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From that tragic 23 October 2011 to today, Paolo Simoncelli has experienced many days full of various types of emotion and the feeling today is certainly one of them with the presentation of his team dedicated to the memory of his son, ready to make its début in Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing. It was not just any ordinary event and the clear emotion on his face was proof of just that. But in the same way Paolo managed to get back on his feet after losing Marco, today he introduced all the riders and sponsors who contributed to making his dream come true. In other words, the dream of remembering Sic in the best possible way, with a team made up of a lot of hopeful and carefree young people.
Paolo, what are your thoughts after unveiling the bike that will launch this great adventure in the world championship?
“I am quite moved. I had already seen the bike many times since I worked hard on its graphics, but seeing how many people turned out for the presentation truly moved me. I am happy about our project – helping young people make their dreams come true, dreams which perhaps could not come true without us. Racing is wonderful but it is also very expensive, but thanks in part to the many sponsors who support us, we are able to do all this.”
Can this arrival in the world championship be defined as the achievement of the end goal?
“I certainly did not think that we would get here so quickly, but the racing world is a constant progression, so I expected to race in the championship sooner or later. Now, however, we need to achieve results, because otherwise there is no room in this environment.”
So the intention is to be up front straight away…
“I think we can do well; that is the feeling I get. We have all the elements, beginning with an excellent crew chief and a high performance bike like the Honda, all the way to two promising riders.”
What will the guidelines be for this team?
“First and foremost, I want professionalism and dedication and then winning more or less in the background. Obviously every rider has his own personality, but the importance of the brand they wear on their chest should make them more mature and set them apart.”
How are you liking this new role as team manager?
“It is a very hectic life (he laughs) since there is a lot to do like, for example, finding the necessary budget. You have to pay attention to all the details, and this is part of the reason that I wanted to have trusted and experienced people around me to take on this adventure.”
The fact that you are continuing to keep teams in the national championships is your base project
“Raising up athletes and not just young kids is the thing that I like the most, because in a certain sense it makes you feel important. They see you as a useful part of their growth, so we try to keep helping them in the best way possible, including with the leap into the world championship.”
Arbolino is an example of a rider you raised up…
“Exactly. Some riders were excluded from the team because of inappropriate behaviour, whereas Tony matured a lot over these years from every point of view. I consider him to be a phenomenon and I think that in the second half of the season he will really be able to shine.”
On the other hand, how did the choice of Suzuki come about?
“Tatsuki was our first choice and on his part he was very happy to join our team because he wanted to have a Honda, which he considers to be the best bike in the category. He has a great desire to ride it and to do well after two less than brilliant seasons astride the Mahindra.”
What effect do you think it will have on you to see Marco’s name on the grid again in Qatar?
“In Qatar I will have my wife by my side at all times, because the first race will probably be a problem for me…”
