WSBK – Foret and Marino at Ten Kate Honda in 2011 – Interview with Florian Marino

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Foret and Marino at Ten Kate Honda in 2011

WSBK - Foret and Marino at Ten Kate Honda in 2011 - Interview with Florian Marino

The grid for the World Supersport is slow to fill. We do know, however, that two French drivers will take part in the championship, and in a top team which is more: Foret and Marino will ride at Ten Kate in 2011 ! MNC has already interviewed the rookie…

Interview with Florian Marino

The Mondial Supersport has been dominated for almost a decade by a single team: Ten Kate Honda. Since its first coronation in 2002 with a certain Fabien Foret, Ronald’s team has only let the title slip once, in 2009, against the incredible rookie Cal Crutchlow and his Yamaha R6.

Once again crowned last year with Sofuoglu, the Batavian team had not yet unveiled its plans for the 2011 season at Christmas … Information – semi-official – had nevertheless reached us via the personal website of a great hope for French speed: Florian Marino will ride next year on Kenan’s CBR600RR! "Admitted objective: a year to learn, a year to earn", then dropped the pilot on his home page.

By finishing second in the 2010 European Superstock 600 Championship with Ten Kate, the Cannes driver has secured a place of choice in the championship – this time world – Supersport. However, with the departure of Sofuoglu scarecrows (for Moto2 with Alain Bronec), Laverty (for SBK with Yamaha) and Lascorz (for SBK with Kawasaki), the category finds itself somewhat orphaned..

Of course, we will have to rely on the Parkalgar Honda team and its four (!) Riders including Sam Lowes, recently titled in the British Supersport Championship, and the very experienced James Ellison. Parkes and Salom’s official Kawasaki will certainly remain at the forefront, as will Chaz Davies and his Daytona 675.

But we – the French – will expect a lot from Florian Marino! Our young compatriot – "very young", since he will be celebrating his 18th birthday on June 3, 2011 – is indeed riding in the prestigious footsteps of Fabien Foret – with whom he will finally share his box – and of Sebastien Charpentier, titled twice with Ten Kate in 2005 and 2006.

Florian Marino, in full preparation for his next tests in Aragon on January 20 and 21, has agreed to answer Site questions. Interview.

Site: Hi Florian, can you briefly summarize your career? ?

Florian Marino: In short, I am a pure product of several sectors in France (Conti Cup, Open 50, Junior Cup, Challenge of the future, Pirelli 600 Trophy), and I have never set foot in Spain ( apart from a few freelancers in 125 in 2008 with the CIP) which wants to be the land of all the champions who ride on two wheels … As we say !

In short, I started with motocross at 8 years old because it was easier to find land not too far from home. But cross country was not the discipline my father preferred … We were happy with it until the day he opened a magazine, Mobshop, and saw a promotion boasting a magnificent Conti, jumpsuit, helmets, boots … A whole package for a branded fit at an affordable price! It was there, at the age of 11, that the pleasure of rubbing the sliders on the track began. These two years of championship in 50 cc have paved my way and have not made me regret motocross in competition (always do it regularly for fun).
At the dawn of my 14th birthday, having no other choice in terms of income, I participated in the Junior Cup on a 125 CBR, following a non-homologation of the 125 Conti that we had just bought to race in Spain … Besides, we still have it, it serves as a low-cost housing for spiders…
So penniless, it was the Cannes dealer Team FB who lent me the CBR. The first laps of the wheels were very difficult … I did not know if the engine had a problem: it was not moving! More problematic, I trained alone on a karting circuit without being able to calibrate with another competitor because I was forbidden to ride a 125 before I was 14 on a real circuit (although my 125 advanced three times slower than my 50 Open, by the way!)…

Finally, the Junior Cup was a superb experience, superb battles and there too I had a lot of fun, on and off the track: it looked like a summer camp! Then, Jacques Bolle suggested that I do the Challenge de l’Avenir with Alain Bronec. Very good memories too, but I lacked a lot of training to do well this 2008 season. I think that the turning point in my career came that year, with the Red Bull Rookies Cup. After having passed the selection tests brilliantly, I had a modest season in terms of results but I have constantly improved. This did not escape Peter Clifford and the staff of Red Bull, who offered me to stay in 2009 in their international championship. It is to them that I owe the place I occupy today: I had a superb season, even though I missed four podiums on the last lap. But I won the Brno event !
Still in 2009, the Team FB dealer (thanks again to them!) Lent me a 600 CBR for the Pirelli Trophy. I was wondering if it wasn’t a bit big … well it’s the same! It has a little more horses, it twists more easily, it goes a little faster, but the result is the same: we always take as much pleasure in beating! A victory at the Vigeant in 600 under the eyes of Charpentier and he put me in touch with an Italian manager who made me run (for a fee …) the last three rounds of the 600 STK European Championship. With my victory at Magny-Cours in front of 80,000 spectators, including two cousins ​​named Ten Kate, I won the jackpot !

MNC: And your 2010 season in Superstock, how did it go? ?

F. M.: The European season went both well and badly. Good because I was in the best team, and bad because my Italian manager (from whom I have since been separated) left a slate of 150,000 euros at Ten Kate Racing Product and tensions arose between him and Ferry Schoemakers , the head of the Junior Team … The main thing is that I finished second in the championship! I must admit that I had a very good opponent in the person of Jeremy Guarnoni: he was super sharp and I think he got even stronger during the season. He’s a decent pilot that I really enjoyed.

MNC: Are you ready for testing in Aragon in two weeks? It will be your first run on the official CBR !

F. M.: Yes of course, I’m ready. I can’t wait to be able to ride because it’s now been three months since I rode a racing bike. In addition, it will indeed be my first run on the official CBR.

MNC: How are we preparing for our first Mondial Supersport season ?

F. M.: I prepared it by doing a lot of sport and motocross. I bought a 250 CRF at the beginning of December, but Ten Kate advised me to sell it because if I arrived with a broken wrist I would be replaced immediately! I have also mentally prepared myself for the possibility that it will not be easy at first, and that it might take a little while before I can operate the bike 100% and be able to give everything I have on. Track.

MNC: What are your goals and Ten Kate’s for 2011? ?

F. M.: Learn the first year – without being embarrassed if I have a chance – and aim for the title in 2012. No pressure for this year, it will come in 2012 when the objective will be to win. It’s a great goal and I’m super motivated to work in this direction with a team like this..

MNC: Do you already know Fabien Foret? What points would you like him to help you ?

F. M.: No, I don’t know him at all! Will it be open or not? I think everyone will do their job … we’ll see !

MNC: Assuming that everything is going well in SSP, would you prefer to integrate SBK or Moto2 afterwards? ?

F. M .: I have an option for a third year at Ten Kate, so I don’t know. Either way, I’m not there, I haven’t really thought about it.

MNC: You were one of the first to ride on the Tech3 Mistrale. The tires are different, but can you compare the Moto2 and the Supersport CBR? ?

FM: Hard to say, because I haven’t tried motorcycles in the same conditions … For me, the Supersport seemed more difficult to drive because it produces a lot more horsepower and you have to integrate the operation traction control. I was not able to use the full capabilities of the bike, especially the engine power. The Moto2 seemed easier to me in terms of handling. But hey, as I say, it is difficult to establish a comparison without having had a lot of driving on the two motorcycles.

MNC: Besides motorcycles, do you have other passions? ?

F. M.: Sport in general! Racing bikes, mountain biking, swimming in particular. And the jet ski, I got my coastal license this summer !

MNC: And studies in all of this ?

F. M.: In France, there is no study sport for speed motorcycles while there is for cross country and trial. It was hard enough to quit school just before I turned 16, but we had to make a choice. At the private high school where I was in Cannes, they summoned me with my father and told us that we could not do two things correctly. It was one or the other … I had too many days away, my father let me choose. I regret that I had to make a choice, because high school was still a good way to take the pressure off. The friends I had weren’t particularly into motorcycles, their different interests were a balance in my teenage life. But don’t talk to me about correspondence studies! How to find motivation on your desk by working alone? I would manage to concentrate an hour and then I would let go! That said, I speak and master English, it’s the positive side of seeing foreign drivers and teams. !

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