The Italian MotoGP at Mugello is the high point of the year for riders, fans and paddock people, as Toby Moody explains in his latest insider’s view.
It’s a fair cop
In years past, you’d still be cooped up at Mugello at 9pm, such was the traffic, but this year still had the comedy without the late exit. The organisers might have spent millions over the past year improving access roads around the place, but it didn't stop policemen getting into even the press office to “make sure no crimes were being committed”, leaving them to hang around for the rest of the day with their Ray-Bans and cameras at the ready. In fact, the place is thankfully devoid of yellow-jacketed health and safety idiots telling you how to walk up stairs. It's a refreshing change that everyone loves.
British quality with an Italian feel. Photograph © Toby Moody
“Buongiorno, Wilkommen”
Commentary boxes were not immune from the Italian effect. I gave myself, Neil Spalding and Julian Ryder in our British Eurosport commentary box an Italian name (see above, left to right: Tobia Moodozzi, Neeel Spaldini, Julio Rydero), while one of the German technicians next door opted for the full Bavarian get-up (see below, left), which didn't quite fit in...
What not to be seen in (left). What to be seen in (right). Photograph © Toby Moody
Japan's hero rides again
1997 500cc frontrunner Takuma Aoki made a surprise visit to Mugello. Confined to a wheelchair since the beginning of 1998 after a testing crash, Aoki has competed in the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally in 2009 with a hand-controlled Isuzu as well as advising Honda on road cars for disabled people. He got his hands on a Genny wheelchair at Mugello that is similar to a Segway in that it has just two wheels and needs just the slightest of touches rather than two arms to push it around (see above, right). “I'm loving it, Toby-san. It's just so easy to move around,” he told me, “but I'm moving even faster next week because I'm driving a racing car at Suzuka. For the first time I'm racing on four wheels there after many many laps on a bike.”
Sign your weekend away
The past 10 years have seen Rossi fever at Mugello, and even though he struggled to his worst position on the grid since he got to Mugello on a 500cc bike in 2000, the fans were chanting, flag-waving and worshipping their idol. He was mobbed on Saturday night after a press debrief (see top), unable to escape from the motorhome, but he signed autographs for well over 10 minutes, with priority given to kids, and of course the prettiest of olive-skinned girls.
'Mr De Puniet, where did it all go wrong?' Photograph © Toby Moody
The Mugello Car Show
It's always worth a wander around the car park at Mugello to see who's got the flashiest cars. Randy de Puniet and his girlfriend Lauren Vickers probably stole the show with the frozen olive green Mercedes SLS they drove across from Andorra (pictured above). Marco Simoncelli had his BMW M3 V8 with a little Sic58 sticker on the boot, Lucio Checchinello had his Mercedes E63 with the full carbon kit, Andrea Iannone had a Lamborghini GT3 lent to him, Franco Uncini had his Audi R8… while I had a new FIAT Panda. Seriously, it’s the fastest thing going (along an Italian secondary road).
Jamie sticks to something safer this year. Photograph © Toby Moody
Jamie Robinson returns
Former British 250cc champion and GP racer Jamie Robinson (left) rode all the way from the Isle of Man to Mugello on his worldwide tour. He stood trackside with me on Friday morning in awe of the MotoGP bikes lifting the front wheel at over 200mph over the crest towards San Donato. He reminded me that he got it a bit wrong there in 1996 and ended up sliding all the way to the apex and across the gravel, stopping just two metres before the tyre wall and coughing up blood, and added, somewhat unnecessarily: “I'll just stick to taking pictures for my blog now…”
All hail the girls
Conditions were very hot over the weekend, but not as hot as earlier in the week when the first trucks arrived from Assen. It was 38–39 degrees C on Monday, so what the guys did on the Ducati unit was work at night… when it was just 24 degrees. The humidity was shattered on Friday afternoon with a huge hailstorm that upset tents and marquees and caused roofs to leak, although the promo girls who got caught in it wearing black underwear under their white t-shirts saw the funny side. I'll leave the rest to your imagination…
Want more?
- Official MotoGP website, www.motogp.com
- Toby Moody on Twitter @TobyMoody
- More from MotoGP in Mugello
Comments
Add a comment