Balestra. What’s more his father, Angel, was in the Yamaha box at Assen after a long period away from the
BY NEIL MORRISON
MotoGP BLOG
paddock. The 26-year old has always operated among a very small circle of figures whom he keeps close, with his father only reappearing in recent weeks. This isn’t the first time in Viñales’ career there has been a surprise decision to split from a team, of course. Ricard Jové, who broke the news relating to the imminent split with Yamaha on Saturday night, was the team manager of Maverick’s Blusens Avintia squad in 2012 when the rider refused to travel to Sepang in frustration, despite still mathematically being in the Moto3 title hunt. “We could have won that title but he was too much of a rebel,” Jové told me back in 2016. “He believes in himself 110%, so when he gets a bad result, he never doubts himself. He complained about whatever: the bike, the team. His father, who was a good person, started to make troubles between him, us and me, and it all finished.
This was a difficult moment because his father was talking to people without me. Maverick was too young. His father was his reference (then) so he trusted him.” Angel’s influence or not, Aprilia appears Viñales’ likely destination for 2022. It’s a risk. Despite recent improvements, an Aprilia rider hasn’t scored a podium in the four-stoke MotoGP era. The bike – and team – has been developed around Aleix Espargaro, a capable rider, but one with a very distinctive riding style. You can’t say any of the 30-year old’s five team-mates since 2017 have fared well alongside him. Coming into that team will be no easy feat. But the truth is Maverick no longer feels he can “take out my maximum” in his current environment. From Portugal he has appeared unhappy. If a mutual trust no longer exists, then a separation is probably the best course of action. And you
can’t criticise his convictions when he walks away from a salary in excess of 5 million euros. It’s worth reminding there is a blinding talent in there. Across the last five years, only Marquez and Andrea Dovizioso have won more. Maybe – just maybe – Aprilia is the place where he can rekindle some of that old magic. Yet the longer the time goes by, I’m more inclined to think Maverick may never unlock his full potential, wherever he rides.
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ROCKIT Caps, T-shirts, beanies, hoodies, tops, keyrings: these are the bulk of the cool-looking products produced by Rockit, a small but expanding Spanish lifestyle brand with close connections to motorsport and a raft of fans in the MotoGP and WorldSBK paddocks. After a modest start several years ago Rockit has blossomed beyond a few designs and liveries to offer a wide selection to their catalogue with a distinct ‘surfery’ and summer feel to the gear. Check out the website where you can shop the full line-up.
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MotoGP - NETHERLANDS
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KTM Rather than rely on an official partner to produce a set of effective adventure and touring gear, KTM decided to take development of their 2021 Terra Adventure jacket and gearset in-house and poured the better part of two years and 20,000km of riding in various climates to create their own innovation. They had feedback from the likes of racer Chris Birch and other specialists (to the point where their ideas on construction and ventilation were advanced enough to win a German Red Dot design award) to forge the all-weather outfit. “It was back in 2018 when we came up with the first designs and ideas and decided to create this extraordinary outfit in-house,” explains Product Manager Philipp Penninger. “We felt there was a gap in the adventure segment and wanted to develop something that hadn’t really been seen before.” A 100% waterproof shell and SAS-TEC protection are not new additions to this type of gear but the quick-release tabs and panels around the shoulders and chest are interesting features to allow riders to customise their garments for airflow quickly and easily while on the go. The Terra Adventure is rugged and dependable (tear-resistant) but also highly practical (3 pockets, one detachable) and versatile (straps and bands for tightening the fit). The colours are conservative but the overall impression is one of award-winning quality.
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FEATURE
THE MAKING PROCESS By Adam Wheeler Photos by Polarity Photo/KTM Images
HOW DO MotoGP TEAMS AND BRANDS TRY TO CATCH AND GROW ‘THE NEXT MARQUEZ’? WE ASKED…
O
ne of the most fascinating parts of the 2011 Academy award nominated movie ‘Moneyball’ was the dramatized scene in which Oakland A’s baseball General Manager, Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt, intimates to a roomful of scouts that their work is defunct. The same section of the film – that deals with the true story of how Beane tried to remodel the low-budget A’s into a championship team by signing misfits and statistical certainties rather than expensive marquee players – also questions how supposed experts can spot and judge talent. Beane’s own tale of his prodigal status as a young baseball star but then failing to reach the heights of an elite baller provides extra context and added depth to a film that essentially deals with subversion. The notion of what makes a star athlete, how they are found, how they are groomed and who gets to add them to their stable feels particularly relevant in MotoGP now as KTM’s influence extends beyond podium results and splashes of orange in the premier class. At the recent Grand Prix in Germany there were more than 70 KTM race bikes on track through the Northern Talent Cup, Red Bull MotoGP Rookies, Moto3 and MotoGP. Not
forgetting the all-conquering branded effort in Moto2. In Austria this number will rise further with the activation of the Austrian Talent Cup on the world championship stage. Names like Pedro Acosta and Raul Fernandez are currently sweeping all before them in Moto3 and Moto2 and others are sniffing around their contracts.
KTM are less than half a decade into their full-time MotoGP chapter but they already have a sluice/network into the upper echelons of grand prix racing like no other manufacturer. The objective of funnelling the cream-of-thecrop and pumping it through a tube all the way to the top is so far paying off. It’s a strategy they have
PRESSURE EVERYWHERE. NOT ONLY FOR RESULTS BUT TO LEARN, PROGRESS, BLENDIN. THERE WILL BE OTHER CANDIDATES FOR THE SAME SADDLE. SIGNS OF EVOLUTION IN AS MANY AREAS AS POSSIBLE IS ANOTHER TELL-TALE THAT A RIDER IS ON HIS WAY. “ONE THING IS FOR SURE IS THAT THE REALLY GOOD GUYS HAVE AN INTEREST IN WHAT YOU SAY AND THEN DEVELOP BY THEMSELVES AND THROUGH RACING EVERY WEEKEND,” BELIEVES PUIG.
DEVELOPING MotoGP TALENT
implemented in motocross/ supercross for quite some time and with a decent ‘hit’ rate. The outstanding examples of success include multi world champions Marvin Musquin, Jeffrey Herlings and Jorge Prado; the latter pair have been on Austrian technology since puberty. The Frenchman, Dutchman and Spaniard can almost be classified as once-in-a-generation
FEATURE
racing stars. But KTM also showed they are flexible when it comes to opportunities and the 2009 acquisition of Tony Cairoli, then 24 and on the way to his first MXGP title, and Ryan Dungey in 2011, established milestones for the firm. Between KTM’s Race HQ reception area in Munderfing and their impressive Motohall complex in Mattighofen there are pristine old GP bikes on display that have been steered by the likes of Marc Marquez and Casey Stoner. It’s fair to say the company know their racing.
Other names like Suzuki, Yamaha and Aprilia are left to wield their chequebook, and bank on sharp timing to try and grasp a rider that can make the difference. Ducati are embracing rookies (3 in 2021 alone) among their expanding MotoGP class presence. The parity throughout the classes makes hot currency of any emerging, standout motorcyclist. The recent fad for MotoGP to call on every possible infringement, every single time is indicative of the slender margins, and the pressure to make sure the correct result stands. A rider’s intelligence, adaptation and ability from a very young age is under very tight scrutiny. Although Jason Dupasquier’s recent sad passing is a timely reminder that racing is no docile airbagged, air-fenced game for juveniles, there has been extra effort by federations and organisations to lower the drawbridge for riders. The possibility to plot a career for kids and parents has perhaps never been clearer, and Dorna’s recent announcement of the FIM’s MiniGP initiative for 10-14 year olds is the precursor to Talent Cup entry and the championship’s ‘Road to MotoGP’ scheme.
DEVELOPING MotoGP TALENT
KTM’s GP Academy largely revolves around Aki Ajo’s twoclass team. The Fin will continue to be the main strut of KTM’s MotoGP development path until 2026 at least. With a large and carefully watched spread riding KTM machinery, the manufacturer and the team are able to connect, sign, bond and nurture eye-catching racers like 17-year-old Acosta. In theory the only other brand who should have a similar web is Honda, thanks to being KTM’s sole challenger in
Moto3 and fielding the same amount of Honda RCV bikes in MotoGP as the orange RC16s. Before 2019 and when Triumph ended Honda’s nineyear year tenure as Moto2 engine supplier the path should have been clearer but the brand’s fragmentation within the paddock meant that not a single rider made it through the steps to MotoGP. Honda’s strategy undoubtedly had a lot to do with the arrival of Marc Marquez and the presence of Dani Pedrosa (it could even be argued that HRC’s understandable urge to mould their MotoGP programme around the best rider the sport has seen is still detrimental to the wider effort). Honda were also unable to click the pieces together. Jack Miller notoriously jumped from a Moto3 KTM bike straight into MotoGP with a three-year HRC deal, Stefan Bradl was KTM and Aprilia schooled until he made his name with a Honda engine in Moto2 and then leapt into LCR Honda. Taka Nakagami is one of the few to have competed in the Red Bull Rookies with a Honda RS125R in 2007 but needed races with an Aprilia in the 125s before moving to Moto2 and eventually up to the last plinth. Alex Marquez won a Moto3 title for Honda, a Moto2 crown with Triumph and is back with the Japanese wing.
FEATURE Of course, for every Pedro Acosta there are hundreds of adolescents who might have shown a flash of the same potential but couldn’t arrive at the same peak, for a variety of reasons. Thankfully these new and recent programmes for pushing possible stars under the noses of influential racing decision-makers means the ability to chart and to choose is now relatively simple.
MotoGP excellence – and the acute pressures on a rider’s psychology as much as his physiology and motor skills – too difficult to quantify?
In this age of OPTA-type stats for sport and the possibility to measure almost all areas of elite performance, is the traditional scouting model also losing relevance, as it was for the A’s under Beane’s watch? Could something about Acosta or Fernandez be seen through an App or a graph? Or is the scope for
remain the same, the equipment varies greatly: Honda in Moto3, the standard Triumph/ Kalex package in Moto2 and a somewhat rootless MotoGP wing where an emphasis on Yamaha-mounted youth was jettisoned when Valentino Rossi was drafted into the squad for 2021. Relations with the Iwata manufacturer
Former Grand Prix rider and now Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team Director Johan Stigefelt oversees an operation that is the closest to KTM’s chute. While the colours and the sponsors
have also been tense. Stigefelt still has the means and the resources to guide a rider through the tiers and has worked with Luis Salom, Brad Binder, Johann Zarco and Fabio Quartararo aside from his current roster. “Honestly there are no real statistics to go on,” he says when it comes to talent-spotting.
“I mean, you can look at previous results and lap-times but we are already so close to the scene and the championships that you can seeand-know the riders that are coming. You can see who ‘has it’ and who doesn’t and who could potentially be fast in the future.”
Jens Hainbach is Pit Beirer’s right hand man for KTM’s road racing division. The 48-year-old German deals
repeatedly with parties such as Aki Ajo, Tech3, Rookies, NTC and Red Bull to organise the KTM palette as well as the group’s sister brands around the divisions. “The only data we can really use are the results of the youngsters coming through the ranks in CEV or
the Red Bull Rookies Cup; mostly – if you make a judgement on a young rider – it’s about talking to different people and getting different opinions. If your opinions match then you know that rider might be someone for the future,” he explains. “It’s more about the experience and the visual signs you see on track, backed-up by the opinions of the right guys. Even then it is still very much a gamble because with the young ones you never know the direction in which they will head as they grow. You can never be sure that the guy you put your money on will be the next big thing. There is not a lot of statistics or data you can rely on for evaluation. In the end you need to be a bit lucky. It’s more of a feeling, but the experience of those making the verdict really counts, that’s why we rely on Aki [Ajo], Hervé [Poncharal] and Mike [Leitner] and all the group. It’s not the case where one person will decide on a rider. We sit together, discuss and everyone has their thoughts. The more opinions that match, the surer we are that we picked the right one. With say Raul [Fernandez] or Pedro [Acosta] we all had a similar impression of where these guys could end up.” If MotoGP is wholly reliant on an old-school scouting
method, then it’s fortunate that individuals like Ajo and Alberto Puig are still in the trade. “We try to use our experience because we have worked with so many young talents on different levels,” explains Ajo. “We try to help them see clearly and focus on the right things, this might affect everything that is behind them, like the family, the management, the federation or whoever. You have to take care of the whole group and make them feel like a team, comfortable and build trust.” “There are guys with skill, and then those that want to work: it’s like there are two ways to approach the top,” asserts Puig. “But, if you don’t have that high base of skill and potential, then it’s generally impossible. Good riders don’t necessarily know they have the skill, they just get on the bike and it clicks. You cannot buy it and you don’t ask for it: you either have it or you don’t. From there you have to work and do the day-by-day job. Many have passion for the sport and there are people who will work to be a good rider, but that special ‘area’ is necessary to go far.” Stigefelt says an eye for detail and maturation are other factors for plucking ripe fruit. “We are in Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP, and it gets easier to keep a watch on riders be-
DEVELOPING MotoGP TALENT
“Personally, I don’t only look at the riding and how they are on the track…but how they are as a person and how they can develop into a professional. It’s the whole package: how they behave and learn,” he adds.
FEATURE cause you see every session. You get to know them,” the 45-year-old Swede says. “You just have to do that process early enough to be able to sign them. Take Darryn Binder. We were waiting and waiting for him to make that breakthrough and at Jerez in 2020 he was fast and clever. I said: ‘now we need to sign him’. By the second race of the 2020 season we were clear. We saw he was ready. It’s about finding them at the right time.” SOMETIMES THE QUANDARY FOR THE TEAM OR THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE THE RIGHT TREATMENT OF A BUMPY DIAMOND. DOES THE RIDER HAVE TO FIT INTO THE STRUCTURE? OR DOES THE STRUCTURE HAVE TO FIT AROUND THE RIDER? “Usually, for us it is quite clear because the riders we are talking about are already in our structure and coming through the Rookies Cup and then into some teams in CEV or even in Aki’s or Herve’s team,” says Hainbach. “Then we just need to follow them and see if the next step makes sense for the rider and for us. There are many things you need to take into account and understand: his preparation at and away from the races, how he works with the technicians, the family background.” Stigefelt has seen the
advantages of being scientific with riders however. It means crunching some data even with those at the top of the sport. “Analysis is important, and it has to play a bigger role in the future,” he opines. “If you start with Moto3 then you have a very competitive class now with many good riders but there are always a couple that are a bit better because they have more of ‘the package’. There will be some riders behind those that might have the talent but don’t have, say, the physical condition.” “This is something where we have been working with our guys: we have been pushing them to train harder and to be more fit. Frankie’s [Morbidelli] first season in 2019; it was Fabio’s year and that meant it was hard for him. Franco went back home in the winter before 2020 and worked his ass-off. He worked and worked and trained and trained and came back like a new guy. He knew he had the talent - he is a world champion - but something was missing to be where Fabio was. He took energy from Fabio’s results to train harder and work harder and came back to finish 2nd and win three races in 2020. Riders need to work, and as teams we need to analyse what they are doing and how they prepare themselves. All the riders have talent, otherwise they wouldn’t be
in the world championship but there are different levels: natural talent and those that really work. Marc Marquez is amazing. He has natural talent but he also works like an animal. He does both. I think all the riders have to nowadays.” Bringing a teenager into a demanding world where sponsorship can be uneven (and even necessary from the rider’s side to complete a deal) means each contract can be a risk for all involved. It’s little surprise that the largely uncharted waters of psychology is where sports performance and training needs to venture next. Mental coaches are not new in MotoGP but there is still a stigma attached to them. MotoGP is a sport that freely pumps some of the purest chemicals in the body. It’s violent, aggressive, dangerous. Weaknesses are to be exploited. Not many riders talk about their work with sports psychology, and even fewer further down the pyramid where they are still building their careers. “Psychology plays a big part because the head is the worst enemy of a rider,” explains Stigefelt. “It’s another area that requires even more work, perhaps through a mental coach or someone who can help you use the bike in the
Pressure everywhere. Not only for results but to learn, progress, blend-in. There will be other candidates for the same saddle. Signs of evolution in as many areas as possible is another tell-tale that a rider is on his way. “One thing is for sure is that the really good guys have an interest in what you say and then develop by themselves and through racing every weekend,” believes Puig. “In the first stages of their career the good guys are ‘normally’ smart and want all the information they can get. It is also true that every rider has their own character, and you can talk to one person in one way and another person a different way to try and get the best out of them.” It’s little surprise that people
in Stigefelt’s position like to hold back before making a costly Grand Prix commitment. “I would rather look at riders when they are a bit further ahead on their journey,” he admits. “Perhaps after a few years of Moto3 or Moto2 rather than taking them from CEV.” Sometimes the quandary for the team or the manufacturer will be the right treatment of a bumpy diamond. Does the rider have to fit into the structure? Or does the structure have to fit around the rider? In KTM’s case the situation is mainly the former. “That’s part of the development for the rider,” Hainbach stresses. “That’s why we rely on teams like Aki’s or Herve’s because they have the years of experience in racing and they have a system that works very well, as you can see from the results. So, the rider must work in that way, and usually the young guys don’t have any experience. We try to move them in that direction, so they are well prepared to come to the top class. The rider needs to work with the technicians and give the right information to set-up the bike. They must adjust their style to meet our needs.” Aki Ajo himself is quick to state that his approach is a two-way street and, for him, filling only one or two
DEVELOPING MotoGP TALENT
right way. When you race a bike you are very lonely and many things go through you head. The less you think, the faster you are. In the pitbox you will have many people around you but on the bike you are completely alone. Everything is quiet and you start thinking. I used to have a Crew Chief who always said to me “don’t think!” That was the right way. Sometimes when I was injured and in pain those were some of the best races and sessions I had because I was focussing more on that than the riding and I was just fast. It’s the same with riders nowadays. It’s complicated.”
FEATURE chapters in a rider’s career does not produce regret. “People often ask me ‘what did you teach Marc Marquez?’ and I say to the journalists ‘why don’t you ask what I learned from him?’ We try to teach and offer everything we have available to our riders but at the same time we are collecting information and learning from them. This is one of best parts of the job. I don’t think we always learn something new…but at least the chance is there.” “I don’t feel that the team and myself will learn so much if we just follow one or two riders for their whole career,” he adds. “It is their career not ours! Our ‘career’ is to offer services to partners and riders at the maximum level to reach the best results. That’s
our job. If we can do it with as many riders and talents as possible this just makes us more and more strong. We can learn much more when we work with 35 riders than just 3.” “You need patience,” claims Stigefelt, while also conceding that MotoGP is a paddock in a hurry, and not everybody can wait for a rider to slowburn. “To have a structure like ours with three classes means that it takes time to find the right guy. Our dream is to find someone who will go through Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP but it’s very hard. I hope we can do it. Even from Moto2 to MotoGP is difficult. Again, it’s about the right guy at the right time and fitting everything together. We have Honda in Moto3, Kalex in Moto2 and
Yamaha in MotoGP. You have to balance that somehow. I think right now, after starting in 2018 with Moto3 and Moto2, 2021 is the first year where I am really happy with all of our riders across the categories. So, it’s taken a long time to get to this point. But then you have to start again. It is constant work, constant process. That’s my biggest job.” “Take Fabio for example,” he continues. “A rookie for MotoGP and he wasn’t exactly fantastic in Moto2. He had a few amazing races but we decided to gamble and sign him. He had a good crew and people with experience around him. We thought it would all fit together quite well, and in the beginning we had to teach him a lot. But then it started
“We need to prepare everything so that the rider can perform; that’s our job,” says Hainbach. “And at the end of the day when the helmet is on then it’s only the rider that can bring the success. If this doesn’t happen then we know that we tried our best to bring everything that is needed for good results and performance. It’s true that sometimes the window to achieve can be quite small and you still need
to decide whether a rider and a project is something that could succeed in the future or not. Some riders need more time, but time is a very critical topic in racing and you cannot wait and wait.” KTM haven’t had to wait for Acosta. Quite the opposite. The rookie’s results and racecraft have been superlative and he is on the fast-track. This presents problems at the other end of the scale; from the trappings of success to the allure of other courtiers to finding the right place for the talent to grow. “Our task now is to help him deal with the hype that is around him,” Hainbach underlines. “But I think he is quite a cool and calm guy and can handle that. We must give him the tools and the space to let him develop. A rider has to go through the lower categories and collect the experience that you need because the higher up you go the less time you have to show. You have to gain that racing knowledge so you are really ready to move up and perform. It will be one of our topics now to plan his development time.” Acosta earned his Moto3 KTM berth mostly thanks to his excellence in the 2020 Red Bull Rookies. He is one of four Spaniards in the KTM GP Academy and MotoGP ranks that also include a Japanese,
Turk, Australian, Italian, Portuguese and a South African. As much as a face might fit there are always politics involved with a new contract. This could include influence from sponsors, benefactors or promoters, or nationality and the strength of a particular business region. For KTM there is only one priority. “For sure we know the main markets and where we need to push as a company,” says Hainbach. “But, in the end the decision is purely taken by performance. If this matches with the requirements from the marketing side then it’s a win-win. The most important part is having a KTM on top. For sure we have some interest in Austrian or German riders to come through so
DEVELOPING MotoGP TALENT
to turn a little bit. Once he started to perform and felt a bit better he was teaching us a lot. We were learning from him and the way he was riding the bike. Even with Yamaha: when he was doing well they were then checking his data. The factory team were like ‘S**t! What’s happening here...?!’ Other riders then tried to follow. It was very interesting how it turned around; even a rookie can teach an experienced team! And that goes through all the categories. Darryn Binder had been in Moto3 for a few years and all with KTM. This was his first time on a Honda and he immediately liked the bike. We were surprised because we thought it might be difficult for him to adapt. It was the opposite. He adapted very well and now he is telling us things about the motorcycle. Not all the riders have that. Only a few that you work with can give you that return.”
FEATURE
that’s why we start now from the ground-up with the NTC and the AJC to bring through some local talent but to reach the top of racing it doesn’t matter where the rider comes from because he’s on a KTM and that’s number one. It is never a question of the money or the sponsor: it is purely a performance decision.” “We have a sponsor based in Malaysia and a Malaysian team owner who is also looking for local talent, which is important for us,” Stigefelt comments.
“At the moment there is nobody there that has the capacity of performance to be in our team. We say ‘performance first, then nationality’ but, of course, we want to bring Malaysian riders into the team. There are many politics to follow, a lot of discussions and lots of forward planning. We have worked with Honda for many years now in Moto3 and it works very well. We believe in Honda, and we have a good relationship. You really need to be on your game otherwise it might be too late to get a rider that you
want. I mean, look at the KTM programme. They sign up many riders early in Moto3 with Aki and they keep them. Ducati as well even, they are taking more rookies now for MotoGP. It’s all changing a bit. So, you really need to be ‘there’.” Then there is the subject of unexpected prospects, like Petronas Yamaha swapping a 20 year old rider for a 42 year old and KTM signing Danilo Petrucci. “You always have to be open to any opportunity that might come up. That’s
The bitter truth is that elite sport is extremely exclusive. As with Beane and his narrative in the Moneyball movie, a starlet doesn’t always boom into a supernova. Dealing with an investment that falters is something that makes the likes of Stigefelt, Ajo, Hainbach and Puig grimace. For all of KTM’s bubbling roster in 2021 there have also been names like Alt, Hanika, Sissis, Can Öncü in the last ten years that have faded away. “It would be nice to work with a rider for the majority of his career but it doesn’t always turn out like that,” Hainbach laments. “Last year we had the situation where one rider was not really in-line with our ideas or did not want to be part of our family. So, then you have to work out whether it makes sense to push for this [the collaboration] - and he is perhaps not 100% happy in the place where he is and he won’t bring the results we are all hoping for - or do you decide to step-back and let him go? For sure this will happen every now and then, so you must be flexible and
then quick to make a decision to find a replacement.” “It’s hard because you build a relationship with the riders,” says Stigefelt. “I was one of them, so I get very attached to these guys. Now I’m a Team Director that needs to take some hard decisions and it has to be that way. Once you decide something then it’s not such an issue to say ‘it’s not working…’ but the fact that you build this connection doesn’t make it any easier to stop it…even if we all know that will happen one day!” “I remember those feelings when I was a rider, and someone saying ‘we cannot continue’ but immediately you look for a solution and you forget about it,” he adds. “The rider always finds a way. I was close with Ayumu [Sasaki] and when we decided that we would not continue together, that was a very tough decision. I knew he would find a good team in Moto3 and Tech3 would be a good experience, something new. So, I was happy for him. It is part of the job, but it helps that I was a rider and I know how to talk to them in that way. To make them realise why.” “For me the hardest part of the job is when we do many selection events and you have 100 kids and you have to say
to 80 of them ‘thank you very much but…you have to keep trying’,” says Puig. “I’ve done this job for many years, and you never get used to it. It’s really sad but life is like this.” Smashing a home run and landing the next Acosta, a rider who can front the world championship in his first year and win a race by starting from pitlane, might not come through statistics and will remain in the judgements of grizzled doyens for now. But MotoGP continues to set new speed records and it would be remiss to think it won’t progress in other ways as well.
DEVELOPING MotoGP TALENT
clear,” Hainbach says. “The KTM GP Academy is one thing and we try our best to bring the riders from the start to the finish but if there is an opportunity in between we also have to take a decision.”
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www.scott-sports.com
SCOTT SPORTS A swift shout-out to the Scott bicycle range and the all-new Spark models; proven race winners with the RC and 900 versions and now into its fourth generation across thirteen years. The principal differences of the new design include the integrated suspension (improve decrease of lateral movement, more rigid frame, a lower shock placement for lower centralisation and better handing), the single shock kinematic build (meaning less weight) and altered geometry that Scott claim ‘with the built in ability to modify the head angle, we can run a longer, trail oriented fork on the 900, or a fork with slightly less travel on the RC that can easily be used for a more aggressive position on the bike for racing’ The result? An XC bike that has the ability to descend like a trail bike without sacrificing anything when you need to put the hammer down, and a trail bike that can fly up the hill, and excel even more on the way back down.’ The Fraser iC combo from Syncros means the handlebar and cable integration is much more simple and efficient. The Spark line-up consists of 21 bikes. The RC is more cross-country race orientated and the 900 is more geared to short-travel and the trail. The same frame is common across the catalogue but there are many other technical details that differentiate the bikes. Expect availability from September/ October.
WorldSBK BLOG
WILL SOMEONE ROLL THE DICE ON RA Finding form at the right time is crucial to getting an opportunity in MotoGP and Toprak Razgatlioglu is peaking at a curious moment. Three rounds into the 2021 WorldSBK season and a clear truth has emerged; it’s closer and more competitive than ever. Let’s get rid of the elephant in the room; Jonathan Rea is still the man to beat. The greatest rider of all-time riding for one of the greatest teams of alltime means this will stay as a ‘given’ until Rea ends his Kawasaki tenure. Four race wins and nine podiums from nine races means that Rea holds a deserved title advantage as we approach the quarter mark of the season. His lead is deserved but 20 points is hardly decisive and it can all change quickly. That advantage is held over Toprak Razgatlioglu with the Turkish rider having enjoyed a spectacular start to the campaign. Aragon, Misano and Estoril could not be
more different circuits and given that the Spanish venue has been an achilles heel for Toprak in the past the fact he finished on the podium at the season opener was a good sign. In seven dry weather races he’s claimed seven podiums. He is the real deal. Talent was never a question for the 24 year old but over the last three years he has developed into a complete package on a Superbike. At Misano he notched up his sixth win and his 31st podium. At the same age Rea had clocked up eight and 21 respectively. If you’re ahead of Rea in statistical terms you’re not doing a bad job. Rea is universally talked about as a perfect example of a wasted opportunity by Honda to have blooded him in WorldSBK before switching him to MotoGP.
In 2009 Yamaha knew what they had on their hands in the form of Ben Spies and the American was fast tracked to the Tech3 squad. Will Toprak get that chance? That remains to be seen but if he doesn’t it could be just as big a shame as it was for Rea. If he doesn’t get an opportunity it’s hard to see what more a Superbike rider can do in terms of showing promise. Quite apart from his speed and talent a Turkish passport means he also has the potential to open a big market to MotoGP. Of course there is a Turkish rider already in the MotoGP paddock; Deniz Öncü. He has come through from the Asia Talent Cup to Red Bull Rookies and the Moto3 Junior World Championship before getting his chance
AZGATLIOGLU?
BY ADAM WHEELER
BY STEVE ENGLISH with Herve Poncharal’s Tech3 Moto3 squad. Oncu, the younger brother of Can, is a talent and at the Catalan Grand Prix he clocked up his first podium. He has been fast but erratic in recent years but clearly has a lot of talent and is already on the KTM ‘ladder’. Opportunity is a fickle thing in MotoGP. The paddock is very risk averse and there has always been a risk in taking a Superbike rider across to MotoGP. Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards made the switch, albeit almost 20 years ago, and while both had success they were never able to replicate their production racing prowess. Toprak will face the same stigma that has affected so many converts. However, a lot has changed in the last 48 hours. Maverick Vinales dropped his bombshell and Petronas Yamaha are clearly disgruntled to have been saddled with Valentino Rossi this year.
Suddenly instead of one seat there is an opportunity for Yamaha to really shake things up. The Petronas team have stated in no uncertain terms that their goal is to find young riders and get the best from them before they have an opportunity to move on to the factory seats. That was Fabio Quaratararo’s path last winter and likely to be repeated by Morbidelli now. Both riders fortunes turned when they joined the family like atmosphere of the Petronas squad. It could be argued that both of Petronas’ Moto2 racers – Xavi Vierge and Jake Dixon – are not quite ready for the leap. So, why not give Razgatlioglu a chance. What’s the risk? He’ll either be successful or he won’t. Given the results Petronas has had this year from Rossi there’s not much to lose. Toprak will be 25 years old when next season kicks off
and while he is in discussions with Yamaha for remaining in the WorldSBK paddock next season and he says his goal is to be the World Champion, a perfect storm has opened a door for him to go to MotoGP. There are issues to be overcome such as his Red Bull sponsorship but they’re not insurmountable. For Yamaha the alternatives to Toprak are also quite interesting. In Moto2 who stands out as a potential alternative? There aren’t too many names that jump off the entry list that are more appealing than the man currently sitting second in the Superbike World Championship. Adaptation hasn’t been an issue for Toprak in the past-STK600 to STK1000 and Kawasaki to Yamaha Superbikes. Could he do the same with a MotoGP bike? Possibly. Would he be more of a gamble than another rider? Possibly not. The way that he has matured
WorldSBK BLOG
has shown a more focused and technically driven rider. The rashness of his early career is gone. His ability to learn and understand the package underneath him has been groomed with Phil Marron beside him as crew chief. In 2019 they started to work together and it was a challenge to get Toprak to concentrate on the task at hand. He was focused only on the time on the bike but alongside Marron they have formed a potent team. The Irishman has MotoGP experience from 2015 and 2016 so understands the paddock and the level expected of a rider. Yamaha could do far worse than bring both across. If they don’t it will be a crying shame to see history repeat itself with another young, uber-talented rider staying at home rather than getting an invite to the big dance.
Steve English
husqvarna-motorcycles.com
C a s u a l A p p a r e l C o l l e c t i o n
Photos: R. Schedl, H. Mitterbauer
2 0 2 1
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Clothing that allows you to stay connected to the ride you are no matter wheree doing: or what you ar l Collection – the new Casual Appare now available at Motorcycles dealers. authorized Husqvarna
R e m o t e Te e G r e y
TEST
HAYA-BUNGA RIDING THE UPDATE OF THE WORLD’S FASTEST STREETBIKE By Roland Brown Photos by Jason Critchell
A!
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H
ayabusa. The name’s the same and as emotive as ever, and so is the wind-cheating profile that seemed so radical when Suzuki’s supremely fast and aerodynamically efficient twowheeled bird of prey arrived to feast on its opposition – especially Honda’s suddenly not-so-Super Blackbird – back in 1999. Motorcycling has changed a lot since then, and the shift towards adventure bikes has made those hyperbikes increasingly irrelevant. But the Hayabusa remains an iconic model – both for its status as the last and fastest of the unrestricted dinosaurs (the Japanese manufacturers agreed a limit of 186mph/300kph shortly after its launch), and for its distinctive droop-nosed looks, which were widely criticised but have become arguably its greatest asset. The Hayabusa has changed little in all that time, bar a revamp in 2008, when the engine was enlarged from 1299 to 1340cc and power increased from 173 to 195bhp. Now comes this third-generation model, created mainly to get through Euro5 emissions regs. Its maximum output of 187bhp is 8bhp less than its predecessor’s, which triggered plenty of criticism when the figure was released last year.
Suzuki’s development team tweaked the bodywork, too, adding chrome trim and faired-in indicators. The aluminium main frame and swing-arm are unchanged but there’s a lightened rear subframe. Suspension, wheels and brakes are new, the latter featuring Brembo’s Stylema calipers biting larger, 320mm discs. I got a surprise on climbing aboard, having forgotten that the riding position is closer to that of a sports bike than anything else, with fairly low bars (now closer to the rider by a barely noticeable 12mm) and footrests that seemed high. At 264kg the Hayabusa is not particularly light but the seat is low enough to let most riders get both feet down, and the bike felt very manageable at slow speed. Slow speed, of course, is not what this bike is about at all. With clear road ahead it shot forward with thrillingly strong and impressively smooth force, as I crouched behind a screen that is fairly low but had given reasonably quiet wind protection even when I was
2021 SUZUKI HAYABUSA
Reason for that is Suzuki couldn’t justify an all-new engine, so needed to detune the existing unit to reduce emissions, and had no room left for a further capacity increase to compensate. Modifications include a reshaped cylinder head, new camshafts, and modified injection and exhaust systems. The benefit is increased torque lower down the rev range.
TEST
2021 SUZUKI HAYABUSA
“ANY NOTION THAT THE MISSING TOP-END POWER WAS A DRAWBACK SEEMED LUDICROUS AS THE HAYABUSA BLASTED TOWARDS ITS 11,000RPM THROUGH THE GEARS, HELPED BY A TYPICALLY SWEET GEARBOX AND EQUALLY SLICK TWO-WAY QUICK-SHIFTER...”
TEST
sitting normally. I can’t confirm whether it’s good for 186mph but its old-school analogue speedometer’s needle sweeps past some big numbers very quickly... Any notion that the missing top-end power was a drawback seemed ludicrous as the Hayabusa blasted towards its 11,000rpm through the gears, helped by a typically sweet gearbox and equally slick twoway quick-shifter. Equally importantly it kicked sufficiently hard through the midrange to highlight the benefit of its increased torque in the useful range between about 5000 and 6000rpm. Chassis performance was very decent, too. Steering was as precise and neutral as it’s ever been, the suspension felt welldamped, and ride quality was generally good, at least on fairly smooth roads. Occasionally, though, the Busa hit a bigger bump and passed it through the seat with a spine-crunching force. The Suzuki’s manually adjustable suspension seems distinctly basic now that so many bikes come with the comfort and convenience of semi-active. Stability wasn’t an issue and cornering performance was fine, with plenty of grip from the Bridgestone tyres, and a respectable angle of lean pos-
sible before a long footrest tip touched down. The Stylema front brake calipers gave plenty of stopping power too, and I was glad of the linked system that added a touch of stabilising rear brake while allowing a lazy right foot.
Unfortunately, suspension is not the only aspect in which Suzuki’s development work was half-hearted. The bike’s long list of new electronic features includes anti-wheelie, launch control, adjustable engine braking and an “active speed limiter”, none of which is particularly useful. The Hayabusa does at least now have cruise control, but it’s a simple system rather than the more useful automatic versions that some bikes now feature. There’s no keyless ignition, the indicators don’t self-cancel, and you have to pay extra for heated grips and even luggage hooks. Suzuki don’t offer panniers, and hardly seem to have considered storage at all.
This bike’s range is worse than its predecessor’s, because the engine’s no more economical and the tank is smaller at 20 litres compared to 21. At an easily bettered average of 40mpg it’s good for over 130 miles if you don’t mind the warning light showing for a while. That’s probably sufficient for most riders; I was glad of a break by then anyway. Whether the Hayabusa offers enough depends on what you want from a large-capacity motorcycle. Plenty of alternative bikes offer comparable performance with more comfort and practicality. And are better value, too, given that the Suzuki is far from cheap (at £16,499 in the UK). But perhaps that doesn’t matter, if straight-line speed or the Hayabusa’s reputation and unique style are what get your adrenaline flowing.
2021 SUZUKI HAYABUSA
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FQ, Assen 2021. By Polarity Photo/Rob Gray
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, Steve English, Jason Critchwell Cover shot: Jeremy Seewer by Ray Archer 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’.