For the Ducati Corse team manager, he will have to be able to demonstrate a lot of responsiveness and know how to take numerous initiatives at the start of the season which will begin, with thirteen races in eighteen weeks. The health situation will greatly change behaviors and the way of doing things for this year 2020 which has until now seen no equivalent in the annals.
“It will be possible to work in the stand in close proximity to each other, for example several people on the same motorcycle, provided they wear protective glasses, a mask and a plastic visor. Dressed like this, it will be a little inconvenient, especially in the heat, but I don't think there will be any particular slowdown in the work. We have had more than one meeting with Dorna and IRTA on these procedures, which have also been modified based on our suggestions, which I am satisfied with." explained Tardozzi to Matteo Aglio of GPOne.com.
Will talking to drivers during practice sessions be a problem?
“It is obvious that we cannot put a rider who has just gotten off a motorcycle behind Plexiglas, as well as a mask, because he needs to breathe. We are preparing to solve the problem: either by requiring team members to take all precautions, such as visors, or by putting a microphone connected to our helmets that allows everyone to hear what the pilot is saying. We will try this system in Misano next week, this test will be a dress rehearsal for the first Grand Prix. »
Each official team will be made up of 45 members, is that enough?
“They were increased by 5 at the request of certain Japanese teams. I think it's a fair number, MotoGP requires more personnel than the other classes but that doesn't pose a problem for us. »
Pit Beirer, KTM motorsport director, said he was concerned about the possibility of creating a group of engineers who work remotely, as is the case in Formula 1. Is it possible to do this in MotoGP?
“I also read what he said but I had never heard of this possibility before. Honestly, I didn't understand what he meant, no one has ever spoken about it officially and I wouldn't know what to answer. To do a job like Formula 1, you would have to use telemetry, which we don't have, we only have data acquisition. They can do a certain type of work because they download data in real time and can act on the car, but on a motorcycle the situation is very different. That's all I can say about telemetry. »
Does such a tight schedule with few breaks affect technicians and other team members?
“It will definitely be stressful, but we all love our jobs. We love racing much more than we love ourselves, we will gladly make this sacrifice. »
On the other hand, how should the drivers approach this season, will they be careful to take fewer risks?
“I think the fastest guy will always win. There will definitely be less margin for error, but I don't think the levels on the track will change much, there won't be big differences. »
“It’s an apprehension born from reasoning at home, because when the championship starts everything will be as always. On the contrary, there will be more stress during the first races due to all the safety protocols to follow, but I hope that with time they can be relaxed to allow us to return to a more normal situation. »
“Also, Dorna has done a wonderful job organizing this schedule and in my opinion it is well balanced and appropriate for this moment. It couldn't have been otherwise. »
Will it make a lot of difference to race on certain circuits at different times of the year?
“We are going to lose certain benchmarks, Michelin will have to adapt the choice of tires to higher temperatures without having tested them in these conditions. There will be question marks, but we can sort everything out. The knowledge to adapt is there. »
Dovizioso and Petrucci will soon return to competition in motocross, in the Emilia-Romagna regional championship. Do you have any concerns?
“There is always a bit of apprehension, but practicing on the track with a road or dirt track bike is no less of a concern. Both Andrea and Danilo are very good at motocross and will take all necessary precautions. »
“I have a minimum of concerns, I have confidence in the intelligence and abilities of my pilots. But not in those of the other competitors: I wouldn't want someone to do something stupid to overtake them just because they find themselves behind Dovizioso or Petrucci. »
