Moto3 Exclusive interview with Alain Bronec, with John McPhee 0.08 off the podium in Barcelona

Alain Bronec's CIP-Green Power team has had a facelift this year, with two new drivers, the Scotsman John McPhee and the Kazakh Makar Yurchenko, and KTMs to replace his Mahindras. John McPhee has just obtained his best result of the year with fourth place in Catalonia, 8 hundredths behind third Gabriel Rodrigo. We asked Alain Bronec to find out if his team had now found a good balance between the riders, the team and the KTM.

“What happened in Barcelona confirms what we have been doing since the start of the year, that is to say that John is starting to gain confidence. The KTM's riding characteristics are a bit different from the machine he rode last year. So we are working to make John and the KTM a unit that works well. Now it's starting to work. »

Last year, McPhee was driving Hondas and you were racing Mahindras. Was the adaptation to the KTM difficult?

“For us it went quite easily because there is support from KTM and WP to support their new teams. We didn't have any particular problem at the start of the year, other than finding the right geometries and adapting to the reactions of the bike depending on the track temperature and external factors. »

Makar Yurchenko obtained twelfth place in Montmelo, his best of the year, and his third in the points. We only know the Kazakh driver of Russian origin (born in Saint Petersburg) thanks to his results in the Rookies Cup (6th at Silverstone in 2015) and in CEV (4th at Valencia in Moto3 in 2016 and 2nd at Albacete in 2017). What do you think of him?

“He's a driver who surprises me because it's true that his first three races on circuits (Qatar, Argentina, Texas) that he didn't know were a discovery and therefore at times a little difficult. But as soon as he arrived on circuits that he knew, as he had already ridden on the KTM, he was really comfortable. »

“He has a little difficulty in setting very good times in practice sessions, but on the other hand in the race he starts well and he manages to stay in the groups. It impresses us, like in Jerez where he finished 8 seconds behind the leader, and at the French Grand Prix 12 seconds behind. There, in Barcelona, ​​he finished quite close to the leading group. »

By going very far away.

“Starting 23rd on the grid, so it's really very good, that is to say he was there on time and he avoided the pitfalls.

Marco Bezzecchi finished third in the Japanese GP in 2017 on Mahindra during his rookie season with your team. He is now leading the Moto3 World Championship. Obviously you trained him well. Do his performances this year surprise you?

“No, because we knew since last year that Marco Bezzecchi drove fast because he used the Mahindra 100%. It’s one of his qualities and that’s what he’s doing this year with the KTM. »

Apart from your Grand Prix team, what are your current activities regarding the promotion of young French drivers?

“We have a young French driver who is racing in the European Talent Cup with the support of the FFM: Clément Rougé. He had a fairly timid start to the season because he was around 30th place during practice, but then climbed back into the points in the race and it was interesting. He reached a milestone in Barcelona, ​​with 7th place in practice and 5th in the race (interrupted by the red flag). We work with him in training and on the track. »

“I have other missions for the Federation. There is a pre-Moto3 championship in France, Objectif Grand Prix within the French Superbike Championship, which is working well and we are seeing successful young riders arriving. This interests us for the future in higher categories like the ETC, the Junior World Championship, and then the Grands Prix. »

Your CIP-Green Power team has just scored 17 points in the team rankings in Barcelona, ​​which placed them in third position in the Grand Prix. How do you see the rest of the season?

“We are now arriving at circuits whose characteristics are quite favorable to John’s driving. Makar will enter a period where he will discover some circuits and continue his learning. »

“Our objective is always the same, that is to say that we will try to get closer to the top 5 regularly. It's achievable. For Makar, he must be in the points at each GP to fight in the rookie standings. »