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The spotlight is on the track with riders involved in braking, crossing, overtaking manoevres and more. Behind the scenes, however, there is a world that is often unseen, represented by those who devote their efforts to servicing the bike so that there are no hiccups.
We are of course talking about the mechanics, who spend their race weekends among oil, fuel, bolts, screwdrivers and much more. We know several of them in the Superbike paddock, and among them there is Daniele Cafaro, Andrea Iannone's crew chief in the Go Eleven team. Born in Florence, a genuine person and at the same time ironic and funny, someone who certainly does not skimp on the occasional joke.
Together with him we shared this chat: Daniele took us into the box of the Piedmont team, revealing all the behind-the-scenes details of a world that is often little seen and known from the outside.
"My story begins about 20 years ago, after middle school," he began, "I in fact participated in a mechanics course in Pesaro, which selected 20 people out of 100 participants. From there my adventure among Endurance started, also working with Mauro Noccioli, who was an idol for me. Then I went to Velmotor, where I arrived in SSP, later RMU, then Stirpe in European until I got to Go Eleven."
Cafaro, how is your work handled on the track?
"The key thing in our work is organization over the winter, because that way you avoid being in a rush by having to do late nights afterwards. Basically on Wednesday you prepare the structures, on Thursday the bikes for the weekend, then on Friday you do the final checks and then get to the first free practice session. From there the race weekend then starts. In my opinion in racing the important thing is cleanliness. Maybe it can be tedious, but you immediately understand the state of the material you are working with."
Sometimes you also have to do all-nighters....
"Absolutely yes, in fact sometimes we did after (smiles), especially in the past. Let's just say that Endurance helped me get the rhythm."
What is the aspect you most appreciate about your job and the one you have the hardest time digesting?
"The main thing is that the bike does not stop, thus avoiding the need for the tow truck to take it to the pit. On the other hand, the most tedious thing is testing, because in the course of a day you have to do so many things and repeatedly. Maybe you try the bike high, then low, then long, then short. Sometimes it happens that you never have a break."
How does your job work?
"When the rider comes back to the pit he talks to the crew chief and the latter interfaces directly with me to ask me to intervene on the bike based on the indications received. On the other hand, if there are any changes to the footpegs or handlebars, that is the rider telling me directly. Then the work is organized."
What do you think is the key to your efforts on the track?
"I would say management and preparation, although sometimes there is the unexpected to contend with. However, we always play it by ear, in fact the tools are already all broken down and the parts assembled, because all the work done beforehand allows you then to be effective."
In the racing world, the mechanic cannot make mistakes. Is this true?
"The mechanic should never make a mistake, let's say it's a bit like the goalkeeper in soccer: if the mechanic makes a mistake the bike stops, and if the goalkeeper makes a mistake he gets a goal. Of course during the winter we study the bike and with the team we get together often, just to prevent problems from arising. The key aspect, however, is amalgamation, because each team member knows each other's strengths and weaknesses and consequently this helps each other."
This year Iannone has arrived in the box. What kind of rider is he?
"Working with a rider like Andrea is stimulating and as a result raises the level. You know you have a top rider, who has important demands, consequently he has made us grow a lot, given also his previous experience in Factory teams. Obviously there was a lot of expectation towards us, but over the course of the season we managed to find union and synergy to help each other. I think in the end we did a great job without letting tension get the better of us."
What would you call Andrea?
"The Maniac, which is the nickname he carries. I think his being maniacal about things helps: maybe at first you don't understand why certain demands are made, but then you realize what is the growth it leads to."
Now you can tell us: what happened in the Phillip Island Superpole Race with the knob?
"Andrea is someone who puts a lot of effort on the knobs and we then realized that he was basically turning them. Unfortunately on that occasion we had very soft knobs, we probably also chose a detail on the handlebars that was slipping and it went as you know. We certainly learned from that weekend not to repeat such a mistake."
Cafaro, what kind of advice would you give to a youngster who dreams of becoming a mechanic in the racing world?
"First of all, you have to have boundless passion for this job, as well as a desire to learn and patience. We give internships to young people during the year, and I often see too much frenzy on their part. However, this job does not work that way: you need patience and above all you start from the most humble and boring jobs to train."
Let's talk about effort: is it more the physical effort or the mental effort?
"The first years there was a lot of physical effort, then it becomes mental. I say that because when you get to a certain point, ours becomes a routine job, and as a result you have to be good at not lowering your concentration threshold, because that's where you then slip on a banana skin."
How much do you think your work has changed since you started?
"I think it has changed a lot. Twenty years ago, in my opinion, the mechanic was able through his manual dexterity to come up with an expedient to make a difference. Today, on the other hand, you have to be loyal to the line the company gives you to be on top, consequently you become a kind of fitter."
