Taking advantage of the forced break for MotoGP drivers and much less extensive sporting news, we offer you a gallery of the main French-speaking personalities of the paddock who, each, represents one of the countless cogs essential to the sumptuous spectacle that is the Grands Prix.
We often hear about the Spanish armada or the Italian troops, but you will discover that the French-speaking colony, rather numerous and very united, has no reason to be ashamed of the comparison.
In the light or more in the shadows, verbose or more discreet, each of these men shared with us with pleasure their world and their news, always with the same passion as a common denominator.
Little by little, you will be able to know a little better who are, and what is going on today, for example Claude Michy, Piero Taramasso, Hervé Poncharal, Eric Mahe, Nicolas Goubert, Bernard Ansiau, Guy Coulon, Christophe Bourguignon, Florian Ferracci, Christophe Léonce, Jacques Roca, Marc van der Straten, Miodrag Kotur, Alain Bronec, Jacques Hutteau, Michel Turco, David Dumain, Michaël Rivoire, and many others.
This long series of interviews will first be broadcast on the official MotoGP.com website in a refined version, before being accessible here in their raw version.
So, when the MotoGP Grands Prix resume, you will be almost unbeatable on the French-speaking part of a particularly cosmopolitan paddock...
Miodrag Kotur, Team Principal of the Leopard Racing team
What is your year of birth?
“1963. »
How did young Miodrag Kotur develop a passion for motor sports?
“When I was young, I was really passionate about the Paris-Dakar rally. I even skipped class a little because, at the time, it was broadcast live on television on channel 5, with the helicopter following the race, and I wanted to at least see the end of the stages. »
Describe to us the main points of your journey.
“In 1988, I had an opportunity to go and work at Peugeot Talbot Sport, which at the time was doing the Dakar, to provide a little logistical help. It must have only been for two or three races but Jean Todt noticed me and, thanks to him, the years flew by. So I experienced the entry of the Peugeot 905, with two victories at the 24 hours of Le Mans. Then, when Jean Todt left for Ferrari, he asked me if I wanted to follow him. Obviously, he couldn't refuse, and so I was the first with him, in his luggage, when he arrived at Ferrari. I stayed there until the end of 2009, and when he left for the FIA, I joined Lotus. We were promised big budgets to develop both the brand and the sporting part, but they never arrived. I stayed there for three years then, in 2013, I became team manager at Caterham. Unfortunately, Malaysian budgets have also vanished. At the end of 2014, Flavio Becca started thinking about making a Moto3 team and called me. I was a little skeptical because I didn't know the bike, apart from a few trips to Mugello when I was at Ferrari, because of the links we had with Philip Morris. But he reassured me, and he was right because we became world champions in 2015, the team's first year. »
Throughout this journey, what were the most difficult moments?
“The most difficult period, but also the most beautiful, was the beginnings at Ferrari. It was in 1993 and Jean Todt and I decided to live together in a big house because there was a lot of work. Every day, we worked from 8:30 in the morning until 10 or 11 in the evening when we met for dinner to review the day's work. It was very demanding and, after a few months and although the work didn't scare me, I even told him that we would be better off going back to Peugeot where we were much better off. Because, at that time, making things happen at Ferrari was very difficult: Maranello was a small village that had grown up and all the people were linked together, whether at family level or through relationships. friendship. It was therefore very difficult to change anything without risking strong opposition. The first year was therefore very difficult because the people of Maranello and the Italian journalists took a very dim view of this Frenchman who came to take care of their business. As far as I am concerned, because of the war in Yugoslavia, I was called a Serbian dog in Todt's service. It was horrible because I was young and it affected me a lot. Fortunately, things calmed down as Todt was able to bring in sponsors, Michael Schumacher and Ross Brawn to form a winning team. From there, the best years began. »
Conversely, were there particularly strong moments, to the point of bring you tears of joy?
“In motorcycling, each title is appreciated differently, but appreciated a lot! The first was really something exceptional, because we had just created the team with Danny Kent, and we won the championship! Difficult, in fact, because given his domination at the start of the season, he should have flown over it, but he collapsed a little psychologically. But in the end, it was perhaps even more beautiful because we appreciated this title which was decided in Valencia even more. In 2016, it was the opposite and it was very difficult because we changed bikes. Despite our two great drivers, Mir and Quartararo, we did not manage to win the championship. We can't do it because our technicians don't know the bike and because our riders have difficulty adapting to the KTM. It wasn't a bad bike, as it was world champion that year with Binder, but we had an accumulation of problems. It's a shame, because we had two great drivers. »
What assessment do you make of this 2019 season?
“I would say the end was easier than the beginning. Last year, we worked a lot with Lorenzo Dalla Porta and we saw that he was making progress from race to race. At the end of last year, he took a big step forward, but at the start of this season, he never managed to make it happen: he was the eternal second. He was leading the entire race and was passed at the last corner. We said to ourselves that he was never going to understand how to win a race (laughs)! As we created an academy this year in Palma de Mallorca with coach Joan Mir, we sent Lorenzo there who spent many days training from morning to evening. He spent a lot of time there and I think it did him good, because when we arrived in Asia, he freed himself. Sure, Aron Canet made mistakes and crashed, but that was also because he was trying to follow Lorenzo to win. It helped us a lot but I think the way he finished the season he would have won anyway. It's still better that he won in Australia, so we were a little calmer in Valencia. »
What are the prospects for 2020?
“We have two good drivers, with Dennis Foggia who won the FIM CEV and Jaume Masiá who is also a very good and very fast driver despite a few crashes. I have confidence in them and we will send them to Palma de Mallorca to train intensively before the official tests in February begin. We're obviously aiming for the title, but since we're the team to beat, everyone wants to beat us (laughs)! We will therefore try to maintain our level, even if we are never guaranteed to win, especially since this year the season will be very long. I think we can still do something good, even if I noticed that we win every odd year: 2015, 2017, 2019! Hopefully we can break this odd streak (laughs)! »
What is your daily means of transportation?
“(Laughs) Unfortunately or fortunately, I don’t have a motorcycle. My parents never wanted to buy me a motorbike, so at the time I was lent small motorbikes by friends, Kreidlers or Zündapps, but I never got my motorbike license because I am someone one who loved rallies more, particularly African rallies, and therefore adventure. Racing fascinates me but if I had ridden a motorbike, I might have done more motocross.
*Interview collected during the GP in Valencia
In the same series, find the exclusive interviews withHervé Poncharal, Claude Michy, Piero Taramasso, Christophe Bourguignon, Eric Mahé, Marc van der Straten, Nicolas Goubert, Guy Coulon, Christophe Leonce, Jacques Roca et Michel Turco.
