The Argentinian stage was eventful for a WSBK field which was characterized by the discontent of the drivers. The fault lies with a route of San Juan with a coating that is questionable and in any case unworthy of such an international meeting. Then the gladiators entering the arena made their voices heard. But there was no Spartacus as rumors of pressure on the pilots swirled. World Champion Jonathan Rea and Yamaha Team Principal Paul Denning give their version…
Argentina will leave traces in the paddock of WSBK. And next year, the San Juan circuit better be flawless. Which would be a first, since the last two visits were marked by problems with the track. But this time it went up a notch, so much so that the first round was threatened by a pilots' strike. Finally, the match took place, but six fighters remained at gunpoint in the stands. The start of another controversy claiming that pressure had been exerted for the show to take place…
A serious accusation because it would then mean sacrificing the safety of pilots to economic interests. What can we say about it? Jonathan Rhea, World Champion, comments: “ there was definitely too much discussion this weekend ", said the official Kawasaki at Speedweek. “ I didn't want to get too involved. One thing is certain, we drove in difficult conditions because this circuit is hardly used. There was too little rubber on the track, in addition to the high temperatures, and it was difficult to manage. Lower temperatures helped improve the track on Sunday. There was already a narrow ideal trajectory on Friday evening. In the end, the best conditions on Sunday were a combination of lower temperature and more rubber on the track. »
« It wasn't ideal, but you could race »Assures Sale which however closes on the subject of pressures in the paddock: “ It's personal, I don't want to talk about it. » So you have to ask a team manager and it is in this case Paul Denning, from Yamaha who answers : " no one was forced to do anything » declared the Englishman. “ Whether a race is shortened, canceled or postponed is up to the FIM and Dorna organizers, not the teams, manufacturers or drivers. Driver concerns led to the race at Assen being canceled due to snow and racing in the rain at Imola. I fully support the fact that the pilots express their point of view, but I'm not sure that the way it was done in Argentina helped to defuse the situation »
« FIM and Dorna told teams they respected riders' opinions ", added Denning. " We discussed the facts and it was made clear that safety comes first. It has also been said that business goals come second. The teams were invited to give their opinion. There were teams where one driver wanted to start and the other didn't. These teams ultimately had no opinion. »
Denning concludes: I think we can learn a lot from incidents regarding communication and how to proceed in an emergency. Most importantly, the FIM must ensure that driver safety is guaranteed: six months before the race, three months before, one month before, not Thursday evening before the race. This was the biggest mistake anyone could point out. »
