Since reaching the summit with the title of 500cc World Champion in 3 with Alex Criville, Gilles has continued his wanderings from paddock to paddock. In 1999, he finished second with Tom Lüthi in the Moto2017 world championship behind Franco Morbidelli, but ahead of Miguel Oliveira, Alex Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia, on a Kalex from the CarXpert Interwetten team. This earned Tom a promotion to MotoGP, still with Gilles as team leader, at Marc VDS in 2.
The Swiss finished 29th without scoring a point, with the team's Honda deserted during the year by Michael Bartholémy. What is the outcome of this season in MotoGP?
“It was interesting to do this MotoGP season but difficult to deny that it was also a great frustration not to have managed to score the slightest point, interesting because when you are a “spectator” that is to say without having ever worked in a MotoGP team (not Moto3 or Moto2) it is difficult to understand or guess what a MotoGP rider has to face and on this point it was enriching. »
The Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS team leaves the MotoGP category (like Aspar Martinez) as Petronas arrives. What conclusion do you draw from this?
“These are two quite different cases, Asparagus was asked to leave due to lack of budget and Marc VDS withdraws from MotoGP because he only wants to be present in Moto2, let us recall in passing that Marc VDS is more of a patron than a sponsor.
Then we must not have any illusions, it is above all a business world with big budgets at stake and when a company like Petronas comes with a big budget and ideas, it is difficult to say no to it. . This allows MotoGP to have sustainable teams that have a certain financial stability. »
Since the Jerez tests at the end of November in Moto2, you have been team leader for 59, with pole position in Argentina this year and 2015 first rows. What are your goals for this new season?
“Like all riders, Xavi hopes to find himself on one of the steps of the podium and the Marc VDS Moto2 team would like to see its two riders battle for victory. »
In the recent Jerez tests, Xavi placed 10th out of 31, 0.7 behind Luca Marini. How did these tests go for you?
“It was difficult because it was our “first time” as a team and with Xavi, so we had to discover Moto2 with the Triumph engine and also discover Xavi who discovered the Triumph engine which was quite different from the Honda engine. Like many people, we would have liked to have had better weather to be able to ride more and find better settings because we had to get to know Xavi's riding and know what he likes and what he doesn't like. Overall it was interesting, the torquey 3-cylinder Triumph requires different riding, Dunlop had provided each rider with a new, more efficient rear tire but due to lack of time we did not try it with Xavi because our settings were not suitable. were not yet optimal. Alex Marquez was able to do it and the gain per lap was quite clear between 0.4 and 0.5.
“The new engine seems promising and in theory the performance of the Moto2 should be up but it's only the beginning, so let's be careful because very often in Jerez the level of grip is good in winter and that erases certain defects which we will undoubtedly find elsewhere. We'll have to wait for the first tests in February in Valencia to find out a little more but it's cool for the category and for all the Moto2 teams to work with another engine. »
What do you think of the new format for Moto3 and Moto2 qualifying?
“Good, because in fact during qualifying the window for setting a time is small and the show suffers because the drivers do a large number of laps and it lacks intensity. Certainly also fewer problems to solve for the Race Direction with the drivers waiting for wheels, with the new formula this will make the qualifying sessions more attractive. »
On a sporting and technical level, as well as on a show level, what changes will the transition to the Triumph engine and more sophisticated electronics bring?
“We can hope to see an improvement in times compared to the Honda engine, the torque of the Triumph engine associated with “a little electronics” should be a guarantee of additional efficiency. In terms of spectacle, fewer motorcycles cross or slide when braking, and it is also a challenge for the riders because it will also be necessary to have skill with the throttle handle…. »
Video: Tom Lüthi at the Japanese GP in Motegi (©TeamEG00MarcVDS)
— Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (@ElfMarcVDS) October 20, 2018
Photos © Garage Plus Interwetten (in title, in 2016) and Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS
