With his frank talk and his usual humor, the boss of the SIC58 Squadra Corse team describes his Teruel Grand Prix weekend experienced...from home.
Paolo Simoncelli, who runs Tatsuki Suzuki et Niccolo Antonelli in Moto3, has in fact chosen this solution before being present for three weeks in Valencia, first for the final of the FIM CEV championship then for the two Grands Prix which will take place there.
He describes this new experience to us.
This is already the second “press release” that I have written from home, I am finally an intelligent worker too. The next step would be for drivers to attempt to conquer the Championship while sitting relaxed on their couch at home, online with their PlayStation.
Yesterday we took our plane to Valencia for the CEV and that's why I took a little vacation from the World Championship. Before I start speaking, I would like to thank everyone who, on October 23, spent a minute texting me: A message, a quote, a heart emoji, thank you everyone.
A double GP a few days apart means that performances level out, that no one has the chance to shine more than another, and that is rare in Moto3.
In the second race there are no big gaps between the drivers, the race becomes a fight and the most difficult corners no longer make the selection. So, with four days of testing in ten days, all drivers become competitive and they are all able to correct past problems and mistakes.
Suzuki was having a good race, but in the final laps, caught in the heat of the battle, he made a mistake, resulting in a highside that also involved Garcia, and they both crashed. I saw him in pain on television, but fortunately he no longer has any problems with his arm. It's just a shame because he had a great race.
Antonelli made life complicated with Migno and Foggia by finishing in 24th place.
It's still quite strange watching the races from home, even if it's a bit difficult. There are pros and cons. Physically you can get more rest because you don't have to travel, fly, wake up early, but you lose everything you gained in anxiety and furniture because walking around the living room all day day, I think I wore out the floor. You can say all the bad words you want out loud (no cameras), and in the worst case scenario, it's just my wife shouting: “Paolo, stop!”. But from home you can't transfer your emotions to your team, whether you are happy, angry or really proud of them. You can't hug them at the end of the race, you can't calm them down before the start. I firmly believe that the team principal's place, if circumstances permit, is alongside the drivers.
As we head to Valencia for the final round of the CEV, where World Championship personnel will also arrive immediately afterwards, Italy is once again facing another lockdown. The virus is destroying us again and we are not prepared.
There are just a few little things that can remind us that we had another type of life, made up of travel, schools, socialization, it was an asymptomatic world. We have to thank Dorna and all the teams for giving us one of the few things that brings us back to normality at home: thanks to their work, we have the opportunity to watch the World Championship on Sunday. Today it means a lot.
I can't wait to see you again in the stands which are now empty, to smell the scent of our motorcycles again, to hear again the deafening roar of MotoGP and the sound of your applause which resonates between the turns of your favorite circuit .
-PaoloSic58-
