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ď‚— Cover: Johann Zarco photographed by Mirco Lazzari
I am not afraid of changing, I am terrified of staying the same
(marco montemagno)
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Mirco Lazzari ď‚– Valentino Rossi in box Sepang International Circuit Nikon D5 Nikkor 24mm 1.4 ď‚– 1/10 f.4
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Raffaella Gianolla Maverick Vinales, Nikon D5 Nikkor 500 5.6 1/1000 f5.6
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Mirco Lazzari Bangkok ambiance, Mirco Lazzari Ducati Mission Winnow MotoGP launch ambiance, Palazzo Re Enzo Bologna Nikon Z6 Nikkor 24/70 4 1/15 f 9 Nikon Z6 Nikkor 24/70 4.5 1/30 f 4.5
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motorsport and life
mlmagazine 2020#01
#1 summary 4
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14
Mi r c o ’ s s p e e c h
16
behind the scene
28
when i was young
40 missionwinnow
ducati launch 2020
48 portraits 54 australian open 62 sepang 78 bangkok
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Mi r c o ’ s s p e e c h
Thank you. And from here we start again. Thanks to all of you for making our dream of a purely photographic magazine come true. After the first three numbers, let’s call them numbers zero made at the end of the past season, the results described on the map below have convinced us that the road taken is the right one.
A magazine that speaks through photography, which tells through images what we have the opportunity to experience during our travels. Important numbers for us and above all involving many countries in the world to demonstrate that photography is still an universal language, a language common to all men and all races.
R eaders ar o u nd t h e w o rld
t o p 1 0 c o u ntries Italy 1,591 Thailand 524 United Kingdom 410 Japan 330 Spain 135
United States 133 Australia 115 France 110 Ireland 107 Malaysya 78
MLmagazine, ML like our initials, mine and almost of everyone in my family. ML like the agency created years ago together with two special people like Carlo and Raffaella and now Motorsport and Life. Motorsport has always been my life, even before work, passion was the driving reason that made me enter this world. A world in which I have lived for over thirty years, which has obviously made me give up a private part of me, to allow the artistic part to express itself in its own way. And to evolve, grow, also through those who have always supported and helped me and to those who joined my journey along this path. Life, in fact. Thank you. ⚍ Mirco L azzari
Behind the scene the Second Life
16
Second life
The race has begun, ready set go...! From the pit lane box window front I look outside, and feel the suns rays are hot and strong, they dilute the colour of the cobalt blue sky. It is the ideal day for a Grand Prix, or better still... it could be. That clear blue sky! As clear as the Valencia’s sky when in November the sun embraces the circuit in the last effort for the year, but lets say it was never struggle and never has been until it started to weigh me down, until at that precise moment in which I recognised it and had to admit it to myself that all was un effort and a struggle of my entire career. It was more tiring to recognise and admit it to myself than to admit it and announce it to the whole wide world. To the crowd and to those millions of fans and critics who, in any case, expected me to continued to race but It comforts me to think that, although I’m very far away, I’m still around the track, under the same sky that in my previous career has kept me sheltered, protected and dry as under an umbrella in a thunderstorm. I have been very lucky to be part of this life, like it is my destiny and meant to be. At a certain point of my life in the past, all was a struggle, went through hard times I had to admit I was truly scared, the fear of serious injury, falling off my motorbike, fear of dying, fear of not being up to the task, fear of not loving to race or being loved, fear of never winning a race again.
“...one hundred and sixty thousand spectators came to the San Marino Grand Prix, here at the Marco Simoncelli racetrack in Misano, and when there are only a few minutes left before the traffic lights go out and the starting grid is complete...” The images of my new monitor are reflected on the pit lane box glass as it continues to remind me about the future without me in it. I abandon looking at the sky with my eyes and lounge back to look at the big screen in which projects the concentrated eyes of you, who are in pole position. The latest generation cameras penetrates and evades beyond the rider’s visor, it captures the image of the still iris and pupil between your immobile eyelashes. I know that gaze well, we all have it, we all had it - two seconds before the traffic light go out; today I smirk and laugh a little if I think about it: the eye of the tiger as we call it at the start of the race, the ancious look of the rider amongst the fumes and thunder of the motorbike, accelerators firmly grasped and when it all goes wrong, after the third corner you immediately understand that they are winning, there is no hope for you and you get the look of the sheep, eh eh eh! “... because you, the rider, have chosen to fit your motor bike with a different tyre feel, which shall I chose ? The hard tyre at the
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front and the medium tyre on the rear, while...” It took me some time before I could laugh about it. I kept myself away for a while, away because I had to heal from it, it is like when you throw away the full packet of cigarettes fearful you will get the urge to smoke again. I did not want to be around the track and crowds or be part of it any longer, I tried to occupy my free time doing other things to eradicate my self from the track, I tried to love life and other things, away from the paddock and track but never felt fulfilled, I looked around and realized there was nothing left for me. I mean... I could not see anything or maybe what was there didn’t matter or interest me at the time. I felt really lonely and alone, even in a world full of fans who adored me and critics that finally had revenge there was nothing I felt, they were all added to the number at the time of my absence, finally they were satisfied. “... and now they exit from the grid the last of the workers, mechanics, grid girls and the last of the professionals, with this they preannounce the promises of a thrilling race, considering that...” I could have changed category, or at least attempt it and given it a try, but I’m convinced I would have embarrassed my
self, but when you get to certain levels, they either give you a real opportunity or you stop and retire from it. Then after a while you try to convince yourself that you are sick of it all and tired of all the traveling around the world, nauseated, had enough, but the truth is that when you retire from racing and hang your helmet on wall, the nail is always unreachable, too high, so inside you, you feel closed in, trapped and in a maze a labyrinth that you cannot escape from. At times you have to make choices and reach out, get out of the hole or find the exit to the maze and labyrinth. For a long time from the day I announced my retirement from the track at the World Cup, whilst sleeping I would dream of qualifying, never a race but always only of qualifying. However on the eve when I raced, the Saturday before the race I would fall asleep and dream I would ride my motor bike, I could read my name on the suit and saw myself riding from behind. I followed delighted and I was pleasantly surprised to see my self dancing along the curves almost like a waltz, the two of us perfectly in step, me and the motor bike together in Unisom. Then suddenly slam! I would fall off my motorbike and wake up in a panic, startled with a rapid heart beat nearly jumping out of my chest. And the next day, during the race, I would reach a low point so after a few races would dream this dream again. With that dream I started to recognize and learn to
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wake up before falling. In the race I would not fall anymore. I’m finally free to talk about my world, the world that I kept me cornered, chained within it that world that kept me within those walls, I would have never told anyone about my fears, I would have felt naked and vulnerable. “...fly in the wind green flag at the end of the grid, the Safety Car in the queue of them all...” My stomach in a vice. Everything else as to say, I hid away, but it is that knot in the stomach before the race is what I miss the most. It started the night before the race and disappeared the next morning after a race, as soon as I zipped up my leather suit closed, the knot that would grip the stomach would take hold, it takes your appetite away, you force yourself to eat to deny and defy that feeling. Yes, that bothered me, of course, in fact I was trying to avoid it and prevent it, I still remember my personal trainer as he insisted with his tips, the yoga and breading…. Inhale and hold for eight seconds- hold for eight seconds - exhale another eight and hold but that vice and knot in my stomach was my greatest ally, the only one capable of recharging me with adrenalin and face the world cup, to conquer and win the races, the world titles I won. “... nothing remains now for me to do but just
wait for the traffic light to come on...” Another technique I had was to get angry... I laugh now as no one understood my method, I welcomed anger, I needed it. At random I would choose the first person that crossed my way, that even dared to look at me in the wrong way. I would challenge them and get verbally abusive, he eh he! Fortunally I would always find willing someone in the paddock. I needed anger, I welcomed it as it charged me and was able to convert anger into adrenaline, the driving force. I would be aggressive with everyone, the first person that would say something or even raise an eyebrow or look at me the wrong way would serve the purpose to perfection! People would say: why are you so angry all the times, you should’t get so upset. Secretly inside my soul would reply, let it be, it is good for me, it serves the purpose! When I look back It saddens me to think about how many arguments I had, how aggressive I got and how often I would loose my temper with mechanics, giornalists and unsuspecting fans, people that still today feel I love because they are part of my world in which I no longer live in, but has never stood still or stopped and still races today. Without me. “...The race has started. . gone !” ⚫ by A lice margaria
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when i was young
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ď‚— Previous page: Andrea Iannone Left page: Pecco Bagnaia Right page: Jorge Lorenzo
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ď‚— Previous page: Andrea Dovizioso Left page: Alvaro Bautista Right page: Marc Marquez
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ď‚— From top left: Fahmi Karrudin playing tennis in Imola, Policcyo Espargaro, Johann Zarco in Tokyo airport, Jonas Folger (L) and Lorenzo Zanetti in Kuala Lumpur, Chaz Davies, Taka Nakagami (L) and Julian Simon
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From top left: Hiro Aoyama in Tokyo, Lucio Cecchinello, Romano Fenati, Jack Miller with Aki Ajo, Arthur Sissis and Dani Kent in KL Chinatown, Alex Marquez, Santi Hernandez (L) and Jeremy Burgess, Miguel and Paulo Oliveira Next page: Colin Edwards
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Mi s s i o n Wi n n o w Ducati launch 2020
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Mirco Lazzari ď‚– Ducati Mission Winnow MotoGP launch ambiance, Palazzo Re Enzo Bologna Nikon Z6 Nikkor 24/70 4.5 ď‚– 1/30 f 4.5
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portraits
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ď‚— Previous page: Jacky Ickx guest in Valencia Left page: dreaming expression of two grid girls Right page: Joan Mir portrait
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ď‚— Left page: Mattia Pasini Right page: a marshall... fans
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australian open play & emotions Photos by Bruno Silverii
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Left and right page, left to right: the personalized shoes of the “big three” Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic Previous page: Rafa Nadal during a match
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ď‚— Left page: Domenic Thiem during the final match Right page: Novak Djokovic with his 8th Australian Open trophy Next page: Sofia Kenin after winning the final
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sepang in 10 pics
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ď‚— This page: Aleix Espargaro riding the new Aprilia Previous page: Andrea Dovizioso in action
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ï‚— Left page: Alex Rijns Right page: Franco Morbidelli
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ï‚— Jack Miller playing with the brake of Ducati Team Pramac
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ï‚— This page: Kohta Nozane (Yamaha Factory Test Team rider) in action Next page: Joan Mir in Suzuki garage
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ď‚— Left page: Fabio Quartararo Right page: Valentino Rossi Next page: Franco Morbidelli on Petronas Yamaha M1
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bangkok inside the real city
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Editor Claudio Pavanello Art Director Mirco Lazzari Photographers Raffaella Gianolla Carlo Gambini Mauro Lazzari Mirco Lazzari Roberto Rimorini Bruno Silverii Archive and Iconographic Research Raffaella Gianolla Graphic Design Silvia Lannutti Post Production Marco Mercuri Mirco Lazzari
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