WSBK – Interview Sylvain Barrier (WSBK): that’s why I’m here … – Interview with Sylvain Barrier

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Interview Sylvain Barrier (WSBK): that’s why I’m here…

WSBK - Interview Sylvain Barrier (WSBK): that's why I'm here ... - Interview with Sylvain Barrier

Injured to his hand during the second WorldSBK race in Aragon (Spain), Sylvain Barrier will unfortunately not be back this weekend at Donington Park. For Site, the Kawasaki Pedercini team rider takes stock of his situation. Interview.

Interview with Sylvain Barrier

Site: Hi Sylvain, we just heard you won’t be back in Donington Park … How’s your hand ?
Sylvain Barrier: So … I had made tests before the Imola test and the plates had moved one or two millimeters, I do not remember exactly … Still, all of a sudden, I had to Stop everything immediately and I was only allowed to run. I had a medical examination last week and the doctor gave me the right to resume sport, and even motorcycle tests, but not yet competition.

"I’ll get back on the bike when I’m 100% again"

MNC: Can we hope to see you ride at the beginning of June in Misano? ?
S. B .: I would like, yes. Now, if everything hasn’t reconsolidated properly, there are still risks of breakage or the plates twisting like Petrucci experienced, frankly, coming back for a run won’t do much. I’ll get back on the bike when I’m back to 100% of my ability. Because by wanting to attack too much to compensate for the bike and its settings which are not at the top, by wanting to weld, boom, you "go up". It explains why I am here. And that explains the fall of Lucas too.

MNC: Exactly, your substitutes … Anthony West finished 9th in his very first WorldSBK race at Sepang, then 5th in the rain in the second round. Lucas Mahias, your previous replacement, also had a Top 10 in the dry. It reassures you about the potential of the bike, it puts pressure on you, or a bit of both ?
S. B .: If the bike was really above the rest, Lucas would always be there to replace me. However, this has not been the case since his fall in Imola. You should know that the Ninja driven by Sykes and Rea has nothing to do with the one we can get at Pedercini. So okay, the engines are prepared in the same place, at Akira. OK, Magneti Marelli electronics are basic, as well as the suspensions … But these are their only common points.

"At the start of the year, I signed up for a Factory motorcycle …"

I have to admit what Anthony West did in the first run at Sepang was impressive. He gave 100%, he did a really, really good job. After in the rain, it’s Anthony West: one of the world references in the field! He won a Moto2 race under these conditions (the and he also performed well on the MotoGP Kawasaki (in, Editor’s note). But it is sure that starting from 11th place and finishing 5th, it’s beautiful !

We’ll see what happens to Donington Park, and even to Misano if I’m not back. The team might get new chassis, new swingarms … Because Anthony complained about the same things I did. But they won’t be factory parts.

MNC: The Pedercini team should not gain gallons in 2016 and benefit from more efficient equipment in 2016 ?
S. B .: Yes, exactly. At the start of the year, I signed up for a "Factory" motorcycle prepared by the chief mechanic and the mechanics who had been taking care of David Salom for the past three seasons. Every race weekend, the chief engineer of Sykes or Rea (depending on my riding style, we had to define it) had to study my problems with me, one hour a day. But it never happened: Guim (Roda, factory Kawasaki team manager, Editor’s note) explained to us that he had to win the championship, that he could not give us his attention. In the end, I do not benefit from the bike, nor from the planned support. My chief engineer is a mechanic in a garage, my chief mechanic fitted the tires three years ago … This is not what was originally planned.

"The chief engineer at Kawasaki is paid 150,000 euros a year, I had to find a budget of 250,000 euros for driving"

To illustrate the situation, the chief engineer at Kawasaki is paid 150,000 euros per year. Me, to drive, I had to find a budget of 250,000 euros. It’s like that. You can turn the problem all over the place, it just can’t work. It’s a shame, because after the story with BMW (read our, Editor’s note) I was sold a new super project on paper. It took 200,000 euros rental for the Factory motorcycle and 50,000 euros for the commitment costs, the tires, the mobile clinic and all the mess. In the end, there is nothing "Factory"…

MNC: And the situation cannot change during the season ?
S. B .: Unfortunately no. I spoke with Kawasaki and they explained to me that they did not have enough resources, staff to provide all the teams. Lucio (Pedercini, the boss of the eponymous team, Editor’s note) thought it could get the 2015 chassis and swingarms back, but that would have required the 2015 engines, which was out of the question. Suddenly, the old frames went back to Japan and were crushed…

MNC: Your motorcycle is therefore a 2016 model very close to the production model ?
S. B .: The bike I rode the last time in Aragon had an original chassis. Lucas and Anthony used the same thing, with an Italian swingarm. A priori at Donington, the chassis should be reinforced and take advantage of the possible changes in the direction through the ring systems. The swingarm should come from Tech Solution, a French company that makes the chassis. Besides, I heard that the Pucetti team (Sofuoglu) had signed a pre-contract with Marco Melandri for Superbike next year … But that has time to change of course.

"I heard that the Pucetti team (Sofuoglu) had signed a pre-contract with Marco Melandri for Superbike next year"

MNC: You will have missed a large part of the first half of the season … what are you aiming for the second? ?
S. B .: My goals are still the Top 10. Lucas proved it was doable in Assen in the first heat. But we must not forget that there were five falls in front, it is not to hit the butt on the ground either! In the second heat on the dryer, he was 13th within one lap of the first … It’s complicated to judge the level of the bike.

"Outside of climatic hazards or falls, the bike cannot do much better than 10th"

In terms of lap times in practice, Lucas and Anthony turned roughly like me: they were 1 or 1.5 seconds behind the first. In Sepang it was still different because of the new coating. I had never seen a Sykes put 8 tenths in qualifying in the second. Almost a second! But the circuit, completely resurfaced, was almost new. So, by the time the pilots got in place, we let the first race pass and we looked at the warm up, at the start of the third day. There, West came 12th, 1.7 seconds behind the first. And the team realizes that the problems remain the same … Excluding climatic hazards or falls, the bike cannot do much better than 10th.

MNC: To conclude, what is your program for the coming weeks? ?
S. B .: This weekend I’m going to test in Jerez with Michelin, it’s really a job that I love to do. Subsequently, I will perform other development tests for Kawasaki … And to have a little fun too! I was not able to ride a lot this winter because of problems on the bike, and then my running in the race was again limited.

Interview by Matthieu BRETILLE

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