Akrapovič Magazine vol. 36

>> SPRING 2024 ISSUE 36

Akrapovič kit for BMW M2 Coupé

YOUR OWN KIT! I NTE RVI EW WITH JACKY ICKX

Le Mans is like a Prodrive Hunter – Dakar

It’s much more than just the desert…

Original – Amy Shore Photography

THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES!

A column by Mat Oxley

Iconic design and Sparkling Sailing Performance.

www.elan-yachts.com | sail@elan.si

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C ont e nt s

A K RAP OV I Č Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine Issue 36, Spring 2024 Akrapovič d.d.

Malo Hudo 8a SI-1295 Ivančna Gorica Slovenia www.akrapovic.com Editor in Chief: Miran Ališič Publisher: Korpmedia GmbH Seestrasse 144, CH-8802 Kilchberg, Switzerland Office in Slovenia: Korpmedia d.o.o.

Tomšičeva 1, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia www.korpmedia.si Registration No.: 2272237000 VAT No.: SI14601737 Client Coordinator: Primož Jurman Photo Editor: Bor Dobrin Art Directors: Slavojka Akrapovič, Neja Engelsberger, Saša Kerkoš Cover Design: Zdenko Bračevac Design: Zdenko Bračevac, Andrej Perčič, Bojan Perko, Jan Mohorič, Akrapovič Kreativa d.o.o.

Content Editor: Jasna Milinković Contributors: Alenka Birk, Bor Dobrin, Matevž, Hribar, Primož Jurman, Gaber Keržišnik, Volker Hirth, Toby Moody, Mat Oxley, Imre Paulovits, Miran Ališič, Mitja Reven Contributing Photographers: Akrapovič, Blankframes, BMW, Bor Dobrin, Ducati, Graeme Brown, Hoch Zwei, Hyundai Motorsport, Primož Korošec, Polarity Photo, Ray Archer, Triumph Motorcycles, X-raid, Yamaha Racing Translation: Matjaž Horvat, Werner Schneider Proofreading: Tim Walpole Ad space marketing: Korpmedia GmbH Seestrasse 144, CH-8802 Kilchberg, Switzerland www.korpmedia.ch On the cover: Tail Pipe Set (Chopped Carbon) for the BMW M2 Coupé (G87) Photo Akrapovič Printing: LUart, Lepovče 42, 1310 Ribnica, Slovenia

Contents

05 Letter

06 Akrapovič News

12 Evolution

16 Champions

20 Drive With Us

24 Ride With Us

32 Drive With Us

36 Interview

46 Story

50 Ride With Us

56 Travel With Us

64 Story

68 Story

72 Original

78 High Gear

// Si NOTE All the longer articles in the Akrapovič magazine include a text that will be marked with the // Si sign and placed in a special frame. The Akrapovič company is based in Slovenia and this is why we decided to keep this part of the text in Slovenian as well.

Copyright notice This magazine and its entire textual and pictorial content are subject to copyright. Any reproduction thereof without prior written consent of the copyright holder is prohibited.

The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Akrapovič d.d., the publishers or the editors.

Not for sale. Printed in Slovenia in April 2024 in 6.000 copies.

General Warning Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of its subsidiaries make any representation that the products comply with the air and/or noise emissions laws, or labeling laws, of any jurisdiction. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of the applicable laws where the products are to be used and to comply with those laws. Warning / USA Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, especially as those parts and systems modify, remove, or replace original equipment catalysts. Please consult the appropriate laws in your area before installing any aftermarket part or system on your vehicle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries or the sellers of the parts or systems make any representation that any of their parts or systems comply with any such laws. Warning / California California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts unless the California Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order regarding such part or system or unless the part or system is exempted by being used only on racing vehicles on closed courses. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries make any representation that any of their parts or systems has received such an Executive Order or that any of their parts or systems conform with the racing vehicles exemption. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of applicable California laws and to comply with those laws.

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Letter

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photography Primož Korošec

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Symphony, art and beauty When I was asked to write the editorial for the latest issue of the Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine, I felt a surge of excitement that reminded me of my childhood days. During the hot Italian summers, my father, a huge motorsport enthusiast, used to take me to watch the racing car tests at the Monza racetrack. I still remember our journey together to the immense centuries-old ‘Temple of Speed’ as if it happened yesterday. My amazement and excitement were overwhelming as I was flooded by the sound and symphony of racing cars and motorcycles.

During that time, my father built a Formula Monza 875 single seater in our garage to participate in the ‘Cadetti’ championship which took place at night on the floodlit Monza junior race track layout. That championship would turn out to play a pivotal role in the history of Italian motor racing in the 70s and 80s. The single seaters almost looked like toys, with the engine of the Fiat 500 Giardiniera. I remember, to my mother's joy, that Papa created the ultralight fibreglass bodywork from a plaster mould made in the bathtub. Those were heroic years and marked the beginnings for numerous young drivers, mechanics, technicians, organisers and enthusiasts.

I believe that was the moment when I subconsciously decided I wanted that sound and that world to form an essential part of my life. The world I intensely live in within Akrapovič today presents us with great challenges – challenges we accept and which require us to compete in increasingly complex and global scenarios. Doing so, we must be able to provide the best solutions for our partners.

In the past, the motorbike and the car were the experience, but experience today is a wider concept that completes them. Our goal is to create emotions that enable our clients to be the true ambassadors of a way of being and to enjoy the performance as a holistic experience, reminiscent of the symphonic concerts at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where the historic theatre and the sumptuous stage unite with the orchestra and its musical instruments which are expertly handled by talented musicians. It's a unique and engaging experience for the audience.

I like to think that our daily activities at Akrapovič are skilfully directed by our great orchestra conductor, guiding us to deliver performance with innovation, style, beauty, design and a lot of hard work. So, make yourself comfortable and let your hands open the curtains before being engulfed by issue 36 of the ALM.

Roberto Pellegrini Sales & Marketing Director at Akrapovič d.d.

A krapov ič Ne w s

Star-studded evening in Milan The unique atmosphere of Garage Italia Milano was the backdrop for Akrapovič’s partners event, opened by a powerful musical performance with spotlights focusing onto race bikes equipped with Akrapovič exhaust systems. November’s event also featured two surprise guests: the 23-time winner of the Isle of Man TT John McGuinness and motorcycle racing legend Giacomo Agostini. As you can probably imagine, the evening was too short for all the tales the two racing legends had to tell.

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Lamborghini Squadra Corse Technical Partner Automobili Lamborghini and Akrapovič have expanded their business relationship into the racing world with the Slovenian company becoming Lamborghini Squadra Corse Technical Partner. The Lamborghini SC63, racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series, will thus be equipped with Akrapovič exhaust systems in 2024 and beyond. The SC63 is powered by a 3.8-litre twin turbo V8, which, in tandem with a hybrid system, produces 500 kW (680 hp), delivered through its RWD. “We have entrusted Akrapovič with the development and production of the SC63 exhaust system due to its globally recognised expertise in the motorsport field, thus expanding our partnership from the road vehicle sector to the motorsport division,” said Rouven Mohr, Chief Technical Officer at Automobili Lamborghini. Akrapovič CEO Davorin Dobočnik affirmed the successful business relationship with Automobili Lamborghini by saying, “We are taking the next logical step of working alongside Lamborghini Squadra Corse as a technical partner in the racing environment.”

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06 / 11

Akrapovič News

Historic debut of the Ducati Off-Road

“We are very pleased to have extended Ducati Corse’s longlasting and successful relationship with Akrapovič also to our exciting new off-road program,” was how Paolo Ciabatti, Ducati Corse Off-Road General Manager, welcomed the expansion of cooperation with Akrapovič to off-road racing, where the Slovenian company will be supplying exhaust systems to the Ducati Corse Off-Road team. The new off-road division of Ducati Corse will oversee the management and organization of the Bologna-based manufacturer’s sporting programme, which will see participation in the FIM MXGP World Championship and the AMA Supercross Championship in the next few years.

The Ducati Desmo450 MX ridden by Alessandro Lupino was victorious at its debut in the Motocross Pro-Prestige MX1 Italian Championship, and finished second overall in the first round of the 2024 season.

Another double Akrapovič secured top honours for an incredible 11th successive year in the respected Motorsport aktuell’s Racer of the Year survey. The 2023 edition saw Akrapovič take top spot in ‘Most popular brands in motorcycle exhaust system category’ and ‘Most popular brands in car sports exhaust systems category’ with 85.3 % and 64.3 % of the vote, respectively.

Herrin wins Daytona 200 Warhorse HSBK Racing Ducati’s Josh Herrin rode into the history books at the Daytona International Speedway, by taking the third victory at the famous Daytona 200. The dominant performance of the rider on the Ducati Panigale V2, equipped with a lightweight titanium Akrapovič exhaust system, saw Josh beating his nearest competitor by more than 45 seconds.

King of Macau Peter Hickman of FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team delivered a masterclass performance during November’s 12-lap Macau Grand Prix race on the Akrapovič equipped BMW M 1000 RR, securing his fourth victory on the spectacular Guia Circuit street course. “It’s just fantastic to be first in every single session and winning the race, so I couldn’t really ask for more than that – I’m super happy,” is how Peter commented on winning the 55th edition of the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix.

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Akrapovič News

Back to Le Mans

It has been exactly 25 years since BMW last won at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a prototype – the famous BMW V12 LMR. For the 2024 season, BMW M Motorsport has returned to the grand stage of the FIA World Endurance

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Championship, competing with the BMW M Team WRT with Raffaele Marciello, Dries Vanthoor, Akrapovič Brand Ambassador Marco Wittmann, Robin Frijns, René Rast and Sheldon van der Linde behind the wheel. As an official BMW M Motorsport partner, Akrapovič will be equipping both BMW M Hybrid V8 cars in their quest for FIA WEC glory, including an art car that will make its debut at Le Mans. The 20th Art Car in BMW’s history, designed by artist Julie Mehretu, will have the starting number 20.

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19th in a row Readers of the renowned Motorrad magazine were once again asked to cast their vote for the best brand in various categories, choosing Akrapovič for the 19th time in a row as the best brand for motorcycle exhaust systems. Akrapovič won 72.9 % of the vote, with 47,707 readers taking part.

2024

Partnering with Triumph Racing in off-road

The partnership between Triumph and Akrapovič was strengthened even further in 2024, with the Slovenian exhaust manufacturer providing its exhaust systems to Triumph Racing’s global off-road racing programme. “Developing a competitive racing programme relies not just on the dedication of our

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engineers, teams, and racers, but also on building partnerships with the best companies in our industry.

When it comes to exhausts, Akrapovič was the obvious choice. Working with Akrapovič as a development partner for our off-road racing programme ensures that we can extract the best performance from our race engines,” said Ian Kimber, Head of Off-Road Programmes at Triumph Motorcycles, who’s in charge of Triumph Racing’s FIM MX2 Motocross World Championship and AMA SuperMotocross campaign with the completely new Triumph TF 250-X bike.

Top Spot for 14th Time Akrapovič was delighted with the news from the acclaimed sport auto magazine, informing the Slovenian company that it was chosen as the best brand for car exhausts. The 2023 edition of the Best Brand award saw the Slovenian brand taking its 14th win while being favoured by 71.9 % of the readers.

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06 / 11

6,677 metres high Two years after making history and setting an altitude world record, Pol Tarrés returned to Chile and set the bar even higher. Pol reached an incredible height of 6,677 metres on a Yamaha Ténéré World Raid GYTR with an Akrapovič exhaust. “Above 6,000 metres everything seems to go super slow, the physical exhaustion is indescribable and there is no room for mistakes. Even walking is a challenge, let alone riding a Ténéré at this altitude,” the thrilled Pol Tarrés said.

Racing with Hyundai Motorsport Akrapovič launched a partnership with Hyundai Motorsport by providing its exhaust systems to the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid rally cars. The collaboration could hardly have gotten off to a better start, as Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team won the first rounds of the 2024 FIA World Rally Championship.

Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe won at the famous Rallye Monte-Carlo while Esapekka Lappi and Janne Ferm were unbeatable in Sweden. “Our collaboration is pushing the boundaries in critical areas, such as exhaust systems and thermal management.

As a result, we have brought innovative solutions into the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid for the 2024 season, boosting its reliability and performance. Akrapovič’s race-proven materials, insulation, and technical know-how made them the natural choice of partner as we continue our drive to improve our WRC challenger,” François-Xavier Demaison, Hyundai Motorsport Technical Director, commented on the partnership.

Akrapovič News

12 / 15 Evolution

Evolut ion

Akrapovič kit for BMW M2 Coupé

YOUR OWN KIT!

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by Miran Ališič photograpy Bor Dobrin

If you see the letter M on a sporty Bavarian SUV, sedan or coupe, you probably think power and performance and so does Akrapovič. Soon after BMW unveiled its all new M2 Coupé, the engineering department at Akrapovič went to work. The main component was – of course – the exhaust, but the team went beyond that.

To improve performance, you also need downforce. To increase downforce, you need wings and that’s what the company produced. It developed a new lightweight exhaust, a special wing and a diffuser for the BMW M2 Coupé, to change its power, performance and sound. Let‘s go and test them out.

12 / 15 Evolution

A special car requires a special environment.

What will it be? A racing circuit like Croatia’s

It talks the talk…

But before we delve into our test drive

Grobnik or Austria’s Spielberg? No, the all-new

experience, let’s take a look at our Akrapovič

BMW M2 Coupé is a road car. The Munich-

aftermarket kit. First the exhaust. Akrapovič’s

based manufacturer may not produce the M

Slip-On Line (Titanium) is fully crafted from

Competition model, meaning that the new M2

high grade titanium and comes in two tailpipe

Coupé is now much closer to the previous

designs: the octagonal shape as first seen

Competition version. But you can make your

on the BMW M3/M4, or the more traditional

own special edition - by using the Akrapovič

and classic oval design. Both have outer

exhaust, diffuser and rear wing kit. Now that we

sleeves hand crafted from carbon fibre over

have that extra package, we only need medium-

the titanium inner and it’s worth mentioning

to high-speed smooth corners, empty roads,

that the valve housings and collectors are cast

cool scenery, solid tarmac and a dry sunny

in the company’s in-house titanium foundry.

climate. Hmm… Hang on, there is a road where

But there’s more good news. Not only is

many car manufacturers film ads and test their

Akrapovič’s exhaust 7.3 kg lighter than its stock

cars. It connects the ferry port of Žigljen with

BMW M2 Coupé counterpart, testing on the

the resort town of Novalja on the Croatian island

company dyno showed that engine power

of Pag. It’s off season now and the road ticks all

increased by 3.9 kW (5.3 hp) at 2,800 rpm

the other boxes too. With the engine roaring to

while torque rose by 13.5 Nm, also at 2,800

life and the exhaust singing, we set off for round

rpm, when tested against a BMW M2 Coupé

one – warming up our M2 Coupé.

with a standard stock exhaust. For an extra personal feel, our M2 Coupé was also fitted

Not only is Akrapovič’s exhaust 7.3 kg lighter than its stock BMW M2 Coupé counterpart, testing on the company dyno showed that engine power increased by 3.9 kW (5.3 hp) at 2,800 rpm while torque rose by 13.5 Nm also at 2,800 rpm.

with a handcrafted carbon-fibre rear diffuser.

connecting the island with the mainland arrived.

You can choose between high gloss or matte

A lot of space for testing. Our photographer Bor

black and a recently unveiled special new

found his spots and I pushed on the pedal. The

option – Chopped Carbon. And that’s exactly

engine’s roar filled the air surrounding the creamy

what we chose for our test drive in the M2

coloured stones washed by the strong Bora

Coupé. Technically it’s similar to the other

wind blowing from the mainland. The M2 Coupé

carbon options, but it’s visually completely

stayed neutral as I headed into a double corner,

different and is likewise produced in-house,

first an easy right with almost full throttle and

at the Akrapovič factory in Črnomelj, Slovenia.

then a tricky left. As I was getting closer to the

Last but not least – the wing. Being made from

apex, I had to carefully adjust my speed not to be

titanium and carbon improves its resistance to

surprised by too much understeer. I did two runs

galvanic corrosion, increases its durability and

before Bor stopped me: “Couldn’t you go a little

makes it as light as possible. The bolts used

bit faster through that left hander? It looks like

to attach the wing and the brackets are made

you are hardly moving!” he said. “Sorry,” I replied,

from high grade titanium – like the exhaust. The

“but I’m doing almost 90 km/h and it’s a very

wing was developed to achieve an extremely

tricky corner...” Well, let’s see if I can improve a

competitive ratio between downforce and drag.

little, maybe push just a little bit more? I decided

Computational fluid dynamics has played a

to test the wing, I came out of the smooth right

major part in its development to ensure that it

hander even faster, steered the M2 Coupé into

functions as optimally as possible. The goal

the left turn just a second earlier and then let it

was to increase the car’s stability at high

slip through the corner. I didn’t lose the rear, the

speeds by applying additional downforce to the

car stayed neutral and I could feel it – the rear

rear axle. Fully adjustable to three levels, the

end grip that helped me go through the corner

wing needs to be manually set to the preferred

faster. “Fine, I’m done, you looked a little bit

angle before getting in the car. And, of

faster now,” commented Bor as I stopped to pick

course, rear wing and diffuser come with ABE

him up. While we were waiting for the ferry to

type approval. The Akrapovič Slip-On Line

take us back to the mainland, I was gathering my

(Titanium) exhaust meets ECE type-approval

thoughts and realised – with one’s own kit you

conditions for the BMW M2 Coupé (G87) with

can drive safely and fast and it doesn’t even look

OPF filters.

like you’re trying.

…and it walks the walk

We adjusted the wing and got to testing the grip. Pag was almost empty, with cars only passing us by every hour or two as the ferry

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Cham pions

by Gaber Keržišnik, Matevž Hribar photography Graeme Brown, Polarity Photo, KTM Images (Arnau Puig, Marcin Kin), Rally Zone, Ray Archer, Yamaha Racing

16 / 19 Champions

It used to be inconceivable for a world champion not to use the number 1 on their bike after winning the overall title as it was seen as insulting to the honour being so bestowed. Some riders were even forced to put the number 1 on their bike, but customs, habits and traditions are changing. Who here doesn’t remember Valentino Rossi and his famous 46, which has become the Italian’s trademark. Rossi stuck to his number and Marc Márquez followed suit by keeping

Starting number 1

his 93, year in, year out. And how is the number 1 seen by today’s heroes of asphalt and muddy race tracks? Let’s check the asphalt first.

NICE TO HAVE, BUT NOT FOR EVERYONE

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), the reigning FIM MotoGP World Champion, whose number used to be 63, proudly switched to the number 1 on his Ducati. “Why did I choose the number 1? I’m the world champion, aren’t I!? It didn’t take me long to decide which number to use after winning the overall title,” Bagnaia defends the tradition, which he is glad to follow. “Having the number 1 on a motorcycle is a great award and honour. Not everyone gets to use it. At the same time, it is also a recognition for my team and for Ducati,” says the Italian.

_YART Yamaha replaces 7 with 1 The situation is similar yet somewhat different at the Austrian Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team. Three YART riders won the title of FIM World

Starting numbers on motorcycles have become a major trademark of riders in recent years. They get chosen in various ways: some

Endurance Champions last year: Italian Niccolò Canepa, Czech Karel Hanika and German Marvin Fritz. Starting numbers are a bit more complicated, or maybe easier, because the three use the same motorcycle and therefore have one common or team

riders use their year of birth, others their

starting number, which was traditionally 7 for the

birthdate, others still get them from their

number 1, as it represents the fantastic achievement

YART team. “In the 2024 season, we will use the

racing idols or relatives. The starting number 1

we attained last year. I admit that I was a little

shows respect for success, achievement and

superstitious and wanted to keep the 7, but the other

sceptical about the change at first because I’m a bit

championship title. We followed its history,

guys made me change my mind. It’s just a number

looked into whether all champions use it and

number 98,” explains Hanika. Fritz adds, “I’m used

uncovered a wealth of different stories.

anyway. Outside the championship, I race with the to the number 7, because it has always been my

“Why did I choose the number 1?

I’m the world champion, aren’t I!? It didn’t take me long to decide which number to use after winning the overall title,” Bagnaia defends the tradition, which he is glad to follow.

“Having the number 1 on a motorcycle is a great award and honour. Not

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everyone gets to use it. At the same time, it is also a recognition for my team and for Ducati.”

Francesco Bagnaia, reigning FIM MotoGP World Champion

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Lenovo Team

number. I was inspired by my idol James Stewart, a successful American supercross racer, who used it when I was still in motocross. We owe it to our supporters, the team, the fans and the agreeing, “We did the right thing by changing to 1. We won it fair and square and we deserve it. When racing on my own, I’ve always used 59 or 88, but in endurance racing the number represents the whole team.”

Moving on to Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing Ducati), the FIM Superbike World Champion for the 2023 season. How does he see this sleek and desirable number? “My favourite number is 19, it’s been with me since the start of my career. But I’ve never had the opportunity to put

Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team

sponsors to use the number 1,” with Canepa

the number 1 on my bike. When I became world champion years ago, I moved to a higher class and so wasn’t able to use it. After winning the to do,” says Álvaro Bautista’s before adding, “It’s always difficult to change one’s permanent starting number. I think that one does not very often get a chance to race with the number 1.”

“I’m using 304 because that’s my birthday, 30th of April, a cool thing which means a lot to me.”

Manuel Lettenbichler, 2023 FIM Hard Enduro World Champion

Jorge Prado, Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing

WorldSBK title I knew exactly what I wanted

_Jorge Prado ditches the 6 We are now leaving the road and moving over to riders who prefer somewhat softer surfaces. The best motocross rider in the world, Jorge Prado, showed exceptional consistency throughout the 2023 FIM MXGP World Championship season on his Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing motorcycle and proudly removed the number 6 from his beloved 61 for this year’s campaign. number,” says the Spaniard, “but I knew that if I ever became world champion, I would put the number 1 on my bike.” That’s not the view taken by Andrea Adamo (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), the Sicilian who won the MX2 class title last season. Asked whether his KTM 250 SX-F will bear the number 1, he adamantly says, “No! I’ll stick with the number 80, because I’m not a big fan of the number 1 for now.” The same goes for enduro rider Manuel Lettenbichler (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), no longer just the son of the great racer Andreas Lettenbichler, but a world champion himself after a fantastic, many even say once-in-a-lifetime season. Manuel won all six quite different races of the hard enduro championship and will remain faithful to his number 304. “I’m using 304 because that’s my

Álvaro Bautista, Aruba.it Racing - Ducati

“61 will always be in my heart, it’s my favourite

16 / 19 Champions

birthday, 30th of April, a cool thing which means a lot to me. It’s also part of my branding and I don’t want to change it now. Maybe it also brings me luck. So the 304 will stay.” Many racers get attached to their starting numbers because they have used them ever since they started racing.

Josep Garcia (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), the FIM Enduro 1 World Champion will also not part with his 26. “I will keep the 26. That’s Manuel Lettenbichler, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

the number I’ve been racing with my whole life.

This number is like my ID,” laughs the fast and combative rider, who seems to ride the enduro at the speed of a motocross race. He won the title despite breaking his collarbone and dislocating his elbow at the Swedish Grand Prix.

_Number 77 on bike and skin Rally rider Luciano Benavides (Husqvarna Factory Racing) is even more enamoured with his particular number. The Argentinian has been using the number 77 since his first Dakar, with the exception of 2020 when he was given the number 16. He wore the number 1 this year as the reigning FIM Rally-Raid World Champion, but if you look closely, you will notice a small 77 in the corner next to the big 1. “77 is my personal mark. I also have it tattooed, so it means a lot to Josep Garcia, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

me. I was very proud to be the only Husqvarna rider with the number 1 at the Dakar. It gave me a lot of motivation and confidence.”

Who would have thought that opinions could differ by so much? The world has become more open and the tradition that the champion always has the number 1 and only the number 1 on their machine is no longer binding. Apparently, many believe that such respect can be shown in other ways as well. Probably true, because riders celebrate their successes and world championship titles each in their own way.

It used to be inconceivable for Luciano Benavides, Husqvarna Factory Racing

a world champion not to use the number 1 on their bike after winning the overall title, as it was seen as insulting to the honour being so bestowed.

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Andrea Adamo, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

Driv e With Us

20 / 23 Drive With Us

by Primož Jurman photography Hoch Zwei, BMW M Motorsport

Darkness.

Darkness.

An An advantage? advantage?

ENDURANCE RACES – DAY AND NIGHT Racing done during the day is more or less taken for granted. Drivers in four-wheel series (and it‘s a similar story for bike riders) generally start the race early in the afternoon in peak daylight, perhaps encountering difficulties in the guise of rain or fog, less often snow. All these are, of course, predictable, as weather forecasts have become very accurate. But what about races that last for six, eight, twelve, or even twenty-four hours? Drivers must first adjust to dusk, then complete darkness and dawn while getting progressively tired along the way. So how does racing in such conditions compare to daytime racing, how does race car preparation differ and what do the teams and drivers need to be aware of? We decided to find out.

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Imagine you are hurtling into the darkness at 250 or 300 km/h, chased by a cluster of ruthless rivals eager to overtake you.

In and out of the darkness

Imagine having to embark on a long journey

faster, as visual information pouring into it mainly

that requires driving in the dark. During the

depends on your car’s lights. You also get tired

night’s embrace, visibility gets reduced

sooner. If it’s very late (or early), your body calls

of man and material, with both pushed to their

severely, also causing your anticipations of

for rest. It is therefore not unusual that some

limits. From that perspective, classic daytime

and responsiveness to traffic situations to

people avoid driving at night. Well, now imagine

races seem like sprints that are over quickly (in

change. Due to different driving conditions, you

you are hurtling into the darkness at 250 or 300

about two hours), while endurance races, apart

tend to become more focused, and your brain

km/h, chased by a pack of ruthless rivals eager

from requiring durable material and prolonged

processes the sensations of speed and braking

to overtake you.

team and driver focus, also bring with them

Endurance racing is said to be the ultimate test

20 / 23 Drive With Us

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At night, a crew member‘s voice coming from the driver‘s headset is the only connection to the outside world.

changing conditions on and around the track.

becomes a bit slower in reality, even though still

- Akrapovič is Official partner of BMW M

As the day fades to dusk and then to darkness,

feeling fast, a situation not helped by the rivals’

Motorsport - says, “It’s obviously much easier

drivers become increasingly dependent on their

lights flashing in the rearview mirrors. Also

to find the driver’s limits in daylight rather than

feel for the race car: they can no longer see the

important in endurance (as well as other types

at night, but we must also take into account

exit from the turn as they could during daytime,

of) racing is communication between teams

the temperature difference between the two

or detect the optimal braking point, and so have

and drivers. At night, a crew member’s voice

that results in changes to tyre handling and car

to rely on their gut feeling. In doing so, they

coming from the driver’s headset is the only

balance. The teams need to prepare all of the

must often trick the brain, which, fully engaged

connection to the outside world. Drivers trust

car’s outside as well as cockpit lights. If not

in self-preservation survival instinct, screams

it, because it provides important information,

adjusted correctly, these might actually hinder

enough is enough, the limit has been exceeded!

and, psychologically, helps to maintain their

the driver or cause issues when locating the

But professional drivers need to go beyond that

concentration and motivation, therefore being

correct buttons. Illumination in general is very

point and tune in to their feel for the car. During

invaluable during nighttime racing.

important. Tyre type and tyre pressures are

the day, it’s easy – at least in theory. If drivers aren’t forcing the car to stay on the racing line, then they know they’re not at the limit. The

Key differences – vision and illumination

another important area which needs additional attention. Moreover, engine and system temperature need to be considered – race

So how does a team prepare a car for night

cars are usually tuned to last for a shorter time

to check whether they’re still pushing the car

racing, and what must it pay attention to?

period, but for endurance racing you need to

to the utmost to reach the destination rather

Valentino Conti, Head of Track Engineering

take in race duration and prepare appropriate

than simply driving towards it. The feeling

and Operations at BMW M Motorsport which

backup measures to use if necessary.” Turning

of speed is not in the limelight here. As the

is racing in FIA WEC and IMSA WTSC with

to the difference between early-morning and

drivers’ eyes adjust to the darkness, everything

Akrapovič equipped BMW M Hybrid V8 cars

early-evening racing as regards track condition

same applies at night, but the key point then is

“The fastest lap times usually come right after sunset – the light is still good, the temperature comparatively low (no heat from the sun) and drivers are fresh.”

Valentino Conti

at Le Mans, the fastest laps can be done at night, when the driver has settled into a good rhythm, the temperature is just right and traffic sparse. However, the fastest lap times usually come right after sunset – the light is and how the team approaches both, Valentino

Lamborghini Squadra Corse Technical Partner,

still good, the temperature comparatively low

continues, “We prefer that the driver stays in

equipping Lamborghini SC63 with exhaust

(no heat from the sun) and drivers are fresh.

the car as the day turns to night and vice versa.

systems racing in FIA WEC and IMSA WTSC

Air density is higher which aids naturally

It’s not recommended to swap the driver in

- says: “Excluding driving performances, the

aspirated engines and increases downforce.”

such changing conditions. Both dusk and dawn

car is faster during the night because the

Valentino mentioned yet another factor before

present a challenge for everyone as drivers and

temperatures are lower and engine and tyres

concluding with his thoughts about racing at

teams are more prone to crashing or making

usually performs better. The most important

night – competition. “It’s all about how close

mistakes in general, due to the level of focus,

variable data is the delta of temperature of

together the field is. The last laps in Daytona

body rhythm and diffuse lighting. In general, more

asphalt and air that can affect the performance

were a full-on battle and everyone had to drive

accidents seem to happen at dawn than dusk.”

of the engine and the degradation of the

flat out without any margin left.”

As we are talking about racing here, I

tyres, so the main factor to keep attention

continue by asking how fast can a racing

is the performance of the tyres on lower

At the end of the day, it’s not all about day and

car drive in the darkness. Leonardo Galante,

temperatures of the track.” Valentino Conti

night. It’s about special circumstances and

Automobili Lamborghini Motorsport Technical

explains further that speed at night depends

moments in the race. We could easily say that

PL & Development engineer - Akrapovič is

also on the race track in question. “Sometimes

even darkness could be an advantage.

R ide With Us

24 25

Rider changes M o t o G P a n d Wo r l d S B K

by Imre Paulovits photography Graeme Brown, Polarity Photo, BMW Motorrad

24 / 29

Ride With Us

There have been more rider changes in MotoGP and WorldSBK for the 2024 season than have been seen for a long time. What was the cause and what are the effects? Has everything become better for everyone?

26 27

Luca Marini

Marc Márquez

Álex Rins

Pedro Acosta

24 / 29

Franco Morbidelli

Fabio Di Giannantonio

Fabio Quartararo

Johann Zarco

Ride With Us

‘Never change a winning team’ is an old saying

had signed the talent of the century until the end

for almost the rest of the season. He took

in motorsport. But what happens when a team

of 2024 on an unprecedented five-year contract.

advantage of a release clause and signed up

can no longer win in its current composition?

But after getting injured at the beginning of 2020

with Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP, causing

It’s time to look for new solutions. This is nothing

and being out for a whole season, there was

Franco Morbidelli to lose his seat there, only to

new, it’s been like that ever since motorsport

suddenly no one left who could have won with

be grabbed by Prima Pramac Racing with the

has existed. Every manufacturer wants the

the RC213V. It then took another two years for

help of his mentor Valentino Rossi, which in turn

best possible rider and every rider wants the

Márquez to be fully fit again, and Honda failed to

released Johann Zarco to LCR Honda Castrol.

best possible bike. But the real legends in this

develop a bike for the title hunt during the period.

ever-repeating cycle are those who had become

Álex Márquez, Pol Espargaró and Joan Mir all

But what has brought about all these changes?

winners and world champions on several brands.

finished far down the field.

First of all, there’s the motivation that comes with every new beginning. Everyone who starts

Riders like Geoff Duke after switching from Norton to Gilera, Mike Hailwood from MV Agusta

Lure of the siren

a new job or moves into a new home knows

to Honda, Giacomo Agostini from MV Agusta to

In 2023, Marc Márquez felt ready to fight for the

this. Everything is fresh and you try with all

Yamaha, Eddie Lawson from Yamaha to Honda

world title again, but it became increasingly clear

your might to make the best of it. Luca Marini

and Valentino Rossi from Honda to Yamaha.

that Honda would have to take a completely new

and Johann Zarco got to grips with the Honda

approach to development in order to compete

surprisingly well at the first test in Valencia, and

Motorsport lives for the moment and contracts

with Ducati, KTM and Aprilia. Marc’s brother Álex

it only took 43 laps for Marc Márquez to appear

are quite short compared to many other areas

performed well on the private Ducati of Gresini

at the top of the timesheets for the first time.

of business and life. They are usually concluded

Racing MotoGP and was able to tell him first-

Álex Rins began to understand the Yamaha

for two years, because that is a predictable

hand how that bike rides, so Marc made the call

straight away, and Fabio Di Giannantonio was

period in which a team, including the rider, can

after the October 2023 Japanese Grand Prix and

equally fast on his VR46 machinery. Franco

adapt to a bike and get the best out of it. As

terminated his contract early to continue with

Morbidelli, though, was a little restrained on

many contracts are signed at the same time in

team Gresini Racing MotoGP as a private rider.

the Prima Pramac Racing Ducati. There was nothing he could do about it because he

MotoGP, they also come to an end in cycles.

The next cycle was supposed to happen at

This in turn set off a wave of changes. Fabio Di

suffered an injury before further testing. Instead,

the end of the 2024 season, but there was a

Giannantonio, who was improving throughout the

a rookie stole the show: FIM Moto2 World

real landslide this year. This was mainly due to

second half of the 2023 season, lost his place at

Champion Pedro Acosta immediately felt at

the fact that the Japanese, Honda in particular,

Gresini, and the Repsol Honda Team was looking

home on the Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 RC16

unexpectedly fell behind the Europeans, which

for a replacement for Márquez. In the end, an

and posted lap times straight up there with the

made Marc Márquez, who was used to winning,

agreement was reached with Luca Marini, who

established MotoGP riders.

increasingly restless.

was supposed to ride for Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, with Fabio Di Giannantonio

Reality bites

For many years, almost everything at Honda

then taking his spot. But that was not the end.

But not all of the switches have brought the

revolved around him. Not very surprising after he

Álex Rins, the only rider to win in 2023 with a

desired results, at least not yet. Marc Márquez

won six world championship titles with the Repsol

Honda riding for LCR Honda Castrol, suffered

has had to give up some of the privileges he

Honda Team between 2013 and 2019. So Honda

a serious injury at Mugello and was ruled out

had as a factory rider and experienced some

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu

Xavi Vierge

difficulties adjusting to the new bike. He focused

19-year-old has no illusions: “I set a time that

change at Team HRC and Iker Lecuona and Xavi

on adapting his riding style at the tests in

looks good, then everyone goes chasing times

Vierge stayed on for 2024, a new model of the

Malaysia and Qatar. “The fans expect me to win

and sets an even better one. They have so much

CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP arrived for this

straight away,” he said on the last day of testing

experience, while I still have 90 percent of what I

year and José Manuel Escamez now leads the

in Qatar, “But that’s not the reality. I’ve had four

need to learn from MotoGP ahead of me.”

team instead of Leon Camier.

eleven years. I have to get used to the new one

However, it’s not just the new but also the tried

Toprak’s motivation has meanwhile worked

step by step and work my way forward.” Luca

and tested who provide top performance. It’s

wonders for BMW. “We are not far away. I’ll

Marini and Johann Zarco have also realised how

still world champion Francesco Bagnaia and the

be able to win soon,” he said immediately after

different the Honda was. “The Honda has to be

Ducati Lenovo Team who set the tone and that’s

the first test, unleashing a burst of energy from

ridden more over the front wheel, the Ducati has

the first target for the new arrivals.

the BMW technicians and managers before

difficult years and have ridden the same bike for

catapulting the BMW M 1000 RR to fastest times

more traction at the rear, and so its power has to be used there,” explains Luca Marini. “The way a

Motivation boost

in the subsequent tests (The Turk won already

fast lap comes together is completely different. I

There has also been a major shake-up in

at the second racing weekend in Spain). Some

have to adapt to that, but the technicians have to

WorldSBK this year. It all started with the 2021

riders needed more time to get used to the new

find more grip at the rear.”

World Champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, who

bikes in the first tests and were not at the forefront

no longer found the motivation at Yamaha and

of the action. On the other hand, Alex Lowes,

The methodical approach shown by Luca and

signed up with the ROKiT BMW Motorrad

who is no longer in Jonathan Rea’s shadow in

Johann has really motivated Honda’s technicians.

WorldSBK Team instead. His seat remained

the Kawasaki Racing Team and has been able

They have produced a lot of new material and

vacant until six-time world champion Jonathan

to bring over Rea’s former crew chief Pere Riba,

are working with the new riders with renewed

Rea, who had found it increasingly difficult to

has risen to top form at the Phillip Island race

freshness to return to the top. The same can also

win on a Kawasaki over the last three seasons,

weekend. So sometimes a change within one’s

be seen at Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP,

decided to leave the Kawasaki Racing Team after

own team can bring enough new motivation.

where Álex Rins is now sparring with Fabio

nine years and switched to the Pata Prometeon

Quartararo. The engineers have developed a new

Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team. Kawasaki

But this is just the beginning. As the season

engine that has caught up with the most powerful

in turn had to look for a replacement, with the

progresses, both teams and riders will become

in the field and the team is also trying to claw its

choice falling on young Axel Bassani, whose

more familiar with each other, and only then

way back to the front with new technical staff.

strong performances on a private Ducati have

will we be able to see what is the end result of

“We still have to improve on qualifying laps with

attracted attention in recent years. He actually

all these changes. Just look at the WorldSBK

new tyres, then we can be at the front. Our pace

had hopes of a place in the Aruba.it Racing -

series, where in the first races of the season,

is good and we can also keep up with the others

Ducati team, but was beaten to the punch by

riders from different teams with different brands

on the straights,” explained Fabio Quartararo. The

the 2023 FIM Supersport World Champion

of motorcycles fought for podium positions,

boost that the rookie Pedro Acosta has brought

Nicolò Bulega, who won at his WorldSBK

something you might not have expected from the

to Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 is still there, but the

debut in Australia. Although there was no rider

results of the pre-season testing.

// Si Predčasni plaz menjav moštev v MotoGP in Superbiku V MotoGP in Superbiku je moštva zamenjalo toliko dirkačev kot že dolgo ne. Kaj je bil vzrok in kaj posledica tega? Ali so res vsi šli na boljše? »Nikoli ne menjaj zmagovalne ekipe,« je star pregovor v motošportu. Kaj pa, če ekipa s svojo sestavo ne more več zmagovati? Potem je čas za iskanje nove rešitve. Vsak proizvajalec vedno želi najboljše možne dirkače in vsak dirkač želi najboljši možni motocikel. Toda prav dirkači, ki so postali zmagovalci in svetovni prvaki so postali prave legende.

Pogodbe običajno veljajo dve leti, saj je to predvidljivo obdobje, v katerem se lahko ekipa, vključno z dirkači, prilagodi tehnologiji in iz nje potegne najboljše. Ker se veliko pogodb v MotoGP sklepa hkrati, se te tudi ciklično iztekajo. Naslednje naj bi se šele konec leta 2024, vendar ne bo tako. Predvsem zato, ker so Japonci, predvsem pa Honda, povsem nepričakovano zaostali za Evropejci. Marc Márquez, ki je bil vajen zmagovati, je postajal vse bolj nemiren. Oktobra 2023 se je odločil, da predčasno prekine pogodbo in nadaljuje kot zasebni dirkač pri ekipi Gresini Racing MotoGP. S tem je sprožil plaz menjav.

24 / 29

Ride With Us

Nicolò Bulega

28 29

Axel Bassani

Jonathan Rea

30

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They feature exceptional production quality, hi-tech materials, increased engine performance and all come with amazing sound and appearance as standard. The change is also visual, as Akrapovič mufflers perfectly fit the exterior line of modern motorcycles and add a clean racing image.

Bike Stuff

by Mitja Reven

30

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Honda X-ADV750 / NSS750 Forza + 0.4 kW (+ 0.6 hp) at 6,350 rpm + 0.9 Nm at 3,250 rpm - 1.0 kg (- 29.4 %) BMW R 1300 GS + 1.4 kW (+ 1.9 hp) at 7,600 rpm + 4.5 Nm at 2,300 rpm - 0.2 kg (- 9.3 %)

Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, we make no representation that the products shown comply with the air, noise or other emission laws of your jurisdiction. Hence, please make sure you have all the relevant information before you consider purchasing any of the products. You are welcome to contact our local partner in your country if you have any questions or turn to page 4 and our website at www.akrapovic.com for additional information.

31

Car Stuff

by Mitja Reven

Car Stuff

Check out the latest Akrapovič aftermarket exhaust systems and optional carbon-fibre products for cars. By using only the best materials in combination with high-tech knowhow and exquisite craftsmanship of Akrapovič employees, the company has created a package that stands out from everything else on the market.

BMW X5 M / X5 M Competition (F95) / X6 M / X6 M Competition (F96) + 7 kW (+ 9.5 hp) at 5,700 rpm, + 15 Nm at 2,550 rpm, - 8.4 kg (- 40.6 %), titanium, Akrapovič Sound Kit

Audi RS 6 Avant / RS 7 Sportback Performance (C8) + 11.6 kW (+ 15.8 hp) at 6,150 rpm, + 17.9 Nm at 6,150 rpm, - 10.4 kg (- 24.7 %), titanium, stainless steel, Akrapovič Sound Kit, Rear Carbon Fibre Diffuser - Matte and High Gloss

BMW M2 Coupé (G87) Tail Pipe Set (Chopped Carbon), Rear Chopped Carbon Fibre Diffuser - Matte, Chopped Carbon Fibre Mirror Cap Set – Matte

31 BMW M4 (G82) Rear Wing (Chopped Carbon)

32 / 35 Drive With Us

Driv e With Us

Tell me where to go!

WRC and Rally - Raid route maps Have you ever wondered how competitors at the Dakar Rally find their way through the desert, or how the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) drivers almost seem to fly through the twisting and turning narrow roads? Part of the answer is good navigation. Without navigators, such races could not exist, because the drivers would be ‘blind’. But how, if at all, does navigation in the Rally-Raid championship differ from navigation in the WRC?

Roadbooks in the WRC are used by the drivers and co-drivers during reconnaissance to create their own personal pace notes, which are then read back during stage racing.

If you are passionate about racing in the

information about the terrain and the location

desert or actively follow rally races, then you

of potential hazards. The symbols used are

know that next to every driver sits a co-driver,

standardised, making it easier for racers to

who guides the former through the stage,

understand information about, for example,

across challenging terrain, and unknown

distances, directions or important points.

territory with loud instructions. The co-driver

Roadbooks also help with regards to safety,

gets their information from a roadbook which

as they warn of potential dangers and other

contains a series of drawings, symbols,

obstacles on the route. In short, they are

pictograms and instructions to steer the

essential for completing the rally.

drivers along the route, as well as detailed

WRC roadbooks moreover contain accident

by Primož Jurman photography Hyundai Motorsport, Rally Zone, X-raid

procedures, important contacts, day-by-

competition, drivers can only complete the

day itinerary and maps, an overview of key

route in accordance with these instructions

locations such as service parks, regroups,

and they must locate and pass each waypoint

refuelling zones, and the key for all the

in correct order. Special attention is paid

symbols and diagrams used. At the back,

to safety waypoints, sections of the route

there is also information about the alternative

where drivers have to reduce their speed

route to follow in case a stage is abandoned.

due to possible hazards, which are marked

Drivers must strictly follow the roadbook’s

in the roadbook and also signalled visually

instructions, as even a small mistake can

and audibly, thus making sure the drivers get

result in a signifi cant time penalty. During the

notifi ed of the danger.

32 33

After they complete their careers, motorcycle riders are highly sought-after as navigators for drivers.

MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT Instructions are provided in an easy-to-follow format, as co-drivers must be able to read and interpret the roadbook quickly and accurately to provide correct navigational advice. In addition to the roadbook, they also use a GPS odometer to measure the distance and monitor their progress. The odometer helps them check their location and distance from the next waypoint or hazard, allowing them to adjust speed and direction accordingly. In order to use the roadbook efficiently, co-drivers must also be able to anticipate changes in the terrain, so as to allow drivers to adapt their driving and navigation. Good communication between driver and co-driver is essential here, as they must cooperate in pushing through challenging environments and conditions.

But how do Rally-Raid roadbooks differ from their WRC counterparts? Thomas Quandt, CMO at the X-raid team, which uses Akrapovič exhausts in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship and the Dakar Rally (MINI JCW Rally Plus and X-raid 1000R Turbo) explains,

roadbook and navigational skills are essential at the Dakar, where the top speed is limited to 170 km/h. Jordi Viladoms, a 10-time Dakar participant and runner-up at the 2014 edition in the motorcycle category (after they complete their careers, motorcycle riders are highly sought-after as navigators for drivers), is clear, “Even after we got GPS, the roadbook stayed in the sport, especially at Rally-Raid and WRC events. At the Dakar Rally, it is more important to be able to navigate than to be the fastest through the desert. The Dakar Rally doesn’t try to make navigation easier, it’s just the opposite!

It makes it more difficult!” Rally-Raid and WRC roadbooks differ in yet another way; roadbooks in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship are digital only and the sole real aid for the crew during the stages. Roadbooks in the WRC are meanwhile still made of paper and are used by the drivers and co-drivers during reconnaissance to create their own personal pace notes, which are then read back during stage racing.

He adds that each crew uses their own pace note system, unique to them. Corners are

“Roadbooks in the WRC and Rally-Raid are

REC ONNAISSANCE

completely different – in everything! It starts

Seb Marshall, event coordinator and

the angle or speed to be carried through them.

with the fact that there is no reconnaissance

Hayden Paddon’s former co-driver in

They are always accompanied by the direction

in Rally-Raid. At over 7,000 kilometres, ‘recce’

Hyundai Motorsport, which uses Akrapovič

too – left or right. Alongside this basic info,

is simply impossible. Co-drivers therefore

exhausts on Hyundai i20 N Rally1 Hybrid

there are many extras that describe the road

have to find their way the first time with the

racing cars in this year’s WRC, explains

in more detail – corner length, does it open or

help of the roadbook. In addition, the route

what reconnaissance really means.

tighten, junctions, crests, bumps and jumps –

in Rally-Raid does not always follow a path

“Reconnaissance is the crew’s opportunity

there are many possible combinations! “The

or a road, but sometimes leads completely

to drive over the stages and familiarise

aim is to give drivers a picture in their mind of

off-piste. When roadbooks were still issued

themselves with the route. It takes place in the

how to approach each section in the fastest

on paper at the Dakar Rally, co-drivers

days preceding the rally when the route can

way possible. Co-drivers must deliver this

received them upon entering the bivouac. They

be driven on for a maximum of two times at

information during racing at the right time so

then worked on their copies for hours in the

reduced speed (usually at 80 km/h max.) in a

that it can be processed correctly. Describing

evening. They coloured them in according to

standard car. Whilst driving over the stage for

the severity of corners differs greatly between

their preferences and highlighted important

the fi rst time, the driver will dictate the pace

drivers. Some describe them using words

information. They also practised how to pass

notes that they want to hear during the rally

like slow, medium, fast, fl at, and others name

on this information to the driver. As an interim

to the co-driver who writes them down in a

the gear to be used while driving through

solution, coloured paper roadbooks were

book. The second pass allows for the notes to

(one to six) and still others use actual corner

issued in which no changes were allowed.

be fi ne-tuned, with the co-driver reading them

angles.” Many drivers rely on experience and

Now there is a tablet, which is only handed out

back and making any necessary adjustments.

their observation of each corner as they drive

shortly before the start.”

The crews also record the second pass so

through it during a ‘recce’ making a judgement

This means that the ability to read the

that they can review the video later.”

on its severity more of an art!

categorised into numerous variants based on

32 / 35 Drive With Us

In short, roadbooks are essential for completing the rally.

34 35

Inte r vie w

by Miran Ališič

JACKY ICKX

photography Bor Dobrin, Arthur Thill/ATP, Motorsport Images

Le Mans is like a

Jacky Ickx is 10 minutes early for our interview in a hotel lounge just behind Place de la Concorde in Paris, the seat of the FIA – Federation Internationale de l’Automobile. He is dressed smartly and casually and in no way betrays he will turn 80 next year. His mind is sharp, his memories vivid and you could easily imagine that he just came back from his, who knows which, Paris-Dakar. While one of the best racing drivers of all time, Jacky never became a Formula 1 World Champion. He won eight Formula 1 races and finished second overall twice, but his nickname ‘Monsieur Le Mans’ comes from his

six victories at this prestigious 24-hour race. He also won the 1983 Paris-Dakar Rally, was the champion of the Can-Am championship in 1979 and stood on the podium at numerous endurance and other races. Jacky is still a regular guest and driver at vintage car meets and an annual participant at the legendary Mille Miglia. He also chose the road for this trip to Paris from Monaco, where he resides with his second wife, musician Khadja Nin. Farmer strikes blocking the highways meant he spent 13 hours on country roads, but he enjoyed it anyway.

36 / 43 Interview

36

37

I bet you liked the trip because you drive a nice,

Was your approach to racing more philosophical

Most of your successes in Formula 1 or Le

sporty car?

or instinctive?

Mans date back to the 60s and 70s. Do you still

Not really. My current car is a VW Polo GTI.

I don’t believe it’s about speed or getting

remember these races at Nürburgring, Monza,

Very comfortable and fast enough.

through a corner fast. In my case, it was about

Spa, Le Mans…?

finally being successful at something. Then

First of all, I live in the present and future. I’m

I once read you never got a speeding ticket. True?

there is the matter of your approach and also

interested in today or tomorrow, even at my age.

I hardly get any. I drive in a relaxed and smooth

of luck. And you must be realistic, be honest

The past never interested me much. If you ask

manner, not too fast anymore.

with yourself, analyse yourself throughout your

me, for example, about winning the Canadian

life. For me, this meant finding the right time to

Grand Prix I don’t remember the year anymore.

Your father Jacques Ickx was a motoring

open or close a chapter in my career. I’ve had

I won it with Ferrari in 1971 or 1972 but don’t

journalist and a racing driver himself, but you

many different types of lives in my long time on

have any memory of that race at all. Nothing.

didn’t really take to racing initially, right?

this earth. You have the motivation, passion,

[Jacky actually won the Canadian GP in 1970

As a kid, I didn’t like it. When I was 10,

desire, you reach the top and then you want to

at Mont-Tremblant – Ed.] But I remember vividly

my father took me to the 1955 Spa-

stay there for as long as possible... But the way

and in detail some races where I finished eighth,

Francorchamps Formula 1 race. I met Fangio,

down is much more slippery, believe me. Then

for example, or retired, which are much less

Moss and other racing heroes, but wasn’t

it becomes vital to find new motivation, to reset

important for the statistics. I’m not talking about

impressed at all. Motorsports seemed very

yourself for something new. I like to think, I was

what I remember now, I was like that 40 years

boring to me as a child. My dream was to do

quite good at that.

ago. I never liked to talk about myself too much. (laughs)

something with nature.

In 1973 during qualifying for the 1,000-km race But you got a motorcycle as a present when you

you set a lap record in a Ferrari 312 PB at the

were 15? It doesn’t really fit...

old 14.1 km Spa-Francorchamps circuit with

I was a bad student. Really bad. I just wasn’t

an average speed of 263.4 km/h. Can you still

interested. My parents were worried, but I didn’t

believe it today?

care. They kept promising me larger and larger

Just barely. I remember the old Spa, ordinary

gifts if I improved. I always said I would, but

roads with turns, a hairpin, then Raidillon, my

never really meant it. So, one day I got a 50 cc

god. If I look at it today, I realise that I’m not the

Zündapp motorcycle. That was fun, I started

same person anymore. It was so fast.

riding more, going to races and soon realised I could be fast.

After retiring from professional racing, you often mentioned the importance of a team in

Your competition back then in Belgium included

motorsport. It might be seen as an individual

Roger de Coster whom we interviewed in our

sport by the fans, but is in fact a team sport.

previous issue. You beat him once. Did that victory

True. It’s like an iceberg. What you see is the

sway you away from becoming a gardener?

tiny part above the sea, but most of it is hidden

Never having any success, always being bad

under the surface. There are plenty of people

at everything and getting bad grades is not

who design, build and prepare the car. Without

very encouraging for a young person. But I

them, you’re a nobody. You can only win with

achieved my fi rst success on a motorbike,

the passion and effort of all these invisible

got my fi rst recognition and gained self-

people. But you also need a good car. I was

confi dence. I was fi nally good at something.

lucky to have driven many good, fast cars. If you

My parents were of course proud of my

don’t have that, you struggle, but you still want

success later in life, but I still feel anguish

to be the best. You take greater risks to remain

today, when I remember how they feared for

competitive and that drastically increases the

my life. I wasn’t afraid at all, but they were

danger of having an accident.

It’s fantastic to be a hunter.

You have no limits, you have nothing to lose, you go flat out. So I did. Whole night long.

worried sick every weekend until Monday. In my era of racing, the 60s and 70s, there was no safety, the sport was very dangerous and we lost a lot of colleagues. I paid a very high

38

39 With first wife Catherine Blaton.

price for my success from that viewpoint.

Your statistics are really impressive. You were almost unbeatable at the old Nürburgring, which Jackie Stewart called “Green Hell” and you, I assume, simply enjoyed?

We knew no fear. If you really like doing something, even if it’s dangerous, it’s your choice and then you don’t feel afraid. If you approach with fear, you’ve already lost. When you are young – and this is true of us all – you think you’re immortal. It’s the privilege of being young. The older you get, the more precious time becomes. I recently read a book titled ‘Your Second Life Begins When You Realise You Only Have One.’ After you realise that, your attitude dramatically changes.

Jacky Ickx (in the car), with ing. Mauro Forghieri (right) and Enzo Ferrari (centre).

Formula 1 race at Nürburgring 1972. Jacky Ickx (Ferrari No.4) and Clay Regazzoni (Ferrari No.9).

36 / 43 Interview

Jacky Ickx (No.4) at the Grand Prix in Monza 1972.

Jacky Ickx in rain, Lotus Ford in 1974.

Formula 1 drivers (from left): first Jacky Ickx, third James Hunt and sixth Jackie Stewart.

36 / 43 Interview

Ickx in Haas Racing Team, Can-Am Series 1979 in Trois-Rivieres, Canada.

Paris - Dakar, January 1982.

With second wife Khadja Nin.

You raced in many different categories,

the racers stayed in the same - or at maximum

GP at Nürburgring and I wanted to race at my

something new every weekend. How was that

in two - hotels. We were professionals in a way,

favourite circuit. I managed to get into the third,

possible?

but we were actually amateurs.

spare McLaren. Denis Hulme and Peter Revson were upset that team boss Teddy Mayer gave

It was a different era. We were free, we had no sponsors and no obligations apart from racing

You were racing for Enzo Ferrari in Formula 1,

me the car and then got even more upset after I

at the weekends. If there was no Formula 1 race

but also competed in other categories. Even in

outpaced them in qualifying by eight and twelve

scheduled, I was free to race anything else.

those days he was not an easy team boss. Do you

seconds, respectively. I was immediately fast

We all had our priorities, but could otherwise

agree?

in a new car. The settings were quite basic at

freely choose where to race. That has definitely

There is no but, when I talk about Enzo

that time, but one normally needed some time

changed. Can you imagine a Ferrari Formula 1

Ferrari. Never.

to adjust the car to one’s driving style and I drove with the feel in my arms and bottom. I

driver also racing in an endurance championship for Audi today? You can’t! But we could and it

In what sense?

finished third. Because of Hulme and Revson’s

was a real privilege. I did endurance races with

He liked me very much. No doubt about that.

anger after qualifying, the team reduced my revs

Ford and Formula 1 with Ferrari. FIA made a

We had many disagreements, but it never

by 500 rpm and gave me the hard Goodyear

calendar where the two didn’t overlap. Not just

affected our relationship. But yes, I was

tyre for the race. I didn’t know that, but I still

me, Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, we

probably disruptive. I was young and fearless. I

outpaced Hulme by 45 seconds and Revson

were all doing it. A team, even Formula 1 or Le

left Ferrari after the 1968 season because they

by even more. With that car I would have given

Mans, consisted of five people back then. All

couldn’t provide me with a car for endurance

a hard time to world champion Jackie Stewart

races. I went to Ford in 1969 and raced

and his Tyrrell in 1973. Some years ago I was in

alongside Jack Brabham in Formula 1. I returned

New Zealand and a journalist told me that Phil

to Ferrari in 1970 when Mauro Forghieri built a

Kerr, McLaren team manager at that race, beat

magnificent car, the B1. I won some victories

himself over the head for listening to his drivers

in the following two years and twice finished

and giving me a second-rate car.

second in the championship. In those days,

40

41

there were no computers and telemetry so the

‘Monsieur Le Mans’ was probably born in 1965

‘annual evolution’ of good cars like today didn’t

at the exceptional 82-hour ‘Marathon de la

happen. A designer could take a wrong turn

Route’ held at the old Nürburgring where you and

and create a non-competitive vehicle in the

teammate Gilbert Staepelaere finished second

following year. This happened to Ferrari after

in a Ford Mustang. It sounds incredible that two

two years. I thus left the Italian team in 1973

drivers could drive for a whooping 82 hours.

after they decided to take a break from Formula

First of all, you need a good car, like in every

1 for a few months to await a new chassis. This

motorsport category. Second, you must finish

meant they would have to miss the German

the race and many cars back then didn’t. You had to pay a lot of attention to the gears, clutch, engine... It wasn’t an endurance race for the driver, but for the car. I was paired with the greats like Brian Redman, Derek Bell, Mario Andretti, Jochen Mass and we won a lot of endurance races, so one wonders, why Le Mans? You have to be lucky. It’s like playing roulette in a casino in Monte Carlo, and winning six times on number six. Tom Kristensen’s nine victories there are a miracle and he will hold this record forever. You have to be lucky to always be in the right car.

A factory team usually enters three cars for the race, two of them likely retire and one wins. So you need a bit of luck to sit in the right one.

Did you like racing at night?

The main thing is to never give up. Let me tell you about my famous 1977 Le Mans victory.

Henri Pescarolo and I were out after three hours with an engine malfunction and the team’s second Porsche’s was in 41st place, eight laps behind, basically hopeless... So I jumped in as the spare driver for that car. It’s fantastic to be the hunter. There are no limits, you have nothing to lose, you go flat out. So I did. Whole night long. Every hour I gained a lap or so, we were soon 31st, then 25th, only three laps behind the leader. It was rainy, foggy, dark, the lot. We were also lucky the car survived at the end and we won. I didn’t drive the last stint as I was almost dead from the exhaustion of going flat out for more than 10 hours.

36 / 43 Interview

You have the motivation, passion, desire, you reach the top and then you want to stay there for as long as possible...

But going down is much more slippery, believe me. Then it becomes vital to find new motivation, to reset yourself for something new.

42

43

You regard the Le Mans victory of 1977 as

than just an event. It was a three-week,

probably your biggest triumph, but you also often

10,000-km off-road race. You can’t cheat

met with tragedy. At your first Formula 1 race at

there, nature won’t let you. You face who you

Nürburgring in 1966, you were unhurt after your

really are. And we found out, there are many

Formula 2 car crashed with John Taylor, who later

people in Africa that don’t have the same

died. 20 years later in Spa-Francorchamps your

facilities as we do. This gap still exists today.

car made contact with Stefan Bellof in Eau Rouge.

You get to see the reality and can judge by

In the crash, Bellof was killed and you escaped

yourself, instead of just following the media.

unhurt. At the 1991 Pharaons Rally in Egypt your

You learn about solidarity and the many

Citroën flipped over. You suffered no injuries, but

invisible people in our lives. You see all of

your co-driver Christian Tarin died. Such events

them and it changes your life, too.

must leave a mark.

You can live on, but you can never heal from

Actually, you often mention that we have to be

such tragedies. Surviving them is amazing,

lucky to have a good life. But luck has to come

but you also come to terms with the deaths.

from somewhere, right?

Remember, motor racing is an accepted risk. It’s

Yes, it’s a mystery. There are good people

a free choice. You have good and bad moments.

who seem to attract all the problems. I’m

I can only repeat, you begin your second life,

definitely not in that category, you are right.

when you realise you have only one. I’ve had

That’s part of the mystery. What is fate? A

many lives so I know it’s a gift. Savour it. Now

sequence of moments and then you are lucky

and in the future.

enough to survive. What is luck? What is destiny? What is timing? I don’t know, but it

There is another race that changed your

exists, there are people who seem to attract

perspective on life. Paris-Dakar. You entered

all the problems. Are they not as good? Not

many times and won in 1983 in a Mercedes-

necessary, it happened to the best as well.

Benz G-Class with famous French actor Claude

In French we have a sentence ‘You can’t kill

Brasseur as co-pilot. What fascinated you so

bad guys!’ It’s important to live your life in the

much about Africa?

best possible way and try to improve all the

I was mainly motivated by racing and winning.

time. Obviously, I’m a better person now than

But I saw the Paris-Dakar Rally as much more

I was at 20.

// Si Jacky Ickx: »Le Mans je kot ruleta« Jacky Ickx je prišel na intervju v pariški hotelski salon tik za trgom Place de la Concorde, kjer ima sedež FIA – Mednarodna avtomobilistična zveza, deset minut pred dogovorjenim časom. Oblečen je športno-elegantno in niti slutiti ni, da bo prihodnje leto star 80 let. Njegov um je oster, spomini živi in zlahka bi si predstavljali, da se je pravkar vrnil s katerega od svojih številnih relijev Pariz-Dakar. Čeprav je eden najboljših dirkačev vseh časov, nikoli ni postal svetovni prvak formule 1; zmagal je na osmih dirkah formule 1 in dvakrat končal na drugem mestu v skupnem seštevku. Vzdevek Monsieur Le Mans dolguje šestim zmagam na prestižni 24-urni dirki. Leta 1983 je zmagal tudi na reliju Pariz-Dakar, slavil v prvenstvu Can-Am leta 1979 in bil na zmagovalnem odru na številnih vzdržljivostnih in drugih dirkah. Še vedno je redni gost in voznik na srečanjih klasičnih avtomobilov ter vsako leto sodeluje na legendarni dirki Mille Miglia.

Vzdevek Monsieur Le Mans se ga je oprijel leta 1965, ko je z moštvenim kolegom Gilbertom Staepelaerejem v Fordu Mustangu zasedel drugo mesto v izjemni 82-urni dirki Marathon de la Route na starem Nürburgringu.

Sliši se neverjetno, da bi dva voznika zlahka preživela 82 ur na cesti. »Prvič: potrebujete dober avto.

Drugič: dirko morate preživeti in veliko avtomobilov tega takrat ni zmoglo. Še posebej morate biti pozorni na menjalnik, sklopko in motor. To ni bila vzdržljivostna dirka za voznika, ampak za avto. Dirkal sem z velikani, kot so Brian Redman, Derek Bell, Mario Andretti in Jochen Mass, in zmagal na številnih vzdržljivostnih dirkah.

Torej se lahko vprašate, zakaj Le Mans? Imeti morate srečo, da ste vedno v pravem avtu. To je kot ruleta v igralnici v Monte Carlu, kjer šestkrat zmagaš s številko šest. Devet zmag Toma Kristensena je čudež in tega rekorda ne bo nikoli izgubil,« je v zanimivem pogovoru med drugim povedal Jacky.

F A N T A S T I C

by Alenka Birk

ART ON A CAR “Being inspired by the natural reflections in the paint, I saw countless ways to design the car – this is just one of them,” says Hanna Schönwald, a talented industrial designer, artist and car enthusiast from Hamburg, Germany, who painted her unique lines onto a Porsche 911 (964) as part of the Porsche 964 art car project. “I approached the car as a fully developed tangible object and treated it accordingly. My top priority was not to use my art to override what has already been completed, but rather to work with the existing shapes as much as possible.” We love it! The 28-year-old also did work for TAG Heuer and painted André Lotterer’s Le Mans helmet. You won’t find her on the road, though. Check her

44

garage, where she’s working on classic cars, or art and design projects.

ALWAYS WARM AlphaTauri is Red Bull’s premium clothing brand. Forging a new path in fashion, the brand fuses textile technologies, purposeful design, aspirational styles and premium materials. Clothes have a different meaning now. Don’t think so? Just take a look at

hannaschoenwald.com

this heatable jacket from the Heatable Capsule Collection. It incorporates cutting-edge technology in garments design and an integrated heating system in two zones. Strategically placed above the kidney area and front pockets, their temperature can be adjusted by multiple levels via an app. Heat-retaining fabrics such

SIGNED BY THE BEST

as sheep wool padding, cork insulation and heat-conductive lining then evenly distribute the heat for maximal comfort. Oh, it’s also water and wind resistant. Pure magic, right?

Nigel Mansell, one the most successful British drivers of all time, started the 1992 season with five straight wins, a record only matched by Michael Schumacher in 2004. After winning the British GP at Silverstone, he surpassed Jackie Stewart’s record of 27 wins with his 28th, becoming the (then) most successful British driver of all time. Mansell also set the thenrecord for the most wins in one season (nine) as well as starting from pole position for a total of fourteen times in that year. It’s not surprising that this lithograph of the Williams ‘Red 5’, signed by the master driver himself, is a must have. Limited edition print, 60 x 40 cm.

thegpbox.com

alphatauri.com

44 / 45

Fantastic

TWICE AROUND THE CLOCK To celebrate the centenary of Le Mans, Motor Sport Magazine designed a special issue tracing the history of the French classic. Starting with the 1920s and finishing with a preview of last year’s event, ‘Twice Around the Clock’ celebrates each decade, highlighting the star cars, celebrated drivers and race results. Illustrated with rare archive imagery, containing brilliant writing from Motor Sport Magazine’s award-winning contributors and printed on thick gloss paper, this issue is the perfect coffee table style celebration of the world’s greatest race. ‘Twice Around The Clock - Le Mans 100th Anniversary Collector’s Edition 1923 - 2023 by Motor Sport Magazine’ is available in printed and digital form.

motorsportmagazine.com

45

VICTORY HELMET If you can’t get enough of the exciting world of fast cars, we have something special for you – a full-size display helmet signed

by Alain Prost. Do you remember the 1990 British Grand Prix at Silverstone? Nigel Mansell qualifies on pole, proving there is plenty of pace in the Ferrari, before retiring just nine laps from the finish to hand victory to his teammate Alain Prost. This full-size, hand-painted, Snell rated helmet, exactly replicates Alain’s helmet from that race. Hand signed on the visor, this superb piece will be a star of any collection.

motorsportmagazine.com

LET’S GET LOUD Looking for high-tech accessories with an elegant and functional design? Bold and clean lines?

An emphasis on Ferrari’s signature red and its irreplaceable Prancing Horse? Look no further than the BeoSound 2 3rd Gen Ferrari Edition Speaker.

Part of the exclusive edition created by Bang & Olufsen for Ferrari, this captivating device offers multiroom audio power for a long-range, highdefinition playback, while its clean lines, surprisingly small footprint and iconic design, with integrated Acoustic Lens Technology and the Active Room Sense function, ensure a flexible sound experience that can adapt to every room in your home.

store.ferrari.com

46 / 49 Story

Story

w to a Pro drive Hunter – ho

ttack the Dakar

It ’s much n a h t e r o m just the desert…

As much as motor spor

levels, there is still som

t has become a corpor

ething about the Daka

once the crews drive of

f, something that even

not have. Rally-Raid re

ally is a battle of man

ate show at the top

r that remains primal

the current WRC does

and machine against t every Dakar story begin s much earlier than at the start of the world ’s best known enduranc e off-road race and even then it’s always a race against time. We fo llowed the trials and tribulations of preparin g a Prodrive Hunter for arguably the toughest race on the planet. nature and the clock. Bu

46

by Toby Moody photography Bahrain Raid Xtreme, Rally Zone

To design, build and run a car that can take

with the heat still in the high 40s inside the

on the punishments of the world’s harshest

car with air conditioning working overtime, the

terrain, day in, day out is a vast undertaking

drivers arrive at the evening bivouac dripping

for any team, no matter which of the four

from the collar of their overalls to their socks;

classes available for cars at the Dakar we’re

nothing is dry after the copious amount of

talking about. The Ultimate class really is that,

sweat they’ve pumped out. Sheer force is

with the leading vehicles heading the charge,

another factor as well, when the wheels land

followed by Stock, Challenger prototype SSVs,

in ruts and the sump guard fl at lands onto the

and SSV production, while the Truck class is

ground, there can be a 14 g loading on the

run with 10-ton behemoths that seem to defy

car. As Sébastien Loeb (Bahrain Raid Xtreme)

physics when at full speed. The forces that

says, “You need to be fit for these rallies with

the Ultimate cars can now take when at 170

strong muscles in the neck as sometimes it

km/h are from another world with many of the

really is very hard indeed on the landing.”

fittest and most experienced drivers saying the weakest part of the car is now…the human

But all of this is hardly surprising as there are

body sat behind the wheel. Even with 350 mm

more kilometres in a single day of Dakar than

of suspension travel and wheels with a 940

the whole of a World Rally Championship

mm (37”) diameter that can take the pounding

event. Even recently, at Dakar 2023, there was

of huge rocks at top speed, it’s the car’s crew

a day when 861 km needed to be covered in a

that must endure the daily battering. Coupled

day, including the 333 km stage.

47

46 / 49 Story

Can you imagine what that was like for the

Everything was then driven first to Phoenix and

bikers?! And then there is the Empty Quarter

then across the border to the Sonora Rally in

in the South East of Saudi Arabia, a place

Mexico in late April. After the rally, it was back to

that really is just that and has to be seen to be

LA, through the Panama Canal and across the

believed. It’s dunes, dunes and more dunes

Atlantic again, returning to the UK in June, some

covering the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman

seven months after they left. It’s a gargantuan

but for a European that means nothing. What

operation that requires full time monitoring.

does register inside a European’s mind is that the Empty Quarter is of a size similar to that of France.

The drivers Dakar 2024 was different for the Prodrive Hunter as Nasser Al-Attiyah arrived at the

The machine

team as the reigning World Rally-Raid

So what exactly is needed to attack these

Champion carrying with him the expectation

stages on a daily basis for two whole weeks

of many to take his sixth Dakar win with,

to get double points on the Dakar that’s

following Volkswagen, MINI and Toyota, his

part of the fi ve round World Rally-Raid

fourth manufacturer.

Championship? Prodrive are the most recent manufacturer to enter the huge - literally -

Fortunately, this year’s Dakar was dry which

world of Rally-Raid with the Hunter that has

helped matters no end for the service crews,

been designed and built at its headquarters

allowing them to work in the dry and warm

in Banbury, in the UK. Indeed, its fi rst rally

weather rather than the wet and cold. The

with the car was the 2021 Dakar with testing

start at AlUla moreover provided the ideal

only as a run up to the event, but from there

location to get the rally going on the right

followed stage wins in 2022 and an incredible

foot, but there was no time to look at the

nine wins from fourteen stages in 2023 in the

magnifi cent landscapes.

Ultimate class car, where Toyota, Audi, Ford and, soon Dacia, compete.

Heading down towards the south east and the Empty Quarter, Loeb and Al-Attiyah upped

With Sébastien Loeb and, as of Dakar

their pace, winning three out of six stages

2024, Nasser Al-Attiyah behind the wheel

with drama, speed and sheer bravado from

of the Prodrive Hunter, having two titans of

Al-Attiyah on stage three when, suffering a

international motorsport has been a massive

puncture, he opted to drive the last 30 km

boost to the team. Underneath the swooping

on a fl at tyre rather than stop and lose time

carbon fi bre lines, the Hunter is a 3.5-litre

changing it. It was spectacular stuff as he hit

twin-turbo powered, permanent 4WD beast

137 km/h along dusty tracks with nothing left

that is at its best going fl at out over the tracks

on the rim, before a two-hour service right at

of Ha’il in the north of Saudi or the massive

the fi nish line. It was one of the highlights of

Erg Chebbi in the east of Morocco. It has

the event.

a fuel tank that’s nearly 500 litres in size, enough to accommodate two medium sized

Loeb then went on to take victory on the new

people, 298 kW (400 bhp) and 700 Nm of

48-hour Chrono stage, a whopping 766 km

torque, six sequential gears and the ability to

with 532 km on the biggest and ‘worst’ of

do anything you want as well as can be done

the dunes in the Empty Quarter, which had

out in the desert.

the drivers sleep out in the desert in the most basic of bivouacs around a camp fi re. A

The logistics

scenario that was certainly very reminiscent

However, there’s one part of Rally-Raid that

of the old days in Africa. Loeb also won three

people never see and that’s the preparation.

of the remaining six stages in the second

For Dakar 2023, the cars left Prodrive on

week, but was cruelly robbed of time due to

November 26, 2022, going first to Marseille to

punctures and a huge hidden rock, which

be loaded on the ship that took everything to

even the toughest suspension on the Hunter

Saudi Arabia. After the rally finished in the west

was unable to withstand, crossing the

of the country, the cars and service trucks drove

fi nishing line in Yanbu as third overall.

1,600 km across to Dubai for the next rally, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in February. After

In total between Loeb and Al-Attiyah, the

that event, they boarded a ship in Dubai, passed

Hunter won six stages in what was its fi nal

through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean,

factory entry before the Prodrive team moves

crossed the Atlantic, Panama Canal, and

on to prepare the Dacia Sandrider, targeting

the Pacific before ending up in Los Angeles.

the Dakar in 2025, ’26 and ’27.

Many of the fittest and

part of the car is now…

most experienced drive

the human body sat be

rs saying the weakest

hind the wheel.

48

49

Visit With Us

50 / 55 Visit With Us

by Matevž Hribar photography Matevž Hribar, Triumph Motorcycles

Visiting Triumph Motorcycles

GLORIOUS HISTORY, BRIGHT FUTURE

50

51

I needn’t explain to motorsport and motorcycle fans which motorcycle company I visited when travelling to United Kingdom. However, I wasn’t there only to buy a Triumph-branded T-shirt, but rather to explore a new partnership between Akrapovič and the legendary British brand, sprung out of Triumph‘s decision to enter into off-road motorsport. Though, when talking about Triumph, one has to start much further back.

A large factory on the outskirts of a town with 34,000 inhabitants can certainly have a major economic impact. Triumph provides bread and butter to many who have been migrating to Hinckley from all over the UK and abroad. One such individual is Head of Off-Road Programmes Ian Kimber, who grew up in distant Wales, but has lived in Hinckley and worked for Triumph for two decades. “20 years at the same place sounds like a lot today, but it is nothing unusual for Triumph,” says Kimber, who started at Triumph Motorcycles in 2003, working on the Bonneville chassis design team. Bonneville is one of the brand’s most iconic models. The fi rst series, launched in 1959, was named after the famous Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA, where Triumph and others attempted to break motorcycle speed records. As an aside, Triumph’s in-factory museum houses a Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner, a rocket on wheels with two turbocharged engines

David Essex

from the Rocket III model fuelled by methanol and outputting more than 750 kW (1,000 hp).

Unfortunately, the salt at Bonneville is too wet

road, of course. Tigers currently account for

and too soft, so the 400 mph magic number

about 22 % of all Triumphs built. But entering

remains elusive.

the world of off-road racing, such as the FIM

An off-road stalwart

Motocross World Championship and the

Soft surfaces are not exactly new for Triumph.

Off-road driving and off-road racing were different in the past. One way was to attach suspension with longer travel and wheels with all-terrain tyres to a road bike, which resulted in the popular ‘off-road’ scramblers. Triumph is also well known for its initially smaller, but then – in line with the trends – increasingly larger adventure motorcycles from the ‘Tiger’ series. The fi rst, the Tiger 80, dates back to 1937, with the modern age beginning with the Tiger 955i in 2001. The Tiger 800 kicked up a lot of dust in 2010, both fi guratively and literally, with its three-cylinder engine proudly announcing its arrival into worldwide adventure travel on two wheels. It was joined two years later by a larger 1,200 cc brother,

Ricky Carmichael

USA’s SuperMotocross series, is something else entirely. Triumph faces stiff competition there, with racers who are no longer just off-road enthusiasts who push their bike onto a van for a weekend race, but top athletes with a small army of staff, a tow truck full of special spare parts, top-of-the-line tools, and master mechanics. And yet, the basis is still a mass-produced motocross bike, the same requirement as for WorldSBK, a basis that must be solid for both amateur racers and professionals who touch elbows with the world’s best motocross riders on the starting line. Triumph lacked this experience. So how do you tackle such a project when all you’ve got in front of you is a blank sheet?

indoor champion in enduro, and also fi ve-time Spanish MX champion, have been involved since the beginning. Enduro!? “Can we talk about enduro?” I ask Ian. “Yes, you can write about enduro, we’re not hiding that we’re entering enduro. We’ve just unveiled a 250 cc motocross bike, a 450 cc model is scheduled for later this year, and then you can expect enduro products.” “Will you then compete in enduro in 2025?” “I can’t talk about that just yet. But it’ll happen very soon,” laughs Ian. “And rally?” “Um, rally is interesting, but not easy. We have an idea of how much others have invested in the sport, and since Triumph is privately owned, we treat the money that

A successful start

goes through the company, as our own. We

You get the right people first. Two greats

make sure we’re spending it in the best ways.

cylinder unit works well with both road and

of the sport, former American professional

It’s currently best for us to maximise what we’re

moderate off-road riding. It was on a Tiger

motocross rider Ricky Carmichael with fi fteen

doing in motocross, supercross and enduro.”

1200 GT Explorer that Iván Cervantes set

championship titles in motocross and a

It seems like the company really went all in

the record for riding the greatest distance

further fi ve in supercross, and Spaniard Iván

regarding motocross. I visited the factory in

in 24 hours in 2023 – 4,012 kilometres. On

Cervantes, four-time outdoor and one-time

the week before the first World Championship

the Tiger Explorer, proving that the three-

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Triumph Model No.1

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Iván Cervantes (right)

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49 Mikkel Haarup made history with a podium finish at Triumph’s very first appearance in the MX2 World Championship.

Triumph Rocket Streamliner

race in Argentina, where Mikkel Haarup made

looked at what everyone else was doing so as to

Partnering with the best

history with Triumph’s first-ever podium finish in

see if we can improve,” says Ian. Seen at a glance

When choosing partners for accessories,

the MX2 World Championship. This probably

from afar, the new TF 250-X could also be blue,

Triumph unsurprisingly opted for time-tested,

made the eyes of many in the paddock pop out.

red or orange. But when you see the bike from

high-quality products, such as Brembo brakes

Jalek Swoll, riding in the 250SX East Region

up close, it clearly couldn’t be any of the above.

and hydraulic clutches, KYB suspension,

of the AMA Supercross Championship, was at

This black and white bike features some spicy –

ProTaper handlebars... And, of course, the right

the time of writing sitting in 10 place overall.

modern and loud – fluorescent yellow. Triumph

partner for the exhaust system. “The exhaust

He’s already finished in 6th twice. “The ultimate

claims that their motocross model differs from

partnership has elevated what we can offer

goal is obviously winning, but having riders

the competition. “The chassis is key for us. Our

as an aftermarket system. Obviously, our bike

in the top ten has exceeded our expectations

aluminium spine frame, as opposed to a perimeter

comes out of the factory with a full race system.

for our first year of racing, and it shows the

frame as the Japanese brands use, is like a

But the ability to use more exotic materials, to

capability of the bike.”

combination of the steel frame used by European

be more selective with the pipes one can use

brands, plus the aluminium that you see on

means we can offer customers a real benefit.

th

Doing it better

Japanese bikes. It gives us unique stiffness and

They can go out of the factory and run on the

I know, perhaps a ridiculous question, but

flex characteristics, the bike is very neutral when

standard map, no problem. But we also have a

I couldn’t resist. “Triumph is known for its

steering, but also very responsive. The chassis

wi-fi module for downloading specific Akrapovič

traditional two- and three-cylinder engines. But

is very dynamic. We’re striving hard to achieve

maps. Those maps give a real-world increase

the only option for motocross is a single-cylinder

light weight and responsiveness, not only of the

from 8,500 rpm all the way up, they provide a

engine, right?” “Absolutely. We’re the new kids

sprung, but also the unsprung mass. And power,

good power lift.” And how do the established

on the block. It’s important not to try and reinvent

we’ve got the best-in-class power.” “Really?”

teams look at Triumph? Are they pleased with

the wheel. People have tried it before and it didn’t

“Yes, it’s been measured, we’re confident it’s true

the newly-arrived competitor? “They say they

work. We’ve learnt from their experience, we

and announced it to the press last week.”

are,” says Ian. Yes, competition is welcome and

Triumph Daytona 955i

“It’s important not to try and reinvent the wheel. People have tried it before and it didn’t work. We’ve learnt from their experience, we looked at what everyone else was doing so as to see if we can improve.”

Ian Kimber, Head of Off-Road Programmes at Triumph Motorcycles Limited

raises the level of the sport, but it eventually

the fi rst fl oor, where some bikes are shown

also redistributes the sponsorship money and

completely disassembled and others as during

bike sales. Triumph thinks that entering the

development with clay parts, 3D printed

new segment could increase their potential

pieces and fully adjustable key elements such

next door to Birmingham Airport. It houses

market and bring in new, different customers

as frame geometry and pedal position. Also

about 900 motorcycles, with, naturally, a huge

– young, dynamic, financially stable individuals

on display are some exceptional conversions,

number of Triumphs, alongside many other

who will remain loyal to the brand. With prices

single- and limited-quantity serial-production

brands that you may not have heard of, but

just under £10,000, they are positioned

ones, which sell out soon after launch. Then

which co-wrote the extraordinary history of

there is the obligatory shop with motorcycle

British and world motorcycling. Let me just

equipment and souvenirs alongside a stylish

quickly mention the 1969 Triumph Thruxton

bar with engines instead of paintings on

Bonneville racer, the fi rst production bike

its walls. On that day, at the beginning of

to exceed an average speed of 100 mph in

reasonably and expectedly.

Well worth a visit The way the Hinckley factory receives its visitors is quite exciting. The complex is, of course, guarded and monitored, but a part

March, the temperature gauge in my rented

the Isle of Man race, or the Triumph works 750 cc production racer, an outstanding

of the huge building, the Triumph Factory

Volkswagen showed 7 °C, and yet there was

Visitor Experience, is open to everyone. One

not a table free during lunchtime; motorcycles

section showcases motorcycles from the fi rst

from very different brands congested the

Triumph Model No. 1 from 1902, which was

parking lot. Most were, obviously, Triumphs,

basically a bicycle with a bolt-on engine, to

perhaps even some from the Tiger 900 range,

the new Street Triple with its Moto2 engine. I

unveiled in October 2023, where customers

haven’t ridden it yet, but Ian believes that if I

can choose an Akrapovič exhaust when

The visit is defi nitely worth its price after

liked the previous two Street Triples, I’ll fall in

ordering the new 900 GT, GT Pro or Rally

fi nishing lunch at the Triumph bar. Should

love with this one. From the museum part of

Pro versions. If you’re ever in the vicinity,

we go for another lap of the Triumph Factory

the Visitor Experience Centre you then climb

also visit the National Motorcycle Museum,

Visitor Experience?

the stairs through the factory’s warehouse to

Britain’s largest motorcycle museum, located

example from 1970, the only motorcycle with which racers on the Isle of Man recorded fi ve consecutive victories in the 1970s. Its nickname is ‘Slippery Sam’.

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Jalek Swoll

Mikkel Haarup

Ian Kimber

// Si BOGATA ZGODOVINA, SVETLA PRIHODNOST Na obrobju Hinckleyja, angleškega mesteca s 34 tisoč prebivalci, stoji ogromna tovarna Triumph Motorcycles, ki predstavlja pomembno gospodarsko dejavnost. Matevža Hribarja je na obisk tovarne zaneslo sveže partnerstvo med Akrapovičem in Triumphom, ki je povezano z vstopom legendarne britanske znamke v svet sodobnega terenskega motošporta. V tovarni ga je sprejel Ian Kimber, vodja razvoja terenskih programov pri Triumph Motorcycles. Mehka podlaga za Triumph ni čisto nova. Zelo dobro znan mu je tudi svet potovalnih enduro motociklov; svoje so poimenovali Tiger. Prvega Tigra z oznako 80 so izdelali leta 1937, moderna doba pa se je začela z modelom Tiger 955i leta 2001.

Nekaj povsem drugega je svet terenskega dirkanja, kot sta svetovno prvenstvo v motokrosu in superkros serija v ZDA. Triumph se spogleduje tudi z endurom. Pri dodatni opremi so se Britanci odločili za zavore in hidravlično sklopko Brembo, vzmetenje KYB, krmilo ProTaper in izpušni sistem Akrapovič. »Partnerstvo z Akrapovičem je razširilo našo poprodajno ponudbo. Možnost uporabe bolj eksotičnih materialov in drugačnih cevi pomeni, da nudimo resnično prednost našim strankam,« pravi Ian Kimber. Če se znajdete blizu Triumpha, si je vsekakor vredno ogledati tudi britanski muzej motociklizma blizu birminghamskega letališča, kjer se bohoti še nekaj zanimivih Triumphov iz njihove bogate zgodovine.

Travel With Us

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by Miran Ališič photography Bor Dobrin

10 MILLION...

TOURISTS! Taking the Cupra Formentor VZ5 to Andorra

Cyril Despres, Joan Mir, Jorge Martín, Aleix and Pol Espargaró, Álex Rins, Luc Alphand, Marc Márquez, Jorge Lorenzo, as well as opera singer Montserrat Caballé, tennis player Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, and Barcelona footballers such as Gerard Piqué used to or still live in Andorra.

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A territory with two foreign rulers while being an independent and internationally recognised country? Welcome to probably the most unusual political entity in Europe – the Principality of Andorra, a centuries old state in the Pyrenees, where poverty and emigration used to be widespread. The cars manufactured closest to Europe’s sixth smallest state are produced in the suburbs of Barcelona and carry the Seat or Cupra brands. It thus felt the most appropriate to discover Andorra in a Cupra Formentor VZ5 equipped with an Akrapovič exhaust.

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Andorra la Vella

But Andorra is not only home to ski resorts, full in the winter, and dutyfree shops, full all year round and also sometimes causing very thorough baggage checks when leaving for Spain or France.

The country is full of compelling natural and cultural sights as well.

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Although the midweek summer evening was

living there. Having been settled at least since

warm and the sky clear and full of stars, the

the times of the Romans, the area was ruled

road winding its way up the Pyrenees out of

and co-ruled by feudal overlords, local clergy

the last major French town of Ax-les-Thermes

and monarchs before becoming the still existing

was becoming increasingly empty. We met the

co-principate in the 19th century. The Principality

occasional car and the French border post was

of Andorra is a dual protectorate, overseen by

lit, though closed and vacated. We entered the

the Republic of France and its president, and the

valley of the Valira d’Orient river from the border

Kingdom of Spain, on whose behalf it is ruled by

town of El Pas de la Casa through the recently-

the bishop of Urgell. The two foreign sovereigns

built tunnel – an easier route than crossing the

ruled this small piece of land in the Pyrenees

2,400-metre Envalira Pass which was necessary

absolutely until 1993 when Andorra adopted a

not so long ago. The first larger settlement one

new constitution that instituted a parliamentary

encounters in Andorra’s eastern part is Soldeu.

monarchy with a sovereign government, ministers

The parking lots and the hotel’s car park were

and a de facto self-government. That is when

full, but the town itself looked deserted at 10

Andorra also became a member of the United

p.m., though we still managed to get a beer at

Nations and the Council of Europe. The two

the reception desk of the Naudi Hotel. “Traffic

foreign co-princes come to Andorra increasingly

will be chaotic tomorrow morning so you should

rarely; the bishop of Urgell mainly for church

plan your day accordingly,” the receptionist

matters, and the French president only before the

warned us before we hit the sack, but we didn’t

French presidential elections.

really believe her, considering our experience on

Autograph hunters’ paradise

the road this evening.

I remember my first trips to Andorra in the

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Andorra is tiny. It measures 468 km2, and has

1980s and 90s when shop windows at every

a population of just under 80,000 people, the

turn featured photos of the then bishop and

vast majority of whom are foreigners working or

president, with all the prices simultaneously

The biggest issue is finding the balance between sustainability and growth. We are trying to find this balance, we recently adopted a new urban plan in Canillo that severely limits new construction.

Francesc Oriol

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listed in Spanish pesetas and French francs.

the main road. Its capital, Andorra la Vella, now

Those days are long gone. Andorra is almost

has high-rise buildings, with settlements and

exclusively flying its own flag and all prices are

towns spreading far into the valleys towards

shown in euros. Due to the mountainous terrain,

the mighty peaks of the Pyrenees. We met for a

France seems even more distant than Spain

coffee with Francesc Oriol, who is in charge of

or Catalonia, where most of the influence and

tourism and culture in the town of Canillo. He

commerce comes from, both local and tourist.

explained that his job is public and technical and

Despite its close ties with and dependence on

that he is not a politician. However, the consul or

Spain and France, Andorra is not a member of

mayor of the municipality Francesc Camp is, and

the European Union. It has a very low tax rate

comes from the centre-right Democratica Andina

and thus attracts the wealthy and the famous,

party. “Andorra has for a long time needed

especially athletes and people from the world

some kind of protection, which is why we clung

of entertainment – though more Spaniards than

to the protectorate of France and Spain for so

French. For this reason, Spanish tax collectors

long,” Oriol began the conversation. “Now the

strictly control whether such residents really do

Democratica Andina party is advocating joining

live in Andorra, and paper residency has been

the European Union, of course with special

made almost impossible. The upshot is that you

exceptions given our small size.” Francesc also

might easily run into famous motorcycle racers

told us that only 18,000 of the 80,000 Andorran

on Andorra’s streets; Cyril Despres, Joan Mir,

inhabitants are actual Andorran citizens, with

Jorge Martín, Aleix and Pol Espargaró, Álex Rins,

foreigners comprising the rest. “It is a unique

Luc Alphand, Marc Márquez, Jorge Lorenzo, as

mixture of people from all over, which requires

well as opera singer Montserrat Caballé, tennis

very good relations between everyone. There

player Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, and Barcelona

is enough work, the wages are good and all

footballers such as Gerard Piqué used to, or still

this reduces the potential for dissatisfaction,

live here. For a while, the Don Denis restaurant

but the cost of living in Andorra is also high,”

was very popular with football players where

the head of tourism and culture in the town of

they gathered to enjoy tapas named after the

Canillo continued optimistically. He also pointed

illustrious Lionel Messi. But this is not the reason

out a problem that I have already noticed: “The

Church Sant Joan de Caselles, Canillo

why the roads in Andorra are always crowded.

Independent yet connected We started the next day early, already around eight, which is very early indeed for Andorrans and their Spanish rhythm of life. Glancing at a map will reveal that a single main road runs through the country from west to east, with branching dead ends extending to the north before ending high up in the Pyrenees. As we were returning from Canillo, a small town in the middle of Andorra, to Soldeu around 11 a.m.,

Francesc Oriol

we met an endless line of slowly moving cars coming the other way. “It’ll stay like this until noon or 1 p.m., then the traffic will disperse,” explained a fuel station attendant, who assured me that he had the best price of petrol in all of Andorra. Well, a few turns later we were able to ascertain that petrol costs almost the same everywhere, so we decided to fill up our car at his pump. Ah yes, the car. Our Cupra VZ5 produces 294 kW (400 hp) from Audi’s five-cylinder engine and, with Akrapovič’s help, the German engine in the Catalan car sang out in the narrow valleys and echoed beneath the mighty Pyrenees boulders. I found out something else as well. Andorra has not only changed politically, but also visually in these past 30 years. Large settlements have sprung up along

Museu de la Moto, Canillo

Elisabeth Perez

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We often found the roads empty and were accordingly able to fully let all those 294 kW (400 hp) loose with the sharp notes resonating from the four Akrapovic exhaust pipes.

biggest issue is finding the balance between

winter due to snow. The hotel slowly grew, with

Pyrenees, followed by a stop at the roadside

sustainability and growth. We are trying to

successors Michel and Romana Naudi building a

church of Sant Joan de Caselles with perfectly

find this balance, we recently adopted a new

new and bigger building which Marc Naudi and

preserved frescoes, with similar ones also found

urban plan in Canillo that severely limits new

Elisabeth Perez renovated in 2018, as well as

in the slightly more remote church of Sant Miquel

construction. This will be the most difficult action

starting a new concept of a boutique hotel for

d’Engolasters. But even more than culture and

to carry out in the near future, but we are aware

adults only with a restaurant known far and wide

history, nature beckons here. This is an unspoiled

that we have no other option,” added Oriol,

for its local dishes. “The champagne we serve

paradise for hikers, walkers, mountaineers and

before emphasising that national pride rides high

for breakfast is a very special experience, as it

adventurers who appreciate the pleasures

and that we should not call anyone here Catalan

comes from the oldest champagne grower in

of nature, as Andorra still contains a lot of

or French. We also learned that Andorra has a

Reims. The vast majority of our guests come from

completely untouched valleys with pastures and

very diversified education system, as a total of

Spain and France, but occasionally people also

meadows that can only be reached on foot. We

four parallel school systems coexist in the pocket

arrive from farther away, just like you,” Elisabeth

did not have enough time for such adventures,

state - Andorran, Spanish and French, alongside

Perez smiled at the end of the chat. The hotel’s

and having driven here in a powerful Spanish

private and church schools. Public schools are

lounge windows offer a view of the finish area

bull in the shape of a Cupra Formentor VZ5, we

free, university studies are available, but the main

of the Skiing World Cup ski runs. The country

preferred to drive to all the remote valleys and

industry is, of course, tourism with almost 10

is now home to more than 200 kilometres of

peaks that could be reached by a paved road

million visitors per year.

ski slopes, a length greater than that of its main

in the few days we had available. And here, far

roads and these transformed the principality into

from Andorra’s tourist magnets, we often found

a very attractive tourist destination during the

the roads empty and were accordingly able to

winter as well.

fully let all those 294 kW (400 hp) loose with the

Champagne for breakfast Elisabeth Perez is in charge of marketing at the Hotel Naudi Boutique, which clearly reflects

sharp notes resonating from the four Akrapovič

the strong growth of tourism in the principality.

Culture meets nature

The hotel, located on the south side of the main

But Andorra is not only home to ski resorts,

road through Soldeu opposite a pizza restaurant,

full in the winter, and duty-free shops, full all

We left Andorra in the morning, also in the

has been completely renovated. It grew out of

year round and also sometimes causing very

middle of the week, and it was completely

a small dwelling, where its story began three

thorough baggage checks when leaving for

different than when arriving. We were bogged

generations ago. Elisabeth has married into the

Spain or France. The country is also bursting at

down in traffic jams, only moving slowly through

Naudi family, which has been managing the hotel

the seams with compelling natural and cultural

the valley and finally began to believe the story of

since 1964 when Grandma Rosa opened a small

attractions. If you arrive by car, do not miss a trip

10 million tourists a year.

restaurant with simple rooms to sleep in, as the

to the top of Andorra in Port de Cabus, which

road over the pass to France was often closed in

offers amazing views of the country and the

exhaust pipes.

by Alenka Birk

UNDERGROUND ADVENTURE Experience the thrill of abandoned mine tunnels under Mt. Peca near Črna na Koroškem, Slovenia.

Embark on a kayaking adventure 700 metres below the earth’s surface and paddle through the flooded tunnels of the largest lead and zinc mine in this part of Europe. Enter a maze of subterranean tunnels and lakes that used to be a worksite full of men and machines. Unveil all the secrets of the abandoned mine in the company of a guide, a former miner.

Become a part of the 350-year history of the mine during which thousands of kilometres of tunnels were dug and an impressive 19 million tonnes of ore were excavated. podzemljepece.com

AROUND THE WORLD BY PRIVATE JET Image this: you embark on a luxurious private jet which takes you on a 24-day globe-trotting expedition featuring 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites – from Easter Island to the Taj Mahal and the Serengeti. You will be accompanied by a team of experts who will share their groundbreaking research in marine biology, anthropology, archaeology and palaeontology as well as bring each destination to life. Gain insight into local cultures as you meet a master Andean weaver in Peru and encounter members of a local Bedouin community in Jordan. Stay at world-class accommodations with options that include two spectacular lodges, one in the hills of Bhutan and one in the heart of Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Crater. The only other requirement is that you have €92,500 ($100,000). The next voyage departs in October 2024. nationalgeographic.com/expeditions

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Crazy Stuff

ART IN VENICE The 60th edition of the Venice Biennale, the world’s most prestigious and oldest-running art biennial, is set to run between April and November at the Giardini and Arsenale venues. The 2024 theme, Foreigners Everywhere, curated by Adriano Pedrosa, will put the spotlight on artists who are foreigners, immigrants or exiles, particularly those traversing between the Global South and North.

Details of the 2024 edition have already started to trickle out, including first-time participants Benin, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Timor Leste, while Nicaragua, Republic of Panama and Senegal will for the first time set up their own pavilions. Australia will meanwhile be represented by First Nation artist Archie Moore. labiennale.org

FISH & FLY TRIO Need a break? How about a three-day fly-fishing adventure in three pristine Slovenian rivers with experienced local fishing guides? Travel from one fishing destination to another by helicopter and enjoy a bird’s-eye view of one of the greenest countries in the world. And don’t worry – even if you’re not an experienced angler, you’ll be given everything you need. Complete a triple challenge at three different fishing destinations by catching three indigenous fish species in three days: the grayling in the Kolpa River, the brown trout in the Krka River and the marble trout in the Soča River. All equipment, accommodation, culinary experiences and luxurious rides are taken care of. Now just cast your hook! green-adventure.eu

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Story

Leica

BACK TO THE FUTURE

by Volker Hirth photography Leica

IT’S A JOURNEY INTO GERMANY’S INDUSTRIAL PAST. THE FACTORY BUILDING APPEARS AS IF OUT OF NOWHERE, BUT EVERYONE KNOWS IMMEDIATELY WHERE THEY ARE THANKS TO THE INSTANTLY RECOGNISABLE WHITE TYPEFACE INSIDE A RED DOT. LEICA. THE NAME IS AN ABBREVIATION OF LEITZ(SCHE) AND CAMERA. ‘KAMERA’ IN GERMAN, ACTUALLY, BUT THE FOUNDERS KNEW THAT IT NEEDED AN INTERNATIONAL RING TO IT TO MAKE IT WORK. THE GIANT METAL GLOBE AT THE CENTRE OF THE FINAL ROUNDABOUT BEFORE ENTERING THE COMPANY’S PREMISES ALSO FEATURES THE RED DOT WITH THE FAMILIAR NAME INSIDE – AND SO DOES OUR MEETING, BECAUSE THE SMALL LEICA DELEGATION ARRIVES ON THE DOT FOR THE TOUR OF THE COMPANY PREMISES. AFTER ALL, PUNCTUALITY GOES HAND IN HAND WITH PRECISION. BOTH ARE VERY GERMAN, AND PRECISION IS AS EVER-PRESENT AS THE FAMOUS RED LOGO WITH WHITE LETTERS THAT CAN BE SEEN ON EVERY CAMERA.

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Even today, every Leica M-photographer must know how to take photographs.

Oskar Barnack

Our group, comprised of a single guest, is

quartz movements can do so much more. If a

considerably smaller than a Chinese tour

camera, then – of course – a Leica. Because

group given a guided tour of the large and

with a Leica, every owner is also part of what

small treasures of the past and present by a

is probably the most important development in

knowledgeable Leica employee. It is noticeable

the history of photography.

that some of the Chinese are wearing a Leica.

Ernst Leitz I

Just the body, without the lens. Leica as a

LARGE BOXES

fashion accessory. Like the little bag from

Photography’s early days were characterised

Louis Vuitton or the little scarf from Hermès.

by large boxes. The cameraman was sometimes

If this assumption is correct, the guests from

invisible because he was covered by a cloth.

the Far East are more likely to belong to the

Landscape shots could be taken quite easily

artistic than the nouveau riche milieu. Albeit

in this way – after all, the countryside doesn’t

the wealthy one. Lifestyle for the well-to-do.

move. Taking portraits was another story.

A Leica as a statement. As an expression of

People had to remain frozen like pillars of salt.

an attitude to life. What’s the point of a copy

The exposure time could reach up to several

when you can have the original? If a bag,

minutes and the photos were only as big as the

then Hermès. If a watch, then a Rolex, even if

plate on which they were taken. The cameras, which were huge compared to what is available today, also made spontaneous, unobtrusive photography impossible.

THE IDEA An inventor had a revolutionary idea. Oskar Barnack. He was an employee of the Leitz company, which originally produced microscopes and binoculars, so he knew a thing or two about precision mechanics and glass manufacture. In 1913 he began to wonder whether photographs could be enlarged in a way similar to moving images.

After all, the movies in cinemas were projected from a 35 mm film reel onto a huge screen.

Barnack took such a roll of film, placed it into a small compact apparatus, invented a transport mechanism and a shutter release. He set the frame size at 24 x 36 mm and the first 35 mm camera was born. This was in 1914 and Barnack is said to have built three of these.

He called them ‘Lilliput’. One of the three, also known as the ‘Ur-Leica’, can be admired today during a tour of the Leica Park company premises, residing behind a thick glass.

AN ENDURING MASTERPIECE World War I started shortly thereafter and brought with it much more important issues than getting this innovation ready for serial production. It took until 1925 before microscope and binoculars entrepreneur Ernst Leitz II dared to turn the ‘Lilliput’ into a camera ready for mass production and to finance its manufacture. An expensive and extremely risky decision in truly unfavourable times. But it

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worked. The news about a camera that fitted in practically every pocket, took good pictures and was easy to use spread like wildfire around the world. The original ‘Leica I’ remains the norm for all subsequent systems today. Current digital SLR cameras take still photographs with the same ratio of 3:2 as their analogue ancestor. A prototype was sold at auction two years ago for €14.4 million (including the premium). By far the most expensive camera in the world.

CAUGHT UNAWARE But not everything went smoothly for Leica in Wetzlar. The inventors of digital photography may have copied a lot from Leica, but Leica ran into a problem with digitalisation. To put it bluntly - it had completely missed this development and was a good as bankrupt by 2005. Devices from Asia in particular could do everything much easier and much better.

Digital photography turned everyone into a top photographer. Just press the shutter release and the camera does the rest. However, it was just that simplicity that probably saved the company because analogue photographers were always the true artists and wanted to continue proving this with analogue photographs. Leica had inspired people over

Prototype Leica

the decades and its fans remained loyal. Even those who entered the digital age, could continue using the tried-and-tested design.

Almost all modern Leicas are visually based on the original body and are immediately recognisable and not just because of the legendary lettering inside the red dot. Moreover, every Leica M-photographer must still know

The news about a camera that fitted in practically every pocket, took good pictures and was also easy to use spread like wildfire around the world.

how to take photographs. Subjects have to be focused manually, there’s no electronic viewfinder, no image stabiliser and, in the case of the current M11, the price stands at just under €9,000.

READY FOR THE FUTURE The Leica company is currently doing everything it can to ensure it doesn’t miss any future trends in digitalisation. Its futuristic-looking Leitz Park alone seems to provide sufficient assurance that the Wetzlar-based company truly is futureorientated. There is the hip instant camera for the young club audience. There are the Leica watches, very trendy with a high-quality mechanical movement and minimalist design.

There is the ‘Cine 1’, the laser Cinema TV that projects all kinds of video formats in razor-sharp quality, even onto large walls. There is also a Leica mobile phone, which is currently only available in Japan. On the other hand, Leica is successfully supplying camera modules to the Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Xiaomi.

Leica, the distinguished camera manufacturer with a glorious past, has arrived in the present.

Let the future come.

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S t ory

W a t c h e s f o r d r i v e r s - L a u r e n s d e R i j ke

CONCEIVED ON THE SILK ROAD Dordrecht, a suburb of the port city of Rotterdam, is a small and pleasant place. When I arrived at the given address, I found the small watchmaking workshop in the courtyard of a large brick apartment building. The door was opened by Laurens de Rijke, the driving force, mastermind and founder of the boutique watch brand de Rijke. Sporting full motorcycle gear, he arrived at our evening meeting on his off-road Dakar motorcycle, even though it was pouring outside.

“If you’re a real biker, weather doesn’t bother

to adjust my arm.” This gave rise to the idea of

you. Even though it’s mostly rainy and cold

making a more practical and useful wristwatch,

these days, I ride my bike all the time,” said

where the dial and hands could be moved

Laurens, a lover of classic cars, motorcycles,

keeping the number 12 always at the top.

travel adventures and wristwatches. I actually found him online, in conjunction with one

Overcoming the obstacles

such adventure. A decade ago, Laurens,

It was already late in the evening when he was

now a recognised manufacturer of boutique

telling me how he learned the mechanical skills

mechanical wristwatches, got on his 50-year-

that come in handy in mechanical wristwatch

old Vespa and travelled the famous Silk Road

manufacture by helping restore old cars and

through Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,

bikes. His favourite brands are Italian – Lancia

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. During the two-month

for cars and Vespa for motorcycles. He started

11,000-km journey, he bought an old wristwatch

work on the project aged 26. The first year was

at a flea market in Georgia. “I went on the

mainly spent on research; a university professor

voyage five years after buying my first Vespa.

helped and taught him how to design a watch.

I chose a Vespa, because I’ve been repairing

He had to manufacture the case and all other

them for a long time.” But something bothered

parts. The first prototype was finished a year

him on that trip. “The watch was covered by my

later and promptly thrown away. Laurens started

motorcycle glove, and every time I wanted to

over. It took him three more years to finish the

check the time, I had to pull the glove back. I

second prototype. “I set myself the goal of

also had to let go of the handlebars to be able

making the first watch when I turned 30.

by Gaber Keržišnik photography De Rijke, Gaber Keržišnik

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This was six years ago. The biggest challenge for the model now known as the Amalfi, was to make a movable crown and the rotating mechanism/case. It required a lot of designing, prototyping and thinking. It’s easy to use now.

Grab the casing with your thumb and forefinger and swivel it as desired. The watches didn’t sell well at first, so I had to find extra work, but I’ve always believed that I would succeed.” When de Rijke started designing and manufacturing wristwatches, he called an established Dutch designer Bruno Ninaber van Eyben, whose studio helped in developing the first ‘driver’s watch’ from the now recognisable Amalfi series.

This watch, intended for all passionate drivers, especially lovers of classical shapes, allows the casing to be freely rotated by up to 90 degrees.

“It’s a classically designed watch that lovers of both classic vehicles or watches can wear daily, whether they’re on a bike or in a car.”

Lover of all things mechanical I then wondered whether any other family member ever worked on something similar, at least cars or bikes? “Actually no. It probably started by me liking to ride and fix old mopeds as a teenager. I once had eight different ones in one year. Then I bought my first 50 cc Vespa.

That was followed by a more powerful model, the aforementioned Silk Road one. I later sold it and used the proceeds to buy the first machine for my watch workshop. I needed start-up capital. And now times have changed,” he smiled. “I’m glad I was able to buy that Vespa back a few months ago. Together with a friend, we also have a beautiful vintage Lancia, which we use for vacations in Italy.” Mechanical watches and older cars have a lot in common.

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goes well, it will come to the market in three years. Even if we fail, it won’t be the end of the world. But I’m happy when I see us succeed. I sometimes come across a used Amalfi from the first series, being sold online for three times its original price.”

Never too late for an espresso “Our day in the workshop starts with good coffee,” added Laurens, who is occasionally helped by a knowledgeable engineer friend whom he holds in high regard. “Before starting Everything is mechanical. No electronics. The

work, we have a nice cup of good coffee. It’s

movement hasn’t changed much in history.

a must. Would you like an espresso?” It was

However, innovations and changes are a

already late as I was saying goodbye, but it’s

constant in Laurens’s thinking. “We joined

never too late for good coffee. Laurens turned

forces with a well-known automotive illustrator

on the bulky and immaculately polished metal

to design the latest series of watches.” Guy

espresso machine. “It’s from the sixties. It was

Allen, who works with brands like Porsche, drew

broken, but I managed to repair and restore it.

the dial plates for the series, with the motives of

I later found a similar machine which I use for

earth, water and air. The series will consist of 75

spare parts. It makes great coffee,” he explained

pieces – 3 times 25 watches. “The first one will

to me as he was grinding, weighing and

come with the silhouette of the Lancia Aurelia,

pressing the coffee in a handle before serving

the second with the design lines of the Riva

a short, creamy and fragrant espresso, one of

yacht and the third with the stylised image of a

the best I’ve tasted recently. “Great coffee,” I

Macchi plane landing on water.”

complimented, with Laurens agreeing, “Yes. It’s really good.”

Quality over quantity De Rijke watches come in small numbers. Each

Laurens de Rijke obviously also knows his way

piece is fully crafted and assembled by hand.

around coffee, and if he wasn’t working on

Last year 300 were produced and the plan is for

wristwatches for drivers, he could have easily

something similar this year. “Probably between

opened a coffee shop serving top-quality

200 and 300. The average waiting time is

espresso. Or fix old Vespas and Lancias.

around three months. I don’t want to make them in large numbers, I’m more interested in development, exclusivity and manufacturing quality. That’s how value is maintained.” He is currently working on a watch with a snowwhite casing made entirely of ceramic. “If all

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THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES!

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Amy Shore Photography

Amy Heynes (née Shore) admits right at the start that she ended up in car photography quite by chance, thanks to some photos she took of a Ferrari P4 being restored at a company her father worked for. Not wanting to let them sit in a drawer, she sent them to an English car magazine in case they were interested. They turned out to be more than just interested and offered to work with her.

The rest is history.

by Bor Dobrin photography Amy Shore Photography

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The history of each car and motorcycle is obviously interesting, but it ’s almost always connected with the story of its owners and it ’s at the cross section of the two that Amy excels.

Coincidences may exist, but they are based on an enormous amount of work, experimentation and observation of the world around us. The 32-year-old Amy has, even if she didn’t know it, always been connected with cars, mainly through her father, who worked in car restoration workshops after being a Formula 1 mechanic. He was also an amateur photographer, earning some money on the side by taking wedding photos.

After studying metalsmithing and silversmithing, Amy also took up wedding photography before ending up taking snapshots of cars and motorcycles.

She liked her studies very much, but had not picked up a soldering torch after leaving the university.

Unique s t or y t eller There’s certainly no lack of fire burning inside of her. It’s impossible not to notice her energy, openness and curiosity, an extraordinary ‘joie de vivre’ which perfectly matches her preferred field of classic car and motorcycle photography. Her subjects, almost without exception, come with their own stories, some starting nearer, others further back in time. The history of each car and motorcycle is obviously interesting, but it’s almost always connected with the story of its owners and it’s at the cross section of the two that Amy excels. With her extraordinary feel for capturing the moment, details, composition and light, Amy combines both stories into one. Some of her photos seem completely dreamlike and can easily take you on a trip through the history of motoring towards a more romantic era. And this era, so it seems, is also her favourite one. It’s best embodied by the Goodwood Revival festival, which is by far the closest to her – both as an event and subject matter. Her photos of this annual meet significantly influenced the development of her career. A lot of people think that Amy was a big petrolhead from the beginning, but that’s not the case. What was only basic knowledge when she took up car photography, is now much deeper, also due to marrying William Heynes, with whom she opened a workshop for the restoration of classic Jaguars.

Hones t y is t he bes t policy Amy Shore, which remains her professional name, adds that photography is a “dog-eat-dog world”, but unlike most photographers who jealously hide their trade secrets, she remains open and honest. Her website openly delves into the many details of the genre, from equipment, tips on picture taking, and business advice on how to start and succeed. She says she wrote the blog because the photography-related questions she got asked through social networks were simply too much for her to answer individually. At the same time, it is precisely this frankness and quality of the blog’s photos that brought her the prestigious ambassadorship for Nikon and new clients – from important automotive magazines to big and esteemed automotive brands.

She embellishes her photos with her characteristic edi t ing me t hod, which is sof t, r oman t ic, wi t h ha z y black s – a s t yle t ha t f i t s per f ec t ly wi t h t he subjec t ma t t er.

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Minimal in t er ven t ion Amy prefers to create most of her photography in the camera rather than in post-production. Even there she doesn’t deviate from her honesty.

She doesn’t change the light in editing, only removes minor disturbing elements. She embellishes her photos with her characteristic processing method, which is soft, romantic, with hazy blacks – a style that fits perfectly with the subject matter. A critical argument that could be made is that her photos would look quite ordinary without her signature editing, but she counters it by making an analogy with music, likening the photo to the rhythm of the drums, and her work in post to the melody overlaid on it to evoke emotions. This is exactly what Amy wants to do; move in the direction of being romantic, which in her opinion would not work for today’s supercars with their sharp lines and bleeding-edge technology.

In most cases, clients hire her because of her uniqueness. On the other hand, this means fewer commercial photoshoots and a bit less money.

However, she’s happy because she can create what she feels and wants.

Amy believes that a photo should express a photographer’s personality and values. As with most artists, we can feel that part of her confidence also stems from being successful. She is not afraid of artificial intelligence, though she does acknowledge it will change photography. However, except as a technical aid, she sees no other use for it in her field.

Relevan t and inspir a t ional Personal projects are extremely important for a photographer, and Amy is no exception. One such project was documenting her journey with a MINI Mayfair around Scotland. The response was overwhelming and her photos proved inspirational for many – and this at a time when images are mainly viewed on social networks. Amy is convinced that her photos have the greatest impact if printed on classic photographic paper, as this allows us to feel the photo to a greater degree because it’s much more inspiring. Which is the point. In the case of Amy’s photographs, of course, not by coincidence.

Amy likens the photo to the rhythm of the drums, and her work in post to the melody overlaid on it to evoke emotions.

// Si Amy Shore Photography

NAKLJUČIJ NI! Amy Heynes je pri fotografiranju avtomobilov pristala bolj kot ne po naključju, zgolj po zaslugi nekaj fotografij Ferrarija P4, ki jih je posnela za restavratorsko podjetje, v katerem je delal njen oče. Poslala jih je angleški avtomobilski reviji, ali bi jih morda zanimale … Ponudili so ji sodelovanje, preostalo pa je – kot radi rečemo – zgodovina.

Danes 32-letna Amy je po študiju oblikovanja kovin poročno fotografiranje zamenjala za avtomobilsko in motoristično fotografijo. Med pogovorom je mogoče hitro opaziti njeno energijo, odprtost, radovednost in izjemno radost do življenja, ki so se odlično ujele s fotografijo avtomobilov in motociklov.

Zgodovina avtomobilov in motociklov je zanimiva, a je skoraj vedno povezana z zgodbami njihovih lastnikov. In pri tem Amy Shore, kot je njeno umetniško ime, s svojimi fotografijami blesti. Z izjemnim občutkom za primeren trenutek, celoto, detajl, kompozicijo in svetlobo združi obe zgodbi v celoto.

Za fotografa so izjemno pomembni osebni projekti. Eden od teh je bil dokumentiranje poti s starim minijem po Škotski. Odziv je bil izjemno velik, njene fotografije so navdihnile veliko ljudi. Amy je prepričana, da njene fotografije še vedno dosežejo največji učinek, če so natisnjene na klasičen fotografski papir. Tako fotografijo bolje začutimo, ker nas veliko bolj navdihne.

In to je bistvo. Pri fotografijah Amy Heynes seveda to nikakor ni naključje.

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// Si

H ig h G e ar

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High Gear

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MotoGP at the limit

TOUGHEST SEASON EVER! Mankind’s journey from its cradle in Africa, Marco Polo’s travels to China on the Silk Road, Christopher Columbus’s voyages to the Americas…

All great odysseys. And now MotoGP’s longest-ever season: from the Middle East to Europe, to the USA and back to Europe, from Europe to Central Asia, back to Europe, then to the Far East and Australia, then finally back to Europe. More than three thousand paddock staff, plus several thousand tonnes of freight carried in jumbo jets, join this globetrotting tour, which will be completed in less than nine months.

There’s never been a MotoGP championship like it and – no doubt about it – the 2024 campaign will take riders, mechanics and other team staff to the brink. Twenty-one rounds require everyone in the paddock – not just the riders – to be mentally and physically stronger than ever. Many mechanics will be on the road for at least thirty weeks this year.

And it’s not only that. The premier MotoGP class is now more demanding than ever, for riders and crews. The weekends are more intense, because the racing is much closer, the motorcycles are more complicated and the new format includes a Saturday sprint race, which has riders doing pre-qualifying timeattacks on Friday afternoons.

No wonder the number of riders missing Sunday races through injury increased by almost 300 % last year, when the sprint-race format was introduced. The crunch point of the

season will be the final seven races, when the MotoGP title fight will reach boiling point. The pressure will increase for everyone, which will be intensified by this mind-boggling nine-week schedule: India, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia and Valencia in Spain!

The searing demands of MotoGP’s end-ofseason climax are also changing paddock life, with team members looking after each other, because the mental and emotional stresses are so high.

“We have to protect each other much more than we used to,” says Pedro Acosta’s Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 crew chief Paul Trevathan, who has worked in MotoGP for two decades. “We may have somebody who’s got problems at home. Maybe his wife is sick, or the car’s broken down and they can’t afford to fix it, and he’s overseas for three weeks… You see someone dropping a bit, so you take him aside, ‘Is everything okay buddy?’

“We spend more than half the year with these people, more than with our families, so we have to be much more openminded and check in on people. Hey, this guy hasn’t spoken a word today, why’s that?

“This is much, much more important than before, though I’ve always thought that the atmosphere inside the box is something the rider thrives off. If the rider comes in and sees a happy box, with everything under control, the calmness that brings him is enormous.

“The whole team is under pressure, but what

This article does not necessarily correspond with the opinions of Akrapovič d.d., the publishers or the editors.

by Mat Oxley illustration Natan Esku about the rider?! I remember Johann Zarco coming to KTM and talking about the need to go straight to Q2…” [If a rider’s best lap in Friday afternoon’s pre-qualifying session doesn’t take him directly into the Q2 qualifying session, he must take part in Q1 and risk everything to finish that session in the top two, which promotes him to Q2, guaranteeing a better starting position.]

“We were like, ‘Okay, Johann, we understand’.

And he said, ‘No you don’t understand. This is a must, because it saves me two extra lives every weekend. Every time I risk it’s like risking a life and if I have to take that risk two fewer times a weekend [with two on-the-limit laps in Q1], it’s massive for me’. Then you think, wow, I didn’t think about it like that, but this is the reality…”

The cost of this reality will be riders retiring earlier than they used to. “For sure, MotoGP careers will be shorter compared to a few years ago, because it’s so mentally demanding,” says reigning MotoGP king Pecco Bagnaia.

Mat Oxley Mat Oxley has been a motorcycle journalist for more than four decades, covering MotoGP full-time since 1988. During his own racing career, he won an Isle of Man TT race and took third place in the Endurance World Championship, scoring second-place finishes in the Le Mans and Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour races. He is based in London, UK.

Follow @matoxley / X and Instagram

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BMW R 1300 GS Slip-On Line (Titanium) With EC/ECE type approval Akrapovič d.d., Malo Hudo 8a, 1295 Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia / www.akrapovic.com

GENERAL WARNING Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of its subsidiaries make any representation that the products comply with the air and/or noise emissions laws, or labeling laws, of any jurisdiction. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of the applicable laws where the products are to be used and to comply with those laws. CALIFORNIA WARNING California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts unless the California Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order regarding such part or system or unless the part or system is exempted by being used only on racing vehicles on closed courses. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries make any representation that any of their parts or systems has received such an Executive Order or that any of their parts or systems conform with the racing vehicles exemption. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of applicable California laws and to comply with those laws. USA WARNING Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, especially as those parts and systems modify, remove, or replace original equipment catalysts. Please consult the appropriate laws in your area before installing any aftermarket part or system on your vehicle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries or the sellers of the parts or systems make any representation that any of their parts or systems comply with any such laws.

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Akrapovič d.d., Malo Hudo 8a, 1295 Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia / www.akrapovic.com

GENERAL WARNING Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of its subsidiaries make any representation that the products comply with the air and/or noise emissions laws, or labeling laws, of any jurisdiction. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of the applicable laws where the products are to be used and to comply with those laws. CALIFORNIA WARNING California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts unless the California Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order regarding such part or system or unless the part or system is exempted by being used only on racing vehicles on closed courses. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries make any representation that any of their parts or systems has received such an Executive Order or that any of their parts or systems conform with the racing vehicles exemption. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of applicable California laws and to comply with those laws. USA WARNING Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, especially as those parts and systems modify, remove, or replace original equipment catalysts. Please consult the appropriate laws in your area before installing any aftermarket part or system on your vehicle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of their subsidiaries or the sellers of the parts or systems make any representation that any of their parts or systems comply with any such laws.