At Ducati, we like to innovate. On the motorcycle of course, but not only. Each situation is an opportunity to break new ground, in all sectors of work organization. So, how can we be in line with the social distancing included in the health protocol which will govern the paddock in this 2020 season which must take place in the midst of a pandemic? More precisely, how to work with the pilot descending from his machine for development? The Borgo Panigale factory team has the answer: the microphone in the helmet. Which also opens new horizons for the tool…
Ducati will put the microphone in the helmet of its drivers this season. The accessory has been known for ages in Formula 1 where the driver constantly discusses questions of strategy with his team or to formulate a complaint against a competitor's maneuver. A procedure rejected by MotoGP, to preserve the essential concentration of the rider. But with the Coronavirus, now the microphone has the right to be heard. In order to allow exchanges between the driver and the mechanics returning to the pit, and thus respect the social distancing. To begin with ?
Indeed, the question will arise as to whether the scope of the conversation can be verified throughout a lap of the circuit... Or outside the box. Waiting for, Davide Tardozzi explains the strategy as follows: “ we cannot put a rider who has just got 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 during the tests in Misano, this test will be a dress rehearsal for the first Grand Prix »
No “mission control” for “missionwinnow”
Since we are talking about radio communication and Formula 1, what about a “ mission-control » discussed by Yamaha and which allows a monitoring cell made up of engineers to intervene from the seat on the motorcycle? Davide Tardozzi swear that the topic is not in progress at Ducati : “ 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 »
If we follow the Ducati Corse team manager on GPOne, the microphone will be used by the rider to give information to his mechanics once he enters the box. It is not mentioned if the helmet will also be equipped with headphones allowing elements to be communicated to the same pilot, and thus initiate a dialogue. But it's hard to imagine that they are not part of the kit for optimal interaction... And to what extent?
