What would the young people of the French team be without their coach? Last month in Cartagena, the former Grand Prix driver, Alexis Masbou, supervised the three young French representatives in ETC (David Da Costa, Gabriel Pio and Enzo Bellon), as part of his retraining as a coach for the Federation Française de Moto (FFM). We took the opportunity to question him about his role within the structure, as well as the projects he has been carrying out on a personal level since his retirement from Moto3, after more than ten years of career.
Coach of all generations, and always a bit of a driver, Alexis Masbou has alternated between different hats since his retirement from high-level competition in Moto3, at the end of the 2016 season. The Frenchman now enjoys passing on his knowledge to younger people, in the goal of training the champions of tomorrow.
In Cartagena, we tried to better understand his job within the Federation, but also his ambitions. Without forgetting to ask questions about the deadlines concerning the future Tricolores in the world championship.
Hello Alexis Masbou, for those who don't know that you work for the Federation, describe to us what you have been doing there for four years now?
Since 2021, I have been one of the coaches in the speed sector. I mainly take care of the OGP collective (Objectif Grand Prix. Ed.), with the Pré-Moto3 and NSF pilots. I am also the coach of the French team, with three riders who are either in the European Talent Cup, or in Moto3 Junior. I have often been in this search for perfection. It’s a bit of continuity thanks to the federation. We are getting closer to the professionalism of other sports, with psychological and neurological preparation in particular. We are only at the beginning among young people on motorcycles.
Is it important for you to mentor the new generation?
Supervising, but above all passing on my experience, is something that I have enjoyed since a very young age. I already loved doing it when I was a pilot: talking technical, discussing, and trying to find the best solutions to go fast. So I created my school to transmit, and then the Federation contacted me in 2021 to help the young generation. Obviously, with my experience of small cars, I get along well. I often manage to guide them, whether in technique on the track, or with the technicians. The idea is to put them in the best possible conditions, so that they bring the best technical knowledge for the future.
Alexis Masbou with Enzo Bellon in Cartagena
Johann Zarco’s initiative is a great opportunity for them…
I don't have the exact date, but I think that since I arrived, Johann has sponsored, or at least wants to help, the project that the Federation has set up. As we said earlier, he is someone who also likes to share a lot. So whenever he can, like here in Cartagena, he shares the track with the young people. He tries to come at least once a year with the collectives to share his experience. Obviously, it is important for young drivers to have drivers like Johann Zarco as a reference. He shows them that it's not that simple. When you're at the start of your career, you often say to yourself that once you arrive in MotoGP, it's good. The job is done, we have the level. But Johann is the kind of driver who shows that this is not the case at all. When you're in MotoGP, you have to keep working. Others won't stop pushing you to your limits.
His advice is not limited to the science of piloting…
No, and this is the kind of message that I find important to send to young people. And it's more impactful when it comes from a rider who is still at the best of his career, at the highest level of the motorcycle world. It has even more value. It's almost more important than seeing him ride on the track. Remind them that in two or three years, they may be at the top level, but it will only be the beginning of their new career. We must always keep in mind that it never stops.
Does it galvanize them to feel supported by a MotoGP rider?
It galvanizes them, it stresses them. We can see here that as soon as there is Johann, they have a little higher expectation of themselves. They may be harsher on them, or at least they want to give the best impression possible.
When Johann speaks everyone is silent…
Exactly, and Johann likes to talk a lot (laughs). He takes time with them, and they listen. But this is the kind of speech I repeat to them all year, so they are prepared for it! I think we have a fairly similar view with Johann regarding all that. They are lucky that many drivers are involved in their careers. There are many people who want to help train this new generation. And I can say it, in four years, I have seen a lot of things fall into place, and the new generation of speed is being forged. Even if we don't yet see it at the very high level, there are drivers who are arriving.
Alexis Masbou and Johann Zarco in Cartagena
It’s not just young people who benefit from it, Johann Zarco too?
It's good for young people, but I think it's also good for Johann. He can chat with the young people around him, and that brings freshness. Valentino [Rossi] had done the same thing, putting more youth around him. It's important, because I see that with them, we work on things that I didn't work on at all in my time, in terms of driving. We are already shaping the future riding of Moto3 and MotoGP. I think it also inspires Johann to see what young people are inventing to outperform them. We see it with Acosta in MotoGP, he invents lots of new things.
Do you see yourself doing this for a long time?
I would like that. But the most interesting thing for me, after having done this for young people, would be to train other coaches. That others can take over. It's a cycle, like when I was in the Grand Prix. We have to prepare for the future, and it's always good to have youth. But hey, after that it works.
Last year, you promised a Grand Prix driver after three years…
It’s okay, I’m still on time (laughs). I'm not the only one to decide. But I think that in two or three years, we could see the first ones making the transition to the Grands Prix. They may even be there (In Cartagena. Editor’s note). Every year, we try to take them further and further.
See you tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. to discover the second part of our interview with Alexis Masbou, dedicated to the continuation of his journey in Endurance…
Alexis Masbou with the French team of the OGP collective
