TCR World and life

14 INTERVIEW How are you coping with the confinement period? “I am at home, with my family, trying to make a normal life and observing strictly the recommendations of the authorities. It is an unprecedented and serious threat, and the first objective, as societies and individuals, is to overcome it. Luckily, so far, nobody in my inner circle has been affected. I am also trying to keep fit, with the equipment I have at hand, a treadmill and some weights.” One could guess that you are not a great fan of virtual racing… “No, those of my generation are not much into that. I understand that kids love it, and it keeps them busy for the time being, but I feel no inclination at all for simulators… I almost never used them to prepare for races in normal times, and every time I tried them, I felt dizzy after a while.” How do you think that the 2020 season might evolve? “It’s impossible now to predict what kind of season we will have, if any. The first priority, and very rightly so, is public health; that people don’t get ill and that health systems don’t get overloaded. Then, safety in holding events and travelling has to be ensured, and nobody knows when this will happen. Maybe motorsport will be better off than other sports: it is an individual activity and you can have events with no public, but we will see when we will able to resume racing activity. In the meantime, it is a situation that gives you the opportunity to reflect on the broader matters of life, about who we are and what we do.” How do you think the Covid-19 crisis can affect motorsport in general? “It will certainly have an impact, no doubt. Our sport is sustained by the automotive and ancillary industries, then sponsors, etc. At the moment, the whole system from car production and sales down the pyramid is already suffering the effects of the crisis and it is unthinkable that this will not reflect on motor racing, where costs have always been a matter of concern. For sure, the impact will not be the same for all disciplines, and in that context, Touring Car racing and TCR may be less damaged, because the budgets are not that huge compared to other categories, and there is a closer link with the everyday product.” How do you see things for the 2020 season of the WTCR?