THE TEACHER AND THE STUDENTS
06 June 2006 - Aprilia

SACCHI AND THE KIDS OF JGP

Could you ask for more? Difficult , if not impossible. The Junior GP is opening a new street for young people that want to get close to and debut in the world of the bikes of Grand Prix. Behind all this organization if a man with a lot of experience: under his protective wings many World Champions have passed, and he’s seen them grow and develop in an amazing environment, as enticing as it is professional and difficult. We’re talking about Giampiero Sacchi, whose name is enough to bring up pages of World Racing history. We asked him for his opinion on this event, out of which came a very interesting discussion (it couldn’t have been otherwise) with simple advice, direct and incisive, just like a teacher would do with his students…

Mr. Sacchi, what do you think about the Junior GP?
“I’d like to start by saying that we have done the biggest selection that has ever been done in Italyin the motor sports. That’s the thing that pleases me most, both for myself and for all those that have faith in this initiative. We put together the Italian Motorcyclist Federation, Aprilia, Motosprint and it’s not a little thing, never before have so many strengths gotten together to create something like this, I think that this in itself is a wonderful thing. It’s true, we have already done the same thing in Spain, but I always said to our kids that they are better, just give them an opportunity. I remember that we had ten bikes for the selections, at a certain point we had to close the requests because we risked going into overbooking from all the requests we had received.

Now, however, comes the most difficult part, there are the races, unfortunately of all these kids, we’ll only be able to take a pair to the Italian Championship, the others will be left out, and I think it’s the saddest thing of all.

But I’m calm also about this, because there is a total faith in what we are doing, starting with the selection of the bikes, from the staff that follows the kids, we wanted to do the things in the best way possible, we know that we can look the kids in the face. And this is something very important.”

From your experience, is one selection, one race, one season enough to see if a kid has the stuff?
“According to me, no, also because it’s an age of great change, but unfortunately, or fortunately, there isn’t another way.”

Many kids come from Minimoto. Do you think it’s an obligatory transition, that it’s useful, can you do less?

“Well, all of those that are at the top now come from Minimoto. It’s obvious that it’s training especially for the agnostic spirit that they acquire right from the beginning: the tension of the battles during the race, the hand to hand combat, the contact with the asphalt. It is also true, however, that it starts at an absurd age: at four and five years old, it’s not the kids that choose but the parents that put them on a bike because they want to.

I’m against debuting kids at 15 years old in the World Championship, even if I did it with Jorge Lorenzo on the day of his fifteenth birthday. I don’t make the rules, I’m a professional that must adapt to what is already there. It should also be said that when the kids start to race, they can’t be stopped.

Thanks to the Federation and its president, I have been able to obtain a waiver for the Junior GP and to debut kids at 13 instead of 14, because the problem that we have in Italy is that there is a lag of one year between when they leave Minimoto and when they can get in the saddle of a “real” bike. And many, during this period, go to race in Spain because, there, they can. Let’s say that here we’re able to get them back at 15, 18 months of the sport life of a kid, they are very important.”

Let’s focus a moment on the parents: they are “necessary” to start a career, but they can also stop it short with their intrusiveness and obsessivness with respect to their children. What advice would you give these parents, and also to the kids?

“In more than a quarter century in World Motorcycling I think I’ve seen every type of parent: preparatory and absolutely damaging. I can’t generalize. If a parent is able to maintain a certain distance it’s important: this is a hard sport, there are difficult moments, and if you take a bad fall and you have someone that you can say “it hurts” without having to confess it publicly, it’s a good thing.

The biggest problem I see with parents, especially Italian parents, but also European parents in general, is the desire for money, immediately. There isn’t even a desire to win anymore, and this is sad. It’s this greed that makes people make mistakes and burn through the races, and make hasty decisions.”

Here in the Junior GP, there are three girls that are doing quite well, but will a girl ever really be strong in World Motorcycling?

“In the World and in Formula 1 they’ve already achieved this, but I think they are exceptions. But only because the pond we fish from is very limited. I’m not saying they can’t do what the boys do, even if this is undoubtedly a very tiring sport: it’s one thing, the fatigue of the Minimoto or of a 125 street like this, and another thing when you start to go 250 in the competition.

I think, however, that with a little physical preparation it can be done, it’s clear that a girl must pay a little price.”

Let’s finish with advice, to give to those who still have to start and who is instead already trying to have a career in the world of sport motorcycling ….
“To who wants to start, given that our selections are completely free, get ready to send the coupon for the 2007 selections if you are old enough to do it. Anyway, just going to a track and trying to go around will make you realize immediately if it’s for you or not: maybe you’ll come out with a crazy desire to try again, or maybe you’ll come out with the knowledge that it’s not what you expected. Again, I repeat that the Junior GP is a great opportunity for kids. For who is already racing, according to how old he is, needs to know that at a certain age it’s already to late for the Moto GP, or anyway it could be. Anyway, a career is directed according to age, that which you’ve done and what you will do.

Try not to rush it’s fundamental and if you are the right age, you have to let it develop right: 125, 250 and Moto GP. To rush in the 125 is crazy, 125 and 250 form a rider in the best way to get him ready to be first!

If you come from series, it’s important to realize that this is another world, they can’t be compared. I’ve said for years that a 600 Supersport forms you in a certain way, but it doesn’t prepare you for a Grand Prix motorcycle.

My advice is to try it, trying to understand your limits, but especially going step by step, absolutely.”

Adding something to what has just been said by a man of experience like Giampiero Sacchi would be nothing but superfluous, therefore, we’ll just add that you should print this interview and keep with you always: his advice will serve you well, forever….

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