Report: what are the Kawasaki GP mechanics doing now?
At no time since the inception of the Motocross World Championship in 1952 has the sport had to deal with such a dramatic number of postponed races. The Covid-19 virus therefore has a huge impact on the course of events within the teams. We took a tour of the Kawasaki formations.
Like all teams involved in the FIM Motocross World Championship, the Kawasaki teams have had to adapt their strategy to these new challenges. All technicians are currently still working in the workshops in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Exactly two countries where complete quarantine has not yet been imposed by the government.
“Our mechanics are all still busy in the workshop,” explains Nathalie Fasé, the manager of the F&H Racing Team. “Of course we take all precautions. We keep our distance from each other, we don't shake hands, we don't have lunch in large groups. Ales is thoroughly cleaned every day and hands are washed a million times with water, soap and alcohol gel. Fortunately, everyone has their own workplace at a good distance from each other and we try to stay busy as much as possible. We try to use our time usefully to test new things and work ahead.”
For KRT and DRT, the above situation is similar, as there is still a lot of work to be done to be prepared when the competition starts again. “The mechanics are still working in our workshop to get everything ready for the resumption of the season. As announced by the FIM, we should now start again in Russia on June 6/7. We need to keep everyone healthy, and since racing will then continue non-stop until the end of November, we know that the usual winter break will not exist. Immediately after the last GP, we will have to prepare for the 2021 season,” confirms François Lemariey, the manager of Monster Energy KRT.
“We are all working and busy making up time so that we are ready when the light goes green again. Since there are only two mechanics and myself, we could always use some extra time,” is how Dixon Racing Team owner Steve Dixon summarizes the situation.
“We are trying to focus on one task every day to develop a working pattern that will save us time and make us even more efficient when racing resumes. We are now doing things that we rarely had time for in the past. So for us this is an opportunity to catch up and look forward to the rest of the year and also 2021. Judging by the updated calendar, we will soon have a very short off-season.”
The situation is of course not ideal for riders who limit themselves to physical activities because most training tracks in Europe are closed. For Romain Febvre, Roan van de Moosdijk and Todd Wilson, who each suffered an injury, this break in the racing calendar is a chance to recover without the pressure of racing.
Both Romain and Roan continue their rehabilitation, while Todd has just undergone further surgery on his hand after breaking several fingers in the Netherlands. Like all participants in the FIM MXGP and MX2 World Championships, the Kawasaki teams and staff are impressed by the non-stop efforts of FIM and World Championship promoter Infront Moto Racing to tackle this unique situation and maintain optimism for a full global calendar once the current crisis is over.
For all Kawasaki teams and riders – whether at the forefront of MXGP and MX2 or in national or amateur racing, these are difficult times and we must all adhere to government guidelines and the changing environment. Our sport is part of our lives and we all hope to overcome the current situation and get back to racing as soon as it is safe to do so.
Photos: shotbyBavo, Dieter Jans, Pascal Haudiquert
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