After 15 full seasons in GP (including 8 in Moto2), the time had come for thirty-year-old Swiss and vice-World Champion Tom Lüthi to climb the final step that leads to Nirvana for Grand Prix riders: the MotoGP category.
125cc World Champion in 3, Tom has won 2005 victories in 16 Grands Prix, with 255 podiums. Last weekend, at Mugello, he qualified on the seventh row just ahead Dani Pedrosa and Aleix Espargaro, but in 1'47.989 against for example 1'46.208 for the pole position of Valentino Rossi. Lüthi had obtained good results in Tuscany in the past (2nd in the 125cc Italian GP in 3, 2005rd 3 in 250, 2008rd Moto3 in 2 and 2012nd in 2), but last Sunday a fall at the start of the race put an end to his his hopes.
While his teammate's future Franco Morbidelli (23 years old) seems favorable (he totals 17 points), that of Lüthi (0 points) seems less radiant, including for the next Barcelona GP, because internal dissensions within his team prompted Team Marc VDS to give up for tests scheduled for mid-May on the Montmeló track. It would not have been superfluous for the Swiss pilot, who said: “ The tests in Barcelona would have been a good thing for me. »
Let's take stock with his team leader Gilles Bigot at the end of the first third of the season. Gilles led Tom to 2nd place in the Moto2 world championship last year, having previously taken Alex Criville to the 500cc world title on a Honda HRC Repsol in 3.
Gilles, the sixth Grand Prix has just ended (out of a total of 19). From the outside, Tom's situation seems difficult, what about the inside?
“The word is true, unforeseen events made this challenge even more difficult for Tom to manage. In order for him to give the best of himself, he must be in a serene and relaxed atmosphere. His injury at Sepang at the end of 2017 caused him to miss winter testing, and this resulted in hasty preparation without knowing what he should be working on. And since the Jerez GP, internal dissensions have affected him a lot because Tom is a little too “sensitive”.
Is the start of the season more complicated than expected, or on the contrary does it correspond to a normal progression for a discovery of MotoGP?
“The beginning was difficult but despite everything we saw progress to Jerez. When you arrive in MotoGP after many years in the intermediate class with a certain track record, it's a shock. Tom had to put aside what he thought he knew about motorcycling, MotoGP is another world and you discover sensations never felt before (with the Honda RCV) so these new reactions, wheeling, violent handling at high speed, swaying, no brake pressure after steering… the tires too, especially the front. In Moto2 the front tire has an exceptional operating window, both in track temperature and in longevity, so these are things that must be assimilated, accepted and tried to manage. »
Why such a difference with his current teammate Franco Morbidelli*?
“The difference with Franco is certainly due to practicing motorcycle riding, Franco trains on a daily basis with Valentino Rossi and all the other VR46 riders and according to him, Valentino is not stingy with advice. Tom is a loner and trains a bit like Cal Crutchlow, so perhaps that limits him a little during the first practice session, the time to regain his automatisms.
“Franco has understood that to go fast in MotoGP you have to know how to control yourself and anticipate all corner entries in order to better exploit the power at the exit. As he drives more forward, he also has a better feeling with the tire. For Tom it's more difficult because he drives a little more instinctively and he loads the front a little less, he always has the feeling that he is too slow entering turns so he brakes less hard and finds himself a little off the line when accelerating and suffers from a lack of grip so it takes him more time to gain confidence. But you need a lot of confidence in MotoGP because you have to take a lot of angles to turn. 3 degrees of angle brings a big gain. When Tom can anticipate, the improvement is immediate but for this he must be serene and relaxed. »
What are the daily consequences for you and Tom of the uncertainties linked to the management of your “Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc MDS” team?
“The consequences are multiple, we do not have a team manager and a team coordinator, so we have to take care of additional tasks. For the moment I represent the team at various MotoGP meetings, there is concern for the continuity of the team, many questions are unanswered, I think that the one who is most affected is Tom because he does not only has a one-year contract. At the start of the year things were going very well, Tom felt very good in the team, Michael Bartholémy was very active and attentive, and in the space of a day everything collapsed. » (Editor's note: Since this interview was conducted a few days ago, things have fortunately worked out).
The 213 model Honda RC2018V of Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa and Cal Crutchlow seems to be performing well, unlike the first half of last year. What model do you use?
“We use Jack Miller's motorcycle from 2017. From time to time Jack comes to visit us. Now that he is riding a Ducati, it is obvious to him that the Honda is not an easy bike to ride. »
Is Tom considering returning to Moto2 next year? And you ? Have you made any contacts?
“I think Tom's manager is already considering a plan B, I'm waiting for what happens next. »
If you had been told last year that getting into MotoGP would be so problematic, would you and Tom have stayed in Moto2?
“I have no regrets and I think that it is the same for Tom because the experience is worth living. For me, Tom can do much better for sure but for the moment we can't say that luck was on his side and that's a shame, let's wait for what happens next. »
There are still 13 Grands Prix left, so a lot of progress possible. What are your goals for the rest of the season?
“A first objective is that the internal dissensions find a solution which can allow the two MotoGP riders and all the members of the team to work calmly and to be more competitive. ».
Good news, internal peace has returned!
*Tom Lüthi's best qualifications: 18th in Qatar (1.701 from pole) and Jerez (1.099), best race result: 16th in Qatar (24.189 from the winner) and at Le Mans (45.260 from the winner)
Franco Morbidelli's best qualification: 12th at Mugello (0.794 from pole), best race result: 9th at Jerez (16.822 from the winner).
Photo above: Tom Lüthi imitating Marc Marquez (with a less favorable outcome) at Mugello. Copyright Dorna TV / Videopass