Behind The Scenes At Motogp – Yes, I am a car enthusiast. But the love of cars naturally makes you interested in almost anything related that involves complex machinery, for example, cameras, robots, trucks, and of course motorcycles. I was therefore really stoked when Shell kindly invited me to take part in this year’s Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit as part of the international media covering the race… and more. So come join me as I take you behind the scenes and give you exclusive insights into the pinnacle of motorcycle racing that is MotoGP!
So what exactly is MotoGP? Simply put, MotoGP is the crème de la crème of the World Motorcycle Championship. The F1 of motorcycle racing if you can. Currently in its 65th year, MotoGP is the oldest motorsports championship in the world. Spanning 18 races, visiting more than 13 countries, with the best riders of 10 nationalities, racing on bikes equipped with the latest motorcycle technology from 3 manufacturers: Ducati, Yamaha and Honda.
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Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix is the name of this race, so no points for guessing who the title sponsor is. And being invited by Shell, which is also Ducati’s main technical partner, gave me exclusive access to visit the Ducati Team pit garage, the MotoGP Mobile Clinic (mobile clinic), and also to interview key figures like the two riders of the Ducati Team (Andrea). Dovizioso & Nicky Hayden) and also Ducati MotoGP project manager Paolo Ciabatti.
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A single MotoGP race usually takes place over a single weekend. Saturday is the qualifying round and the real race takes place on Sunday. However, there will be free practice one day before the weekend on Friday for all teams. Interesting to note is that Moto3 and Moto2 qualifying and races will take place on the same weekend but earlier in the day. The MotoGP warm-up laps and race will still take place after the Moto3 and Moto2 sessions have finished. This is perhaps to keep the spectators to stay for the main event.
Moto3 is the lowest level of the three categories, racing with motorcycles limited to 250cc 4-stroke engines. And higher in the rank is Moto2, where riders compete on motorcycles with 600cc 4-stroke engines produced by Honda and Honda only. It is not uncommon for Moto3 riders to be “promoted” to race in Moto2, and Moto2 riders to “graduate” to MotoGP level. The minimum age for Moto3 and Moto2 riders is 16 while MotoGP riders must be at least 18. Do you still feel old? As expected, I was present all three days at Sepang. Despite the fact that there was not much track action on Friday, a lot was planned by Shell for me that day such as the Ducati pit garage tour, visit to the Mobile Clinic and also interviews with the staff there. However, shall we start with the Ducati pit garage tour?
So what exactly is a pit garage? Ben pit garages, or pit boxes is where each team settles and prepares for practices, qualifications and races. Located just behind the pit lane, the pit garages usually contain each team’s monitoring equipment, tools, spare parts, tires, replacement bikes, and of course (many) busy team members.
At the time of my visit, the two Ducati racing motorcycles were being prepared by the mechanics. This meant that all body panels were removed thus revealing the bikes internal mechanics. As fascinating as the motorbikes looked naked from a technical point of view, it also meant that I wasn’t allowed to take pictures of the motorbikes for obvious reasons. Shame then, because it also meant my camera was never turned on the entire tour. Not to worry though, as Shell kindly got professional photographer Mark Wernham to take photos of the tour you see here. So you can also get a feel for what a fully functioning MotoGP pit garage looks like.
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Despite our garage pit tour, it’s still business as usual for the Ducati MotoGP racing team. After all, there are always practices, qualification, and of course the real race to focus on. Ducati knows this, and had furnished its pit garage in a way that accommodates a tour without interfering with the team doing its work. Speaking of the team, it is interesting to note that the entire Ducati MotoGP team cannot live without their daily dose of caffeine. And you won’t find a single pit garage Ducati without a couple of Italian coffees that are brought from their country of origin. Yeah, our coffee just won’t cut it.
With limited space available, everything inside the Ducati pit garage is there for a reason. During every race, Ducati brings everything from racing gear to huge machinery. They will also carry a large amount of spare parts as well as spare motorcycles in case something happens. I’ve also been told that the amount of spare parts that Ducati brings to each race is literally enough to build a whole new bike from scratch, if not more. The pit garage tour was really a huge eye opener for me, not to mention gearheads and motorcycle enthusiasts. The crew and staff in the pit garage contribute enormously to the success of each of their riders. However, this is only scratching the surface behind any successful racing team.
Attending as media only meant that I had access to more places and the paddock is one of them. In the case of Sepang, the paddock is a short but wide road located between the pit garages and also the hospitality areas of each MotoGP team. This is where all the team members and staff, as well as their family members who came with them could go to the air-conditioned hospitality areas to escape from the Malaysian heat or to eat, and also in their garage of pit
It is therefore very common to see the occasional MotoGP rider walking in the paddock, not to mention the paddock girls who gain a lot of attention from the staff. Pit garage aside, the paddock is also one of the few areas where we can have a proper approach with Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP motorcycles because the paddock is the only way into the pit garages. It is therefore no surprise that some visitors and fans are willing to pay more money to access the paddock in the hope of meeting their idol riders. Think about it backstage at your favorite band’s concert.
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The next stop is the Mobile Clinic. Just in case the Italian name doesn’t give you enough of a hint, Clinica Mobile means mobile clinic. Founded in 1976 by the Italian doctor Claudio Costa, Clinica Mobile had become an official institution and an integral part of MotoGP ever since. As a racing team, Clinica Mobile accompanies every MotoGP race around the globe with its medical facilities and equipment. An interview with the Clinica Mobile Staff Doctor, Michele Zasa was arranged for me that day in Sepang.
Michele told me that the key advantage of having a dedicated medical facility and doctors is that the response time can be immediate. In the unlikely event of an accident and medical help is needed, Mobile Clinic that is installed near the track can offer immediate assistance in situations where every second counts. The Mobile Clinic is also equipped for minor surgeries. However, in special cases where serious medical assistance is required, the patient will be sent to the nearest hospital.
Since the Clinica Mobile staff is always the same in every race, the doctors and physicians understand all the MotoGP riders very well. You can almost call them friends. And this benefits enormously in the treatment of injured riders. Fortunately, accidents rarely happen and you can think that the Mobile Clinic is always empty and all the staff have nothing to do. Well, it’s quite the opposite.
Due to the demanding physical positions that the pilots use during the race, with their head pushed forward and immersed as low as possible for long periods of time, every pilot must do physical therapy or mandatory physical therapy to keep his body in good shape shape Clinica Mobile is therefore always full of riders who do physiotherapy with the help of Clinica Mobile staff all day long.
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And speaking of the mobile clinic, a minor accident happened that day and I had the opportunity to see everything, but more importantly, how MotoGP deals with accidents. Click here to read how effective they can be! I also had the privilege of interviewing the Ducati MotoGP project manager, Paolo Ciabatti, as well as the two Ducati Team riders, Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden.
However, the interview was mainly about the actual racing taking place in Sepang then. But you’re not here for the latest MotoGP updates, you’re here for more exclusive behind the scenes! So click here to see how MotoGP transports all its motorcycles and equipment around the globe in a short time!
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