Exclusive interview with Alfredo Mastropasqua, head of the Team Italia Project

We exclusively interviewed Alfredo Mastropasqua, Head of the Team Italia Project, who this year is present in the Moto3 class world championship with Matteo Ferrari and Andrea Locatelli and in the European Superstock 600 with Marco Faccani ed Andrea Tucci. We "touched" on various topics with him. It was a very pleasant and profitable “chat”, that's what she told us.

Alfredo, let's take stock of this first part of the season.

“This first part of the season is in chiaroscuro. As regards the Moto3 world championship, we started from a project, with new riders, one of whom is a debutant. We have therefore returned to our main role, which is to help young drivers develop. This role has a thousand pitfalls, as mentioned, one of these is having young riders and then Mahindra also got involved, which last year seemed like a very promising motorbike and which this year has not managed to make the necessary development to be competitive like KTM. Then there was the entry of Honda, which made mega investments. On the other hand there is a positive side and that is that of having given a great opportunity for growth to a rider like Andrea Locatelli, who certainly has great prospects. We are also giving confidence to Matteo Ferrari who made his debut in the world championship last year but with big problems. As regards the Superbike program, where we are present in the Superstock 600, we can also be satisfied from a sporting point of view. In fact, we are second and third in the championship with Tucci and Faccani and this weekend we could return to the top. We could therefore repeat last year, when we won with Nocco and Morbidelli. Faccani in particular is a rider we will hear about internationally."

You already mentioned it before, but you want to reiterate what your task is, especially in Moto3. Launching young players as happened for example with Romano Fenati and then passing them on to teams aiming for victory such as that of Valentino Rossi or Fausto Gresini.

"Absolutely yes. For example, when in 2010 we started this journey as Italian teams in the entry class, which was then the 125cc, there were Matteoni and Fontana, at the end of their "career", who among other things didn't have any Italian riders racing, except Lorenzo Savadori. Then we arrived and brought Tonucci, Morciano and Fenati. Then the Gresini and Rossi teams (VR46) arrived and from our point of view it is very important that there are more Italian riders. Our task was and remains to make drivers debut, without having to win, trying like last year in case there were any possibilities. We can then make a consideration. Until last year Jack Miller had never made a podium in his life, but the fact that he rode a less competitive KTM bike with aggression and conviction earned him a place on an official bike from the Austrian manufacturer. This is kind of our goal. Fenati, after two years of growth with us, he went with Team Sky, but it could also have been Team Ajo to win the world championship. This is kind of the key to understanding. Antonelli made his journey in Team Gresini, coming from the Team Italia school. With us he was Italian champion and came third in the European championship. Surely he is not going through a good moment right now, but his value is certainly not in question. We will soon find him as the protagonist again.”

There is a fact, this year there are more Italian riders than Spanish, something that hasn't happened for a long time.

“This is an objective measure of satisfaction. It shows that the work we are doing, not only us, but also VR46, Gresini, Simoncelli, and therefore the whole Italian system, is bearing fruit."

We explain in particular what the Federation is doing.

“We as a Federation in particular deal with minibikes, miniGPs and pre-GPs, to bring more and more interesting Italian riders to a high level.”

So let's talk about the “Talenti Azzurri” project

“Exactly, that's what's behind Team Italia's flagship program. There are riders ranging from 8 to 16 years old who compete, as mentioned before, in championships such as minibikes, miniGPs and pre-GPs. In this area we are looking for talents to support with scholarships. Because let's not forget that there are often talented pilots without economic possibilities. We therefore try to give an answer to this issue.”

Many Italian drivers (for example Luca Marini, Andrea Migno, Nicolò Bulega, ed.) race in the CEV (Spanish speed championship) and not in the Italian championship. How can it be explained?

“In my opinion we shouldn't demonize this thing; we are in 2014, 2015 and we live in the European community. It's not Italy against Spain, as some journalists often summarize. The process of the Spanish championship, which was ahead of ours until some time ago, is certainly competitive and interesting. Just as the Italian one has become in the work done in recent years. Having said that, comparison always brings advantages. On the other hand, when we formed Team Italy with Fenati and Antonelli we went to win in Spain. I don't see anything strange in it to the extent that one does both championships. If on the contrary we only use Italian or only Spanish saying that one is better than the other, we are off-road. Instead, in a growth project, learning Italian and doing wild cards in Spanish, for example, can be interesting. It certainly makes you grow and gives you references outside the national border. This applies to them too. When we went to the European Championship and won in Albacete against Rins and little Marquez, we had a reference for Fenati and Antonelli. We had also beaten them in the Spanish championship. Rins himself came to race in the Italian championship at Misano two years ago. In summary we can say that they are two very valid championships that can be included in a driver's growth programme. I don't see anything wrong with it."

This year you have two important figures in Team Italy. They are Carlo Pernat (Head of communications and external relations) and Virginio Ferrari (Team Manager). What is their added value?

“We needed expert elements. This project came back to life thanks to my intuition, but my experience was very limited. I therefore realized that entrusting part of the work to competent and expert people like Virginio and Carlo could give us an advantage in terms of time to achieve objectives and also in being credible. I can say that speed of work and credibility are two themes achieved and implemented thanks also to their ability, two long-standing professionals who always know how to give added value."

Returning to Moto3, did you expect some step forward from Mahindra?

“We started to see something. After Mugello we saw that Mahindra has made some steps forward. Tonucci (current Team CIP rider) showed it to her, as did Binder (Ambrogio Racing rider). At this moment we are the ones who have to find, together with the drivers, that mental and technical step that allows us to stay in the positions that were our objective, to enter the points zone."

Well Alfredo, thank you for the interview and good luck for the rest of the season.

“You die! Thanks to you!"