Away From The Roar, Quiet Teamwork Counts

The Age

Saturday October 4, 2008

Martin Boulton

Martin Boulton spends a day soaking up the atmosphere in the Kawasaki garage.

JOHN Hopkins roars into pit lane, shattering the relative quiet in the Kawasaki garage. Inside are mechanics, data technicians, his racing director, crew chief and the myriad of engineers studying his every manoeuvre around the 4.448-kilometre Phillip Island circuit.

It's the first practice session of the Australian MotoGP and Hopkins is battling windy conditions and a bike that won't behave the way he'd like.

Crew chief Fiorenzo Fanali slowly approaches the American as he removes his helmet and the two spend several minutes in deep discussion.

A few metres away, a tyre technician probes the bike's rear Bridgestone to measure heat, while a cable is plugged into the bike's "brain" to retrieve data.

The tiny garage is transformed into a hive of activity, each person with a specific task, each task performed with surgical precision.

Information is collected and immediately fed into the team's network of laptops to build a profile of why the bike is behaving a certain way.

Remedies are contemplated, but any major procedures will need to be discussed later.

The same information is used to help set up the rider's second bike, which may be needed later in the day, the next day or even race day.

Hopkins, who came across to Kawasaki from Suzuki, tells Fanali there's too much "movement" in the bike, then retreats for a quiet moment to himself.

Other riders continue thundering down the straight, reaching speeds of 320km/h, while inside the Kawasaki garage, the team works quietly and methodically, rarely speaking and always glancing at the monitors lining the walls. They know fellow Kawasaki rider Anthony West is due in pit lane any second and there's precious little time to waste - even during practice sessions.

West arrives and the second "green team" swings calmly into action.

Climbing off his bike, the Australian removes his helmet (revealing a shock of blond hair) and, like Hopkins, makes a beeline towards his own crew chief.

It's a routine that delivers vastly different outcomes depending on the circuit.

Last week, it was the slow corners of the Motegi circuit in Japan; this week, the fast flowing island track; and later this month, the undulating Sepang circuit of Malaysia.

The one constant is the robotic activity inside the Kawasaki garage, with its neatly carpeted floor, gleaming tool boxes and rows of computer screens. Tyres are replaced, suspension tested, fuel tanks filled and data entered in a meticulously well-rehearsed operation that leaves nothing to chance.

Despite the wall of noise just beyond the door, the confines of the garage feel far removed from the hype and excitement outside.

Order and routine are the norm, while fans outside soak up the speed and thrills.

The one-hour morning session is longer than tomorrow's 27-lap race and there's another two practice sessions and qualifying session before the race begins.

West's early session yesterday produced a top speed of 323km/h, while Hopkins' average top speed was marginally quicker.

As their bikes were diagnosed, the riders sat on opposite sides of the garage - each speaking, quietly, with their own specialists.

The crew chiefs relayed the details to mechanics and technicians via headsets, leaving little need for talking among each other. After a few minutes, the riders return to the track and the crews go back to their screens.