MotoGP – Interview Herve Poncharal: “Tech3 is not afraid of Valentino Rossi!” – Used YAMAHA

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Interview Herve Poncharal: "Tech3 is not afraid of Valentino Rossi!"

MotoGP - Interview Herve Poncharal: & quot; Tech3 is not afraid of Valentino Rossi! & Quot; - Used YAMAHA

Site took advantage of the summer break from the Grands Prix to talk at length with Herve Poncharal, manager of the French team Tech3. The opportunity to review the fantastic results of its two rookie MotoGP riders, Johann Zarco and Jonas Folger. But also to evoke the arrival of the Triumph engine in Moto2 and the hypothetical creation of a VR46 team by Valentino Rossi in the premier class … Interview.

Site: Herve, we are approaching mid-season and your riders Johann Zarco and Jonas Folger are respectively 6th and 7th in the championship, behind five factory bikes and ahead of official riders like Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati), Aleix Espargaro ( Aprilia) or Andrea Ianonne (Suzuki). All after having each led their national GP then finished 2nd (for Zarco, for Folger). You must be delighted? Surprised too, maybe ?! 

  • MNC interview with Johann Zarco : 

Herve Poncharal, Yamaha Tech3 team manager: Indeed, we are very surprised by this first part of the season, pleasantly of course! Even in our wildest dreams, we dared not imagine seeing our drivers on the podium of their national Grand Prix, or even that they complete races in the Top 5. Our goal at the beginning of the year was to be in the Top 10, and it was not a goal set out of prudence or humility, but dictated by an objective observation: on the grid, there are two official Honda, two official Yamaha, two official Ducati but also two Suzuki from factory which – until last year – performed very well. Without forgetting pilots like Crutchlow, Redding or even Petrucci who have "the bottle" on their respective motorcycle (the Honda-LCR and the Ducati-Pramac, Editor’s note).

MotoGP - Interview Herve Poncharal: & quot; Tech3 is not afraid of Valentino Rossi! & Quot; - Used YAMAHA

Therefore, we are very happy with these performances, but also very proud because our two pilots contribute to it. Since the start of the season, Johann had indeed positioned himself as the leader of Tech3, but with his second place in Germany, Jonas in turn stood out. His superb race shows that the team is based on two solid legs, and has given a boost to both his technical team and himself. In addition, Johann’s spontaneous decision to come and hug him after the race in Germany was heartwarming for us. It’s a beautiful sporty image, which really touched me a lot. Everyone could see to what extent there is a real spirit of "Tech3 family" within the team, a "gentleman attitude" which has become rare in sport..

M.-N.C. : Since Olivier Jacque’s title in 2000, Tech3 has never been so much in the limelight. And still at the time, it was the intermediate category (then the 250cc 2-stroke)! Do such successes in the premier class open up interesting prospects for you, especially when it comes to partnerships with sponsors? ?

H. P.: This situation comes at a crucial time and could not have been better in terms of timing since the contract with our two major partners, Monster Energy and the Dewalt group (Facom, Stanley, Black & Decker, etc.), expires in 2017. I am currently in discussions with them to find out if they will stay with us and under what conditions, and my position is obviously more favorable thanks to our good results because they generate media coverage and visibility to match..

M.-N.C. : Precisely, Site had understood at the beginning of the season that Monster Energy was rather leaving ?

H. P.: That’s right. They informed us after the 2016 final in Valencia (Spain) that the fallout was not up to their expectations and that they wanted to try to find a "deal" with a factory team. At present, even if the contract is not yet signed and we must be careful not to sell the skin of the bear before having killed it, Monster has radically changed its discourse, attitude and attitude. position regarding Tech3! And that is of course thanks to the results of Johann and Jonas.

MotoGP - Interview Herve Poncharal: & quot; Tech3 is not afraid of Valentino Rossi! & Quot; - Used YAMAHA

In addition, beyond the results, we must also take into account the availability of the team and its drivers. Today, we are in Alès (30) to carry out a promotional operation for Dewalt in full summer break, and this while the team aspires to take a well-deserved rest (interview carried out during the Yamaha Blu Cru Camp where Tech3 was present both to address the trainees and shoot a video for Dewalt, NDLR). This is part of the important and necessary returns on investment for a sponsor. I think that many realize that at Tech3, we are flexible and open to this kind of marketing operations, which are not always very pleasant. I don’t think a Valentino Rossi, to name but one, engages in these kinds of activities…

  • MNC report at Blu Cru Camp :  

M.-N.C .: A French rider who achieves feats on the motorcycle of a private French team, that must attract the French sponsors, no ?

H. P.: I wish it were. But we have to admit that we have only one long-standing French partner, Motul, as well as a small partnership with Bihr. And that’s it… The Spanish oil company Repsol has nevertheless been the title partner of a factory team for decades (Honda-HRC, Editor’s note) and exploits in advertising terms its huge investments in Grand Prix. However, we also in France, we have a large oil group (Total, Editor’s note), perhaps even bigger than Repsol! But they never showed any desire for a French team … Moreover, if Total is present in Grand Prix with Marc VDS, they do not put the means to become title sponsor as Repsol does.. 

MotoGP - Interview Herve Poncharal: & quot; Tech3 is not afraid of Valentino Rossi! & Quot; - Used YAMAHA

Even if we look at the case of the communications giant Movistar (title sponsor of the official Yamaha team, Editor’s note): the Orange group is its equivalent in France and has never expressed any desire. I hope that this will evolve because today we have a French leader with Johann Zarco. Even if it will take time, we were able to see at the Grand Prix de France to what extent it united the public. The media have also responded to Le Mans, certainly in a very timely manner. However, things be clear: Tech3 is an international company and if this lack of investment from big French sponsors is regrettable, that does not prevent us from moving forward. 

M.-N.C. : Carmelo Ezpeleta, boss of promoter Dorna, told Valentino Rossi that a place would be reserved for him if he wanted to enter his VR46 Sky Racing team in MotoGP… For the moment, Rossi says he is not interested, but if the situation was changing, could this jeopardize the collaboration between Yamaha and Tech3 ?

H. P.: (a little annoyed smile) Carmelo Ezpeleta, I know him very well and I talk to him frequently because of my position, the president of IRTA, the association of MotoGP teams. All the teams are currently committed to an agreement that runs from 2017 to 2021 with the Dorna, the teams – official and private -, the manufacturers and the FIM (Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme, Editor’s note). This contract binds all these parties until the end of the 2021 season. This means that no additional person can join MotoGP before this deadline, whether their name is Valentino Rossi or Mr Dupont..

  • MNC point :
  • MNC of June 30, 2017 : 
  • MNC of June 21, 2017 : 

If by any chance someone wants to line up in MotoGP before 2021, there is only one way: for that person to buy the license or find an agreement with one of the six existing satellite teams, namely Aspar, Avintia, LCR, Marc VDS, Pramac and Tech3. If the VR46 Team wanted to have its own team in MotoGP, it will therefore have to wait until 2022. As long as it really wants to, which I am not sure today … For my part, 2022 is is a relatively distant horizon: I therefore have no particular fears for the near future.

In addition, the contract between Tech3 and Yamaha runs until 2018, which will mark our 20th consecutive year of partnership. During this period, we brought them a 250cc title (with Olivier Jacque in 2000, Editor’s note) and have always been the best independent team in MotoGP, except for one year I believe. Earlier, we also mentioned the excellent results of our two Rookies: Yamaha does not have much to complain about, no ?

MotoGP - Interview Herve Poncharal: & quot; Tech3 is not afraid of Valentino Rossi! & Quot; - Used YAMAHA

Conversely, the VR46 Team is racing KTMs in Moto3 and Honda-powered Kalexes in Moto2, with plans to switch to KTM in Moto2 next year from what I have heard. I do not think that it is – in the current state of things – the most systematically "badged" Yamaha ambassador… Still, I am not afraid, even of Valentino Rossi! By the way, Johann and Jonas have taxed him several times on the track and if tomorrow Valentino has his own MotoGP team, we will make sure to beat him..

M.-N.C. : The Moto2 switches to a Triumph engine from 2019, moreover with the introduction of a more sophisticated ECU. Will this reshuffle the cards for your Mistral 610 with which they are struggling to play at the forefront Xavi Vierge (currently 13th at 134 pts behind the leader Morbidelli, Editor’s note) and Remy Gardner (24th at 168 points from the leader, Editor’s note) ?

  • MNC Interview : Triumph Moto2 engine manufacturer in 2019, the explanations of Triumph France 

H. P. : I’m not sure… Look at our situation in MotoGP: what makes our results so much better than last year? It’s not thanks to the bike: we still have an M1, with the same support from Yamaha. The change comes from our pilots. Likewise, why Suzuki is struggling today when the GSX-RR was ahead last year? You can say and think what you want, the difference comes from the pilots. Finally, what made the Sito Pons team fight for the Moto2 title last year and the previous seasons, while this year with the same equipment and the same means, this team is nowhere behind us in the ranking? It’s also a story of pilots (the Pons HP40 team is running Edgar Pons, 30th in the provisional and a certain… Fabio Quartararo, 16th, Editor’s note).

MotoGP - Interview Herve Poncharal: & quot; Tech3 is not afraid of Valentino Rossi! & Quot; - Used YAMAHA

In Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP, it’s the rider who makes the difference, he who gets the good results. Obviously, the rider needs a good bike to achieve this. But, frankly, there are no more bad machines today in the world championship. Also in Moto2, we use the same engine, the same airbox, the same ECU. Only the chassis changes, but we’re all in a handkerchief in terms of performance at this level, whether it’s the Suter, Tech3, Kalex and Speed ​​Up.. 

In my opinion, the arrival of Triumph will give Moto2 a big boost in the media. On the track, going from 4-cylinder (, Editor’s note) to 3-cylinder (new, Editor’s note) will be nice because it is a modern engine, more powerful, with great sound. And it’s true that the arrival of a more advanced ECU – including anti-skating – will also promote performance, which will be closer to MotoGP. But overall, that won’t change much: the team with the best driver will be ahead, whether with a Kalex, a Suter or a Tech3..

Interview by Alexandre BARDIN

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