2 0 2 0 # 0 3
ENG
ď‚— Cover: Route66 photographed by Mirco Lazzari
LIFE ISN’T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS. IT’S ABOUT LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN...
(VIVIANNE GREEN)
FRONT ROW
4
Mirco Lazzari ď‚– light and ambiance in Lusail during the Qatar GP Nikon D5 Nikkor 85mm 1.4 ď‚– 1sec. f.16
FRONT ROW
Mauro Lazzari Flying Shadow GP d’Italia Imola MXGP Nikon D5 Nikkor 300 2.8 1/500 f. 10
FRONT ROW
Mirco Lazzari Joan Mir on Suzuki crosses the finish line sliding in Termas de Rio Hondo Argentinian GP 2019 Mirco Lazzari Ducati Mission Winnow MotoGP launch ambiance, Palazzo Re Enzo Bologna Nikon D5 Nikkor 600 mm 4 1/320 f. 5.6 Nikon Z6 Nikkor 24/70 4.5 1/30 f 4.5
F RI ROSNTT RROOWW
MOTORSPORT AND LIFE
MLMAGAZINE 2020#03
#3 SUMMARY 4
FRONT ROW
14
MIRCO’S SPEECH
16
A MILLION DOLLAR SMILE
32
FLAT TRACK
44 LEWIS HAMILTON 58 LIGHT ART 66 ROUTE 66 8 3 T H E FA R E W E L L WA LT Z 86 DOHA
MIRCO’S SPEECH “Three years have already passed!” This is the classic phrase that we tend to use on certain occasions, however, in this moment, I would rather say: “Only three years have passed, but they seem like an eternity”. It has been a really, really long time since Nicky’s smile has no longer accompanied us on circuit days. To us who have had the opportunity to see him often - some more than others - to know him, to stay with him, even if only professionally, we miss his smile and his positivity. During this lockdown, stuck in our homes, for us photographers it was a moment of reorganization. Reorganization in every sense: mostly tidying our archives, but also
thinking of new ideas. Ideas that can lead to proposals for when we can be back on the track. We know it won’t be easy. When you start reorganising, you are usually pleasantly surprised to find pictures you knew you had taken, but were lost in the maze of numerous hard disks, folders, subfolders and whoever has more. And then you find some shots that now, after seeing them after a long time, take on a completely different historical and emotional value. That is what happened with Nicky’s photos. Three years later, we decided to remember
“Only three years have passed, but they seem like an eternity “ We miss you Nicky
him with “A million dollar smile 3.0”: 15 unpublished photos that were not part of “A million dollar smile”, the exhibition organized with the help of IF Tourism Company at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola (BO) one year after his death and on the circuit where he rode his last race. “A million dollar smile 3.0” is actually a collection of 15 + 1 photos. Regarding the + 1, you will only understand its meaning by reading this issue of the MLMagazine. One has a really different taste and, at least for me, it made a huge lump in my throat ... ⚫ MIRCO L AZZARI
A MILLION DOLLAR SMILE 3.0
16
A MILLION DOLLAR SMILE: NICKY HAYDEN If I said that everyone loved Nicky, those who didn’t know him would think, “That’s what everyone says when someone passes away. They suddenly become a hero. Their insignificant acts are transformed into great feats. Their defects are forgotten, and their transgressions pass into the archives as if death renders them all innocent and equal overnight. It is as if dying is not the only fate that none can escape, least of all if they are used to speeding at 300 an hour.” Well, for Nicky it wasn’t like that. Nicky was truly liked by everyone. And each had a good reason. For the ladies, one must only look at his photos to understand why the loved him. For motorcyclists, it was because he never held back and put his all into the sport. He knew to stand tall even when you lack natural talent or things don’t come so easily. Maybe, it was because he knew not only that, but also knew himself. He understood the importance of rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty. He was the Bruce Springsteen mechanic that sang “I’m on fire” and drove a Ford Thunderbird dreaming about winning over the blonde that lives in the hills: except the Kentucky Kid achieved his dreams. “Sometimes it doesn’t seem real to be compared to the Greats from the past like Spencer, Lawson, Rainey…,” he once said, speaking with true humility. Clearly – so honest as to appear out of time – his hu-
mility was a reality. The only exception was when he proudly defended the legitimacy of his greatest victory, the 2006 MotoGp Championship, after someone claimed that his success was due to Rossi’s fall in Valencia, by saying, “Guys, I earned this title. Remember, the track never lies.” For journalists, it was how, between a “you kno’”, a “brother” and an “I mean”, he would recount beautiful stories of dust, the Midwest, and America. He would tell of a family that would all ride bikes together, every single member, maybe even the goldfish from the living room. “Everything that has two wheels is made for us,” he would say. His father Earl that followed step by step around the world and inspired him to put the number 69 on his windshield, after telling him, “It’s convenient because it can even be read upside when you fall over.” Or when we was speaking about the Indy garden at his home and happy Laguna Seca holidays or about his happy life, of smiles and never of envy. Or when he would recount his time with Honda, “What is it like being Valentino’s teammate? Cool. Sometimes it helped with girls. They would come to my motorhome and ask me about him, so I would tell them, ‘he is here inside. Come on in and I will introduce you to him.” For companies, it was because he was a serious and hard worker. A tireless tester and complete professional, who was always open to joining the difficult life in the garage.
( 1 9 )
...CONTINUES FROM PAGE 19
He was divine like Rossi and Stoner, without ever batting an eye, driving and cooperating with a strong work ethic. No one was ever heard complaining about him. And if they did, they must have been drinking or mistaken him for someone else. For his competitors, it was because he was fair, neither dirty nor vindictive. The only time he was truly angry was in the 2006 MotoGP series when Pedrosa, his teammate, collided with him in Portugal and almost cost him World Championship, however he ended up securing his title in the following race. But, aside from that occasion in which even Gandhi would have been mad, Nicky still took it in his own way and once again started the only way he knew how: rolling up his sleeves, forgetting the past, and focusing on the present because the future can only be better. For sponsors, it was because he was one of those people that they refer to as positive personalities that do not mess around, they
communicate and aren’t fakes. They are a thousand faces in one: skater or actor, student or Rockstar. The types that are nice, easygoing and stay clear of drama. They are disenchanted, like the men that know themselves and life, are known to be. They are the ones that understand, in the end, it is best not to take anything too seriously. For photographers, again, it is enough to just look at his pictures to understand why they loved him. One day, on some track somewhere around the globe, he said that he considered himself the luckiest guy in the world because he got to do what he loved most in life. “You kno’, it doesn’t happen to everyone,” he said with a smile and a wink. Then, with a fist bump, he ended the word that true men are distinguished by “Thanks, man.” No, thank you, Nicky. See you around sooner or later. ⚫
ALESSANDRO PASINI
( 2 1 )
( 2 3 )
( 2 5 )
( 2 7 )
( 2 9 )
Nicky overtakes Marco or Marco overtakes Nicky, I’m not sure, I don’t remember, but honestly I don’t care. I only know that when I saw this picture, my heart skipped a beat...
( 3 1 )
USA
FLAT TRACK AMA PRO RACING
32
( 3 5 )
( 3 7 )
( 3 9 )
( 4 1 )
The American Flat Track Series, born under the name of AMA Grand National Championship, is an American series of motorcycle racing. Founded by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in 1954, it initially consisted of five different types of races including competitions on oval circuits on the dirt roads of one or half a mile in total. From this series of races, riders such as Kenny Roberts senior and Nicky Hayden arrived in Europe (and subsequently won the world title).
( 4 3 )
LEWIS HAMILTON
44
F R O M FAC E B O O K O F F I C I A L PAG E O F LEWIS HAMILTON “I miss racing everyday. This is the first time since I was 8 that I haven’t started a season. When you live and breath something you love, when it’s gone there’s definitely a big void. But there’s always positives to take from these times. Right now, we all have time in the world to reflect on life, our decisions, our goals, the people we have around us, our careers. Today, we see clearer skies all over
Post 27 April 2020 - 15:25 * original post in english
the world, less animals being slaughtered for our pleasure simply because our demands are much lower and everyone staying in. Let’s not come back the same as we went into this tough time, let’s come out of it with better knowledge of our world, changing our personal choices and habits. Let’s come out of this as a new us, a new reinvigorated you, fitter, healthier and more focused but above all, kinder, more generous and gracious and caring for our world and the people in it. I hope we all do.” *
LEWIS Photos of Bruno Silverii and Mirco Lazzari
( 4 9 )
( 5 1 )
( 5 3 )
( 5 5 )
( 5 7 )
LIGHT ART
58
( 5 9 )
( 6 1 )
( 6 3 )
( 6 5 )
USA
ROUTE 66 AN AMERICAN EMOTION part 1
66
FREE SPIRIT
10.892 PHOTO AFTER THE FIRST SELECTION
135.894 PHOTOS TAKEN
320 WORK HOURS AS OF APRIL 30, 2020
8
STATE CROSSED California, Arizona , Nuovo Messico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri e Illinois
18 TRAVEL DAYS (JULY AND AUGUST 2012)
5
PARTICIPANTS
1
CHEVROLET SUBURBAN
2448 MILES TRAVELED
ROUTE 66. AN AMERICAN EMOTION Yes, America is mentioned many times in this issue due to the various championships being suspended because of Covid-19. Therefore we had the opportunity to evolve a project that we had there, in our head, for a long time . Route66, an American emotion is the story in pictures of a dream, of that journey which symbolised freedom for several generations. A journey across the United States, from Santa Monica to Chicago, in which you taste the real America, away from the big cities, along roads with endless straights through panoramas that seem infinite. On several occasions we have had the opportunity to cover it in various stretches and once, in 2012, we went through it in a breeze. 18 days of travel, 2,448 miles and thousands of photos taken and remained to
date on hard drives, having not had the time to select them with calm and concentration so far. Now, after 35 days spent continuously on this project and about 320 hours of work, the first phase is over. 10892 photos, selected and developed from the raw format, are ready to be evaluated for future steps. Meanwhile, however, a first selection with images taken exclusively from the passenger compartment, through the window, is what we show you in this pages. In moments like these, where physical travel is not allowed, at least the mind is free to do so. ⚫
MIRCO L AZZARI
INAUG URAT ION November 11, 1926
⚫
⚫
PAV E M E NT C OM PLE TE D
1938
( 7 1 )
( 7 3 )
( 7 5 )
( 7 7 )
( 7 9 )
( 8 1 )
MOTOGP T H E FA R E W E L L WA LT Z
83
T H E FA R E W E L L WA LT Z
The etymology of the word “farewell” is very simple: (I recommend, I entrust myself) to God. That is, something bigger, clearly above the limits of us humans. It’s like looking into the ravines, rely on fate, “it is what it is”. The Mediaeval man bowed to the superior will with no history and it is no coincidence that the word “farewell” was added to our vocabulary at that time. Farewell has a penetrating charm, the instant that precedes it even more so. Saying goodbye for the last time to your loved one, your beloved bike. The last flash before living only the emptiness and the loss. The 2020 season was born under the sign of farewell, that of the most famous, most successful rider. That man who for more than twenty years, whatever he does, has been hitting the headlines on tv, newspapers and social media. Valentino Rossi, the man who hasn’t said anything about his farewell, but who conditioned lives and careers of others
with his “non-taking decision”. The domino effect that brought confirmation, engagements, anger, hopes and strategies in the management of manufacturers and riders is his fault. Because, in the end, everything turns around him. He, correctly, just took a few months to decide what to do in his future: run or not to run, whether to start a family or to carry on with the nomadic life. Then a virus stopped everything, even the word “goodbye”. We are all looking for a credible and viable future, for a way to start running again. Our brains are strained looking for new ideas and guidelines to be able to get back running, riding, designing, selling. Motorcycling has stopped for a while. He will perhaps resume with a magic word that nobody wants to hear or at best, we would like to postpone as far as possible: goodbye. ⚫ MARCO MASETTI
( 8 5 )
DOHA, QUATAR
DOHA THE PEARL
86
( 8 9 )
( 9 1 )
( 9 3 )
( 9 5 )
( 9 7 )
( 9 9 )
Editor Claudio Pavanello Art Director Mirco Lazzari Photographers Raffaella Gianolla Carlo Gambini Mauro Lazzari Mirco Lazzari Bruno Silverii Text of Alessandro Pasini Marco Masetti Translation in English Francesco TafĂ Archive and Iconographic Research Raffaella Gianolla Graphic Design Silvia Lannutti Post Production Mirco Lazzari
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including printing, photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at info@mircolazzari.com
M L- M A G A Z I N E .C O M MIRCOLAZZARI.COM