MRW Issue 41

“I have seen it in every class: there is a
moment, a click, where he is super-high and
it doesn’t matter what you do on the bike he
is super-fast anyway,” he adds. “When you
see the confidence is not good then riders
tend to become more sensitive with the bike
and changes. They start to get more worried
with other things, but since I have known Brad
from the first day he puts massive trust in the
group. He will say ‘guys, this is what I need…I
trust you with whatever you decide, and we go
100%’. This makes our lives much easier. I’ve
seen other riders much more involved on the
technical side and it becomes much more tricky
because they think they know! OK, they know
a lot because they see and feel things that we
cannot through the data…but there are still other
things that they don’t. We have a much bigger
picture on the technical side than them. There is
a reason why we do the things a certain way.”
If Binder, or any MotoGP rider, is the leader,
then the Crew Chief is the ultimate second in
command. The one taking the meetings, making
technical decisions, sustaining group harmony,
and sanding the platform for the athlete to turn
up and excel. “When the rider has a set mood
then he transmits a calmness to you. They lead,”
he claims. “The calmness means that whatever
decision we make, he will still make it happen
out there.”
The rider/crew chief chemistry is one of the
small magic elixirs of MotoGP. Two ingredients
and two highly specialized individuals in a
high stakes sport. No wonder the post-race
celebrations always look so cool.