12TH YAMAHA VR46 MASTER CAMP STUDENTS PROVE MULTISKILLED ON DAY 3

The third day of the 12th-edition Yamaha VR46 Master Camp was especially full on. The six recruits measured their newly gained flat track skills against Franco Morbidelli, learned all the inside MotoGP eSport tricks from three-times World Champion Lorenzo Daretti (aka Trastevere73), and showed their speed on MiniGP bikes in front of Manuel Gonzalez.

On Day 3 of the 12th Yamaha VR46 Master Camp, Eduardo Burr (Brazilian, aged 16), Dawid Nowak (Polish, aged 14), Marc Vich (Spanish, aged 16), Krittapat Keankum (Thai, aged 18), Thurakij Buapa (Thai, aged 19), and Shoma Yamane (Japanese, aged 15) showed their skills in three very different disciplines: flat track, MotoGP eSport, and MiniGP.

Back at the VR46 Motor Ranch in the early morning, the students this time found Franco Morbidelli waiting for them beside flat track instructor Marco Belli. The Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider had decided to dedicate some of his free time to helping the Master Camp students reach the next level in flat track training. Both Belli and Morbidelli joined the Master Camp protégées on track to analyse their riding style from up close.

We had a good morning at the VR46 Motor Ranch", said Morbidelli after the training session. "I spent the whole morning with the young guys. It's always nice to see their emotions about being here and having been given this wonderful opportunity. It's nice to see how the young guys are growing as riders, and how they are approaching the sport.

"My tip for them is to always keep going. You will face adversities, for sure, but if becoming a World Championship rider is what you really want, you need to keep searching and working, also when the going gets tough. But I have to say that these guys are already on a great level. This young generation already starts racing with the right mindset and the right approach."

Belli commented: "After today's session, I'm a bit tired - but for all the right reasons! I put on my leathers today to join the guys on track, so I was very involved with them. We also had Franco Morbidelli with us, who is a superkind and supercool guy. We had the chance to race all together. The two of us were overtaking the Master Camp guys and then let them past again, trying to push them, to have them follow us, and trying to speed them up.

"Because these guys know what to do on a bike, at the end of the day they were all set to take on the full racetrack, which is a magical experience. We saw big smiles from the riders but also good speed. So, everyone is happy!"

Back at the VR46 Motor Ranch after lunch, the students found six gaming computers ready for them. In their first MotoGP eSport session, they focused on the basic skills needed: a good set-up, keyboard control, track knowledge, mental focus. Their teacher, Triple MotoGP eSport champion Lorenzo Daretti (aka Trastevere73), commented: "In the first session we did two training exercises: two sessions of 30 minutes. One in Misano and one in Motegi. I was surprised by the level, if I'm honest, in particular with Shoma - he came close to my lap time. I was teaching them how to brake because in the MotoGP22 game that's very tricky. They learned how to do it the right way. In the final stages of the practice session, I helped them choose the correct set-up of the bike. They improved more after that. In the next MotoGP eSport session, we will do a qualifying and race in both Misano and Motegi, and I'm excited to see how they will do."

After the gaming excitement, the riders were ready to tackle the next discipline: MiniGP racing at the Jeepers Kart track. The riders were joined by Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Master Camp's Manuel Gonzalez again who, although this session was supposed to be fun, was not going easy on the students. He was keen to teach them about choosing the correct lines, body position, braking points, and more before they were put to the test.

The riders went all out in a race which was won by Vich. Keankum came in second, ahead of Yamane in third place.

"It was a good afternoon of training, also for me", shared Gonzalez. "I have a lot of experience with MiniGP bikes. I've been training with this type of bike all my life, so I felt confident that I was able to share my knowledge with these guys. I think we did a good job. I shared some tricks with them, and I'm happy that they enjoyed it.

"The riding style with this bike is very different from riding a four-stroke. You have to brake quite hard, enter the corner, and try not to lose engine power. I think this type of bike is the most enjoyable, because you can slide a lot on corner entry and then go on the gas. It's good for young riders to train with this type of bike."

At the end of the day, the Master Camp riders also visited the Nicky Hayden memorial in Misano to pay their respects to the MotoGP legend who tragically passed away on May 22nd, 2017.

Comments

Eduardo Burr

"The flat track session with Franco Morbidelli and Marco Belli was really good. I went really fast. I was able to talk in Portuguese in with Franky - that was nice. I will say that riding the entire flat track was quite difficult, but it was a good experience. MotoGP eSport was deceptively difficult. I couldn't do a full lap without crashing. It's a good thing that we will be able to do another session later in the week, because I can use the practice. I'm a little on the tall side for MiniGP bikes, so that was also quite challenging. But I still had a good time."

Dawid Nowak

"The flat track session was nice. We tried the whole track. It's really long, but really nice. You get to go downhill for a bit. We also rode with Franco Morbidelli, who was just amazing to train with. MotoGP eSport was really fun. We were all riding really close together, and every time we crashed, we were laughing so hard. Like most of us, I also couldn't do a lap without crashing, but we did a practice race over three laps and it went okay. Jeepers Kart is very tight and small, and it was my first time trying the two stroke, but it was really fun."

Marc Vich

"On Day 3, flat track went much better for me. I was feeling more comfortable on the bike, and everything just gets easier when you're more comfortable. I felt better than I did the days before, so I'm happy with the progress I'm making. MotoGP eSport was so difficult! I'm not used to playing eSports, and when I tried to do it without help... For me it was impossible. Coach Lorenzo Daretti gave some tips, and that helped me. MiniGP was the best part of the day. I really like 85cc MiniGP bikes, so I really enjoyed it. I'm used to riding on four-stroke bikes, not two-stroke, so it was something different. A new track, a new bike, it was nice. And I won the Superpole - I'm happy!"

Krittapat Keankum

"I felt really good after the flat track session with Franco Morbidelli. I felt many emotions, actually. We were there riding the entire track with a MotoGP rider. It was a special moment. We worked on bike control, and I feel better on the bike now because I learned techniques from Franky. On Day 3, I also had my very first MotoGP eSport experience. I feel like this will be interesting to use as a tool to get to know tracks. On the other hand, it was certainly not my first time trying MiniGP bikes. I have some experience already, but it was still a lot of fun! I focused on throttle control, and I felt that I was able to go over what was previously my limit. It felt good that I was able to do it quite well."

Thurakij Buapa

"I'm understanding more and more about flat track, and that makes it more fun. Thanks to following and riding with Franco Morbidelli, I'm understanding the correct riding line. He is fun to train with, and he has a lot of knowledge and good tips. MotoGP eSport is cool, and I like it. It requires practice, but it's nice to get familiar with tracks in this way. It was also my first time riding on a MiniGP bike. It's amazing! With Manu we worked on the technique: braking and engine power. I would like to keep practising like this consistently."

Shoma Yamane

"The Day-3 flat track session was very difficult compared to yesterday's sessions because of the elevation changes when you ride the full track of the VR46 Motor Ranch. I want to overcome these challenges and speed up next time. Franky has incredible cornering speed, and I realised that I had a lot to learn from him. I hope I get a chance to ride with him again. I was confident that I could do well in the MotoGP eSport session because I have experience with the game. I always compete in the Moto2 class, and I rank high in the world wide players. In MotoGP there is a lot more electronic control settings than in the Moto2 class, and I would like to improve on that in the next session. Overall, I think eSports will help me learn the circuits' lay-outs. On Day 3 I also had my first MiniGP ride. I tried to imitate Manuel's riding style. At the end of the session, I was able to keep up with him somehow, and it was good to look at him riding right in front of me. It's a shame that I made mistakes during the Superpole. I thought I couldn't get onto the podium because of that, but I'm glad I got third place in the end."