By insisting on the fact that a driver cannot be above the team, Razlan Razali gave his vision of the race and thus warned his future driver Valentino Rossi that he would not have free rein. But is this pattern a general rule in the paddock? Santi Hernandez, who is Marc Márquez's chief mechanic, gives another interpretation of this balance between the driver and his team. And it would rather go in the direction of Valentino Rossi…
Santi Hernández has come a long way since he arrived in the paddock in 1996. He was 21 then and working for Showa. In 1999 he was with Criville at HRC, and he was alongsideHarada without speaking about Valentino Rossi in 2003, at Honda. Suffice it to say that he knows the “Doctor”, information which has since been provided to Marc Márquez. Santi discovered the latter in 2010, as his chief mechanic in Moto2. Since then, they have been inseparable.
A working relationship which, over time, has evolved into a strong bond allowing us to get through the good and bad times without disturbance: “ Marc, after many years, also became my friend, but inside the box, friendship remains outside. Sometimes we also have strong discussions. But it's not just discussing, it's having a discussion to find a solution. Sometimes we don't agree, I can't always say yes because it's Marc. If there's something he doesn't like, I have to tell him, because I want to win the way he wants. The important thing is to say things face to face: he is very honest with us and we must be with him. »
“The team is very important, but it’s the driver who makes the team”
In fact, we cannot dissociate the pilot from his environment and vice versa: “ the team is very important, but it is the driver who makes the team, he is the one who commands it. We have a great captain in Marc, he made this team, he worked hard to have his people with him. So it's true that we are capable of doing our things, but the difference is made by the pilot: I worked several years before Márquez, but the results did not arrive... The pilot's attitude is fundamental. He communicates his position to the team. And he is always calm. This is very important to those who work with him. We are a beautiful family. It's true that it's not easy to all go in the same direction, but we're getting there. »
Santi Hernández finished : " Marc Márquez is constantly evolving, he is always thinking about improvement. He has a lot of ambition to do better and better. And the big difference is that he's having fun, he has an incredible passion for motorcycles. "A philosophy that still reminds us of someone..." Rossi and Márquez are different, but very similar. Both have incredible desire. Valentino is 41 years old, but continues to have a crazy passion, despite everything he has already won and done. But he still wants to continue. In this, he and Marc are very similar. » Useful information for Razlan Razali ?
