Q&A: Sito Pons (Camel Pramac Pons)

With the three week MotoGP summer break nearing its conclusion, Sito Pons - General Manager of the Camel Pramac Pons team - talks about his riders' performances, his relationship with Honda, the exciting future of the world's premier two-wheeled championship and much more...

Q: How would you sum up the first half of this season?
Sito Pons: I think we should be very satisfied because the team has proved to be highly effective. We have scored many podium finishes and have constantly battled for pole position in qualifying and for the race victory itself. Even though many of the team members are new this season, including both riders and our Title Sponsor, Camel, everyone has settled in very quickly and the process has been very satisfactory for everyone involved. The output of the team, in terms of sporting achievement, commercial impact and media notoriety has been very high. We are currently placed second in the World Championship Team Standings and third in the Rider Standings....I have good reason to be satisfied with this first half of the season.
Q: Has Max Biaggi joining the team caused any problems?

Sito Pons: When you build something new there are always difficulties. We must not forget that Max has had to adapt to a new team and to a new bike, and the team has had to adapt to him too. A relationship must be built on respect and understanding of the persons involved and this process takes time. This relationship must be constructed with the technical knowledge of the bike and the way a team works and vice versa. Max is a true professional and now finds himself in a very serious-minded team which is steadily learning the way he works. Race after race the approach to work has become slicker and slicker and the results are there for all to see. We are still not at 100% because I am certain that we will improve still further, although it is clear we have come on a long way since the first race, notably in the trust and technical understanding between the rider and team which is the basis on which to build a successful project. Moreover, the relationship with Max is a long-term one and I am very satisfied to have started this association. We are building a solid basis for the future at all levels.

Q: Were you expecting more from Tohru Ukawa?

Sito Pons: What has been missing for Ukawa so far has been results. Tohru himself, as well as the team, is not satisfied. He has not had the best of luck. During preseason testing he performed very well and we were all convinced that results would then follow, but the plan went awry right in the first race at Suzuka where he crashed out and where the tragic accident of his compatriot Kato dealt a terrific blow to the morale of all the Japanese participants in the World Championship. From that moment on he has suffered a number of crashes that have caused him to lose confidence, but he is making steady progress and is starting to recover the "feeling" with the bike.

Q: How is the relationship between your team and HRC?

Sito Pons: We have a great bike and we periodically receive evolution parts from Honda as has always been the case. It is possible that for Brno we may receive some new parts and this will serve to improve the performance of the bikes still further, as will all the other parts we receive throughout the season. The relationship with HRC is, and always has been, fluid and the results that Max is achieving facilitate this aspect further.
Q: Can Max Biaggi be World Champion this year?

Sito Pons: Of course. It was great shame he crashed in Sachsenring, but with seven races still to run and with the level of competitiveness that he is showing, anything can happen. I think that Max is in his best form of the entire season, and he seems to be getting better and better, and this may affect the performance of our competitors in the final stretch of the Championship when they see he is reaching near perfection. Biaggi's confidence is on the up, and he has real belief in his chances, and those of the team and his bike.
Q: How do you see MotoGP evolving?

Sito Pons: We are witnessing the most exciting World Championship in history thanks to the changes in regulations which has led to the arrival of new constructors. Never before have there been so many World Champions reunited in the same category of racing and entertainment is guaranteed with audience levels reaching record highs. The Championship is gaining popularity and audiences around the globe and this is a result of the competitiveness of the event and of the professionalism of the Organisers, teams, constructors, riders and the stature of Sponsors that support this sport.