At the French GP this year, Saturday was an extraordinary fireworks display with Johann Zarco's pole position. Then on Sunday his fall inevitably spoiled the atmosphere. How did Claude Michy, organizer of the event, experience this succession of strong emotions?
“Already, taking pole position was magical. Afterwards, you can't blame a driver for falling, especially when he has the panache to go for victory. It's a fact of racing, and from that moment on it's competition, period. If he had crashed in Thailand the same way, it would have been looked at differently. Whereas at the French Grand Prix you have the hope of the entire French public, but what he did was already magnificent. »
fabio quartararo took a fabulous victory at Barcelona in Moto2, then finished second at Assen. Do you think this will motivate young French riders to join the two Moto3 and Moto2 categories, where they are currently rare?
“Fabio had risen to the pinnacle a little quickly after what he had done in the Spanish Championship, then he went through the trough of the wave. He had the strength of character – and a good entourage including Éric Mahé – to find his feet in a team like that of Luca Boscoscuro. He showed his talent and regained his confidence. He has just confirmed in Assen what he had done in Barcelona, with great elegance and performance.
“That’s the first point. Concerning the second, that is to say the arrival of young pilots, there is the bottom of the wave. There are people who work for this, like the Federation, but also Laurent Fellon and Johann with their school. There are also young people riding in Spain who are performing well. Other young people in France are starting to show the tip of their noses, but they are 12 or 13 years old, and already before arriving in Moto3 it takes two years.
“The level is very high. You have to ride a lot and train a lot. You have to be available – including in your brain – to devote yourself solely to motorcycling. »
As an organizer, do you appreciate that Marc Marquez put on a show by staying with the other drivers for most of the race, then accelerating to win in the very last laps (what Rossi calls "playing cat and mouse with us")?
“I think you can have several interpretations. When you see the Assen race, everyone is riding together. Afterwards, at the end of the race, he actually took some distance, but is it because he managed the tires better? Is it because his bike is more efficient than the others on worn tires?
“I think Marc Marquez is on board but it’s not as simple as that. He has a very good machine, he is very strong, and he is a good race manager. A few years ago, I think Valentino may have had the same approach. »
Exactly, Red snatched second place at Assen from Marquez on the fourth lap. How does he still remain so valiant?
“I think he’s someone who works a lot. We see the spotlight on Valentino and the other drivers, but what we don't see is their work. Rossi is one of those exceptional, very high-level athletes who manage to combine duration and performance. »
Do you think that the French F1 Grand Prix, supported by former motorcycle GP driver Christian Estrosi, will have a positive influence on the popularity of motor sports in our country?
“I saluted Christian Estrosi as a pilot more than as a politician. He had the audacity to find the solution for F1 to come back. It's beautiful and very good for motorsports. They are still the ones who, although criticized, have brought about all the technological progress in security, consumption and mobility in general.
“The F1 GP had roughly 60 paid entries, we had 000 in MotoGP. The 86 Hours of Le Mans are over 000 and the 24 Hours motorcycles 100, which demonstrates the interest in motor sports. »
Would you consider cross-promotion, having an F1 car perform two or three demo laps during your GP at Le Mans, while a MotoGP machine does the same at Le Castellet during the F1 GP?
“This question is tricky for many reasons. I think nothing is impossible. It’s more up to F1 to know if they’re interested…”
After Thailand and Malaysia, Indonesia absolutely wants its Grand Prix. Does South-East Asia generally constitute a threat to European organizers in the more or less long term?
“The world is changing and evolving. It is up to the European organizers to perform. We were under contract until 2021 and we extended until 2026, so there is a little time left before things change. I think Dorna knows how to handle all these things very well. These countries can be promising in terms of sport, but also in industry. It's a World Championship, not a European Championship. This therefore means that the importance of investors from these countries continues to exist for teams with solid partners.
“It all works together: we should not see it as a risk for Europe, but as part of the global development of a sporting discipline which is motorcycle racing. »
Do you see with joy the replacement in the future of MotoGP machines by electric motorcycles?
“The question is not posed like that. Today, Dorna integrates electric motorcycles into MotoGP. I think the example of what was done in the Andros Trophy is a good one: there is thermal racing and also electric car racing.
“Today, populations are not ready for 100% electric races. On the other hand, we are gradually moving in this direction, although there is still a lot of water to flow under the bridge. And we will hear the sound of the exhaust pipes for a long time! »
Miscellaneous GP France 2015 (Bugatti Circuit)
TBU
PSP/Stan Perec
www.photoPSP.com
Title photo: Philibert, Claude and Victoria Michy © PSP for French Motorcycle Grand Prix
Photo above: Carmelo Ezpeleta and Claude Michy © PSP for French Motorcycle Grand Prix
