It must be admitted that there was a certain amount of concern within the Paddock-GP editorial team, but also within the Tech3 structure, when we learned that the winners of the competition organized on the occasion of the Misano GP were going to travel the Lyon region to the circuit by bus and train, before joining the MWC Marco Simoncelli on foot!
We were already envisioning all the preparatory work reduced to nothing by a hazardous trip that only a highly motivated youth could imagine undertaking, but no, at the appointed time, Claire and her brother, chosen by the draw, were there, smiling and superbly ignoring the blazing sun which had accompanied the few kilometers of uphill walking necessary to reach the accreditation center and the paddock!
Thanks to them, because it is always a pleasure to see the pleasure that enthusiasts have in discovering the paddock, and of course thanks to Hervé and Mathilde Poncharal, who have the great elegance of knowing how to make themselves feel at home!
The rest is Claire and her brother who tell you (ok, they are less quick to write than to rush to Misano :-), with a mix of our photos and theirs...
It all started with an unexpected email from Paddock-GP: “Hello Claire, the draw has chosen you as the winner…”. Marc, emblematic journalist of the famous website, tells me that I won the competition in which I participated a few days earlier without really believing it. I hasten to break the news to my brother who can't believe it. This is how our planned vacation in the middle of the Auvergne volcanoes was turned upside down a week before our departure!
Change of destination and direction the Adriatic coast! After a long 18-hour journey, we arrived in Rimini, a seaside resort famous for its miles of beach... and its nightclubs! After enjoying the sun, the sea, Italian gastronomy and even visiting an exhibition of Motoclub Renzo Pasolini dedicated to the last 50 years of Italian motorcycling, our motorcycle weekend is starting and we are far from imagining everything that awaits us...
With accreditations in hand, we are ready to join the circuit! In Misano, each stand and the two spaces in the general enclosure (Prato 1 and Prato 2) have their own entrance. For example, it is impossible to tour the circuit without a “Viewing Area” pass reserved for Paddock pass holders.
After discovering the different areas accessible with our badge, we head towards the Tech3 hospitality where we join Marc and Gilles from Paddock-GP. As soon as we arrive, we are superbly welcomed by the members of the Tech3 team in charge of receiving the team's guests, partners and drivers. Here, at any time of the day, it is possible to quench your thirst, have lunch or cool off thanks to the air conditioning, which is greatly appreciated in this hot weather. We enjoy a good meal (accompanied by a Red Bull drink of course) to get to know our co-hosts and discuss the latest news. Marc, who has just finished an interview with Paolo ciabatti, obtained the information that will shake up the MotoGP planet in the hours that follow: the Italian brand is not closing the door to a signing of Marc Marquez at Gresini, because nothing is impossible in MotoGP… to be continued.
The wonder continues when Mathilde offers us a tour of the circuit aboard the BMW MotoGP. We were able to attend the Moto2 free practice session while being as close as possible to the track, CHILLS guaranteed!!!
Thanks to their many relationships within the paddock, Gilles and Marc have planned to introduce us to the behind-the-scenes people who work in the paddock to show us behind the scenes.
First stop at SHOEI where we meet the friendly Mika who takes care of preparing the pilots' helmets. The presence of an artist on site is an opportunity to discuss the creation of special decorations, painted by hand directly on the helmet. We are even given a preview of the design of the helmet Fabio Di Giannantonio for his national GP! It is with a lot of information and anecdotes in mind that we continue our tour at SHARK where we detail the helmet of Johann zarco which will no longer be postponed after its fall in Catalonia because it was too damaged.
We then visit the fuel supplier ELF, to learn more about fuel management and the future of biofuels which must be composed of at least 40% non-fossil sources from 2024, then 100% in 2027.
We also attend exclusively the media debrief of Dani Pedrosa who participates in the Misano Grand Prix as a wild card. How lucky to be able to meet this talented pilot!
The visit to the Tech3 MotoGP box is impressive. When we arrive, the mechanics are repairing the motorcycle.
Espargaro Pol who fell during the qualifying session. We go to the other side of the box and approach the motorcycleAugusto Fernandez.
Laura describes the function of the numerous buttons on the dashboard. We also find out how the bikes are prepared before each session and race. We learn, for example, that gasoline is quantified to the nearest gram and that there are two different tanks for the sprint race and the Sunday race.
The tires are kept at high temperature in heated cabinets to get the most out of their performance when used on the track. They are then returned to Michelin at the end of the weekend.
We also had the honor of meeting the great Guy Coulon, a true motorcycle encyclopedia. Marc took the opportunity to draw out some technical indiscretions on the new 2024 products which will be tested the following week, but no information will filter onto the site…
The “Meet and Great” event organized by the Tech3 team allowed us to interact with the jovial Pol Espargaro who reassured us about his physical condition and his recovery, and also Augusto Fernandez, disappointed for the moment of his weekend. We reminded him of his result at the French GP, which made him smile again. Moto3 drivers, Daniel Holgado et Filippo Farioli also took part in the game of questions/answers and souvenir photos.
The paddock. This place is a veritable anthill where drivers, team members, journalists, photographers and many, many guests meet… On Sunday, out of the 80 spectators, there were 000 people in the paddock. On Saturday, 9 entries were recorded, including 000 in the paddock.
During our long walks in the paddock we had the chance to meet many drivers, always very approachable and smiling, with whom we were able to exchange a few words and take photos (Tony Arbolino, Francesco Bagnaia, Johann Zarco, Dani Pedrosa, Alex Rins and many others…).
Saturday, it’s also a party night in the paddock. Filming is prohibited: what happens in the paddock stays in the paddock. We were surprised to see Valentino Rossi mix in a hospitality setting for our greatest pleasure and that of those present. Other hospitalists take the opportunity to turn up the sound on the sound system and have a few moments of relaxation with VIPs invited for the occasion. At Pons, we celebrate the MotoE title of Mattia Casadei. At Pramac, the atmosphere is serene after the victory in the sprint race of George Martin. The atmosphere is more studious at Honda, where Marc Marquez has dinner with his team while analyzing the sprint race. At Aprilia, Alex Espargaro challenges a member of his team to table football. Future teammates alex rins et Fabio Quartararo joke with english Jake Dixon while Johann zarco greets his team one last time before getting on his mini electric motorcycle to reach his hotel a few kilometers from the circuit. Peter Acosta he also leaves the circuit to look for supplies and does not go unnoticed by the fans who are waiting at the entrance to the paddock to see the drivers. In the official Ducati box, we are still working. Pecco Bagnaia goes to meet the few people waiting in front of the Ducati truck. It takes time, especially with the young Italian toddlers amazed to see their champion, whose presence could have been compromised after his terrible fall two weeks earlier. He feels tired, but he is careful to respond to all requests. This is how the paddock lives until late in the evening, emptied of its guests and journalists, it regains part of its intimacy.
Sunday. Race day. It's also the third and final day of our incredible weekend. We have our program in mind to make the most of this last day.
From Prato 1, we watch the parade of pilots in the famous cart. The public's cheers for the national hero send shivers down the spine. We find ourselves in the middle of the Turk's Fan Club Deniz Oncu which sets the mood throughout the Moto3 race, at the end of which he will finish third.
The Moto2 race takes place under a blazing sun. It's over 30°C in the shade, difficult to stand in these conditions... After the victory of Peter Acosta and the beautiful second place of Celestine Vietti, we head to the GasGas Factory Racing Tech3 hospitality where we regain our strength with a good meal. We head back towards the Brutapela stand, where the fan clubEnea Bastianini is present although its driver is not on track this weekend. Accompanied by one of his friends, he still comes to greet his fans!
After a spectacular tribute to Marco Simoncelli executed by the Italian Air Force, the Italian anthem revisited in a rock style and the new little opening music before each race, the 23 wild animals are released. There is little overtaking between the leading men, George Martin having once again been untouchable. A little further, it is Jack Miller who will ask for explanations from Michele Pirro after being pushed into the gravel trap, the little samurai still finished in an honorary 4th place and Johan zarco offers us one last round of madness. The GP ends after a long lap of honor of Marco Bezzechi who takes care to greet the fans, who have come for a San Marino GP finding a pre-Covid crowd, and invading the track.
Last moments in the paddock, the teams are already starting to dismantle and store the equipment which will go to India in large boxes.
We are getting ready to say goodbye to our hosts and co-hosts. Last surprise and not the least, Hervé Poncharal invites us to spend a special moment with him in his office. His schedule is very busy, the boss of the Tech3 team is very busy all weekend, even more so after the sudden death of the IRTA member Mike Trimby, but he always takes care to greet and check on his guests every time he meets them.
An hour of face-to-face time to debrief this fabulous weekend, understand a little better his role at Tech3 and how the French structure works. He is a very simple and very friendly team leader whom we had the pleasure of meeting. We will continue to follow the performances of his team, particularly in Moto3, where the French team is fighting for the title!
This is how this weekend ends which will remain engraved in our memories. Passionate about motorcycle racing since we were young, a passion passed on to us by our father, we have been used to going to Le Mans every year for a long time. We had never had the opportunity to see behind the scenes before: we were enchanted by this discovery.
A big thank you to everyone we met during the weekend, for their kindness, their time and the enriching exchanges shared. We would like to particularly thank Mathilde Poncharal for the organization of our weekend, Hervé Poncharal for his hospitality and the entire Tech3 team for their wonderful welcome. Obviously a special mention to Gilles and Marc from Paddock-GP without whom this experience would not have taken place.
I am extremely grateful to them for giving me the opportunity to share this magical experience with my brother and thus create unforgettable memories; thank you from the heart !
We are aware that we were very lucky and we hope that other Paddock-GP readers will have the opportunity to live this unique experience, because it was GREAT!!!
