It has now become a sort of habit: every year, Hervé Poncharal's Tech 3 team welcomes in the best conditions the 2 people designated by a draw who gave a correct answer to the question of our competition "2 Tech3 Super VIP Pass.
After Austria and the Adriatic coast, it was once again Misano which served as the setting for this meeting, the first moments of which are always placed under the sign of discovery. This time, the Tech3 team discovered Carine and her husband, Franck, a strong fellow from the French Navy who, despite his imposing physique, was not the least moved...
The latter, considerate, had also brought the traditional sailors' headgear to offer it to Hervé Poncharal, explaining to him that touching the red pompom with the left index finger brought luck to the author of this action.
Here is the report from Carine and Franck, two enthusiasts who will not soon forget their weekend in Misano…
Friday August 31, 2018, day of our 22nd wedding anniversary, on vacation on the borders of the Basque country, I receive an email telling me that I have just won 2 super VIP Tech 3 passes for the Misano grand prix... Thinking of a joke, I talk to Franck but I still call Marc from Paddock-GP to make sure. Bingo! We are the winners of the competition, we can't believe it! A unique opportunity for motorcycle racing enthusiasts like us!
Every year for the past 4 years, we have attended a motorcycle Grand Prix. But this year, we hadn't planned anything, it's perfect!
Time to organize the logistics, find accommodation, a means of transport, we confirm our presence with Marc for Friday September 7 morning.
Impatient, all week, Franck has difficulty getting to sleep: meeting the Tech 3 team from Bormes-les-Mimosas (near our home), Hervé and Mathilde Poncharal, the mechanics (Guy Coulon whom we had seen during 'a previous Sunday Ride Classic) and the Moto 2 and GP riders (with our national Johann!).
Thursday 6 September 2018 At the end of the day, we hasten to head towards Italy.
Six hours' drive, we arrive in Bologna, stronghold of the Ducati team, to stay in Borgo Panigale (you can't make this up!) and get closer to the Republic of San Marino!
Friday, September 7, first of three big days, we leave early to follow FP1. The excitement is at its height, I even forget Franck's identity card at the hotel, we will have to make a stop on the way back!
We arrive shortly before the opening of the accreditation center to collect our Passes, then head to the circuit. The access road is already busy!
We head towards Hospitality Tech 3 where Pierre welcomes us with a smile. After a coffee and a tour of the facilities, we enjoy the Moto GP FP1 in the stands located at the exit of the pit straight.
10:50 a.m., we have an appointment with Marc de Paddock-GP at the hospital to meet Hervé and Mathilde Poncharal. Despite their busy schedules, both took the time to chat with us. A little nod to Hervé since we brought him a sailor's bachi to bring luck to the team.
End of FP1 for Moto 2, Mathilde shows us the Tech 3 box with the M1s of Johann Zarco and Hafizh Syahrin. Guy Coulon takes over and answers our many questions about the M1. Poor Guy, I hope Franck didn't get him too drunk!
Short tour in the paddock before going to lunch at the hospitality with the team.
14:05 p.m., the dream continues: we find Mathilde in the Tech 3 box to experience FP2 of the Moto GP live with Hafizh Syahrin on our right and Johann Zarco on our left. We try not to disturb and enjoy every moment. The pilots' debriefings are lively: the technical teams take notes; the chief engineers try to find solutions; the drivers appear exhausted at the end of each run. Franck monitors the Yamaha engineer: if he leaves his PC with him, he adds 500 revolutions to Johann's engine. Unfortunately, this will not be possible!
Hafizh has fallen, there is excitement on his side of the box, the leather is really damaged, no time to think too much, we have to leave with the second bike. These pilots have a great mentality!
The only regret at the end of these tests is that Johann is 11th and will have to fight during FP3 to be directly qualified for Q2... Everyone is disappointed. Johann went out too early for his last run, the fault of the predicted rain which ultimately did not arrive.
We slip away for the stands and Moto 2 FP2 before returning to the hospitality for the Tech3 MotoGP riders press conference!
End of the sessions but not the day in the paddock, Marc accompanies us: we discover the drivers' "hotel rooms", the Moto3 and Moto 2 stands with the mechanics in full action, the Michelin stand in full activity with the tires to prepare. Short stop in the CIP box where Alain Bronec, team manager, presents the Moto3 KTMs and their specificities.
One last lap before returning, we see Cal Crutchlow, Dani Pedrosa, Alex Rins, Aleix Espargaro…
We are on cloud nine! So many wonderful surprises in one day, what can tomorrow have in store for us?
Saturday, September 8, 8:00 a.m., early arrival on the circuit so as not to miss anything…
The Paddock wakes up and comes alive: we meet Andrea Dovisiozo, Fabio Quartararo, Michele Pirro, Dani Pedrosa, Vanessa Guerra from Eurosport, Thomas Luthi, Scott Redding, Carlo Pernat... All these beautiful people are relaxed, smiling.
We move on to the Tech 3 hospitality area where Johann Zarco, his dad, Mathilde and a few members of the team are already having lunch. I am speechless when I shake hands with the French pilot!
We sit in the stands for Moto 3 FP3 while the track is still slippery because it rained last night, then wait for the Moto GP to exit the pit lane to take photos.
We return to hospitality for the last 15 minutes of FP3 and Johann Zarco's Q2 qualification during the last lap of the session. Phew, what emotion! We say to ourselves that Hervé has touched the bachi pompom, luck is there!
Hervé is very enthusiastic about the passage in Q2 of Johann, a great driver. He invites us into his office to chat and get to know each other.
We talk about the present with Yamaha, the future with KTM, this super exciting challenge that awaits them as well as the choice of Johann who is also leaving for KTM. According to him, the “reds” risk being difficult to beat tomorrow in the race. As for the “blues”, they have done private tests here and are ahead of Tech 3. Unlike us who think that Johann can win all the races, Hervé remains lucid. The factory teams do have an advantage: barring exceptional conditions, such as a fall or rain, it is difficult for a satellite team to reach the Grail. Cal Crutchlow has already done it at LCR, but with a factory bike in a satellite team, which is not the case for Johann Zarco.
We continue the visit of the paddock with Marc at Shark, a Marseille company where Jean-Jacques explains to us the days of an equipment manufacturer before, during and after the Grand Prix. He informs us that pilots' helmets are very little different from our traditional helmets.
We can admire the pilots' helmets, there, in front of us! Thanks to him for taking his time.
After lunch with the team, we follow FP4 in the stands with the return of the sun then the Q1 and Q2 qualifications on the hospitality screens: 9th place and 3rd row for Johann, Hafizh at the bottom of the standings.
We return to the stands for Moto 2 qualifying.
16:10 p.m., return to hospitality for the press conference and the MotoGP rider signing session!
We speak with Charlotte, female journalist from Paddock-GP, then Gérard Vallée, responsible for logistics and organization for the Tech 3 team, before continuing our trip with Marc.
We meet the French driver Jules Danilo who is lacking success at the moment, he is struggling, it's difficult for him. Then, we are invited by “Mika” to the “French pot” at Shoei, an astonishing interlude in this paddock with Spanish and Italian accents. Italian Moto 3 rider Fabio Di Giannantonio (who will finish on the podium tomorrow) comes to see his Shoei helmet with a special decoration for this grand prix. We can take in hand Marc Marquez's helmet, slightly scratched following his fall this afternoon!
We follow Marc on the track to attend the ceremony in tribute to Shoya Tomizawa, a young Moto 2 rider who died on the circuit in 2010 at the age of 20.
Night begins to fall when we meet Jacky Hutteau from Elf who teaches us many things about the fuels used in motorcycle grand prix.
On Saturday evening, some teams and equipment suppliers are crowded like at Ducati or Alpinestars while others are calmer, in complete privacy, like at Tech 3 or Michelin. We can see the drivers: Dani Pedrosa, Andrea Dovizioso, Jorge Lorenzo, Maverick Vinales, Cal Crutchlow, Aleix Espargaro, Bradley Smith, Alex Marquez…
The pilots' mobile hotels are well monitored while the Moto 3 pit boxes have lowered the curtain.
20:45 p.m., exit from the circuit, we are still amazed!
Sunday, September 9, 8:00 a.m., last day and day of racing, up early, we reach the circuit for its wake-up call. A quick tour of the paddock before heading to Hospitality Tech 3.
We meet Gigi Dall'Igna from Ducati who seems relaxed, an omen for the race...
Like yesterday, Johann Zarco, relaxed and smiling, his dad, Mathilde and a few members of the team are having lunch there.
The Moto 3 warm up starts, we join the stands to follow the Moto 2 and GP under the sun and the heat.
We are waiting for the start of the Moto 3 race at the hospital. Outside, the paddock is lively: drivers in transit between their box and their hospitality attract crowds. Phone call from Marc, we are expected for the start on the Moto 2 grid, another superb surprise!
Mathilde Poncharal takes us with her to the pit lane, among the Moto 2s, drivers, mechanics and umbrella girls!
It's a real anthill! Quickly, everything gets underway, we are evacuated, we quickly return to the hospital to follow the Moto 2 race, have lunch then watch the GP race.
The MotoGP race is frustrating: straight away, we see that the Yamahas, with one second more per lap, will not keep up with the more powerful Ducati, and the alien Marc Marquez is following them very closely. Too bad, Johann finished 10th and Hafizh 19th!
Hervé comes home a little disappointed. Finally, Johann finished only 2 places behind Valentino Rossi in 7th and 4 places behind Maverick Vinales in 5th, it's not so bad with a less efficient bike. However, it's the soup of grimaces at Yamaha.
The Tech 3 drivers arrive at a press conference and we realize how difficult it can be for them, because they are asked to explain themselves, to justify their choices after this tough day.
We are waiting for the end of the press conference to thank and say goodbye to Mathilde, Pierre, Charlotte and especially Marc and Hervé!
At 16:30 p.m., it was with a heavy heart and tears in our eyes that we left the Misano circuit... It was difficult to find the words, the return journey was likely to be sad. We had an unforgettable time and met passionate, caring, friendly and simple people.
A HUGE THANK YOU to Hervé, Mathilde and the entire Tech 3 team for their welcome, their kindness, this unforgettable memory, this magnificent birthday gift.
We also thank everyone who welcomed us in the paddock.
We will come back to the Grands Prix, anonymous this time, to continue to support Tech3 and Johann.
And, during a ride on our faithful Italian-English steeds near Bormes-les-Mimosas, the Quebec motto will resonate in us " I remember ".
Only those who do not participate in our Competitions are certain of not experiencing a dream weekend!
You can also consult the report written by our winners two years ago et the one from last year !
