Inside the life of an MXGP Mechanic: Luigi Rossini

Being a mechanic for a world class team or rider is not an easy task. These are the guys who put in hours upon hours of graft in order to spin the spanners for some of the top riders in the FIM Motocross World Championship.

Towards the end of the 2020 season, we sat down with several mechanics for the top teams in the paddock to learn more about their pre-race rituals, strategies, must-have tools and what a typical day for a mechanic looks like…

‘CIPPA’ aka LUIGI ROSSINI

IN 2020 MECHANIC FOR: Henry Jacobi, Team SM Action -M.C. Migliori – J1 Racing

IN 2021 MECHANIC FOR: Jeremy Seewer, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MXGP

NATIONALITY: Italian

WHAT ARE THE MUST HAVE ITEMS IN YOUR BACKPACK BEFORE TO TAKE TO THE LINE?

“No doubt, water. The riders always want to have a drink… After that I always take some paper to clean the goggles, the 8mm and 10mm t-wrench and some other basic tools to quickly fix something if needed”.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE OR MOST USED TOOL?

“The torque wrench, like this I’m sure that every part of the bike is ok”.

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE PREPERATION OF THE RACE TRUCK BEFORE THE START OF THE RACES?

“This is really important. I take care of this to be sure that I have everything that I need and don’t waste time looking for the spare parts. I prepare the track based on the track that we are going to, if it’s sand or hard pack; I also check the forecast to have an idea of what I’ll need when I’ll be onsite”.

YOU USE A LOT OF KEY WORDS ON THE PIT-BOARD, IS THERE A STRATEGY BEHIND THEM?

“The most important thing is to know the rider really well, the better feeling you have with the rider, the better you will know what the correct thing is to write and the good moment to help him. For example, for Henry it was his first year on the 450 and the first lap he usually rode breathless, so I just used to remind him to breathe and calm down. Another thing that is really important is to tell the rider about the sectors. Normally on Friday we do a track walk together and like this we know exactly where we need to improve or where he is making mistakes”.

WHAT IS YOUR ‘NORMAL DAY’ ROUTINE VS YOUR ‘RACE DAY’ ROUTINE?

“On race day, I start the day by checking the bike, but most of the job is done before in the factory where I built the bike. At the races I do only the basic things, like checking the clutch, the brakes and that everything is okay, in case the rider had a crash in the qualifying session or something”.

“On a normal day, the rhythm is quieter. I split the bike completely and change all the parts that need to be changed. I rebuild the engine and everything that is needed to have the bike ready for the next race. It is also important to prepare the bike based on the track, if it is sand or hard pack or whatever”.

BEING A MECHANIS IS MORE THAN JUST LOOKING AFTER THE BIKE. WOULD YOU AGREE THAT SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO ALSO SUPPORT YOUR RIDER FROM A PSYCHOLOGICAL SIDE?

“The psychological side is even more important than the mechanic side. Over the years I have understood that it is really important to know exactly what you have to say to the rider, which makes a difference. Only with years of experience you learn how important it is to say the right thing at the right moment. It is also really important to have a good feeling with your rider, not too much, as there must be a limit between the roles. When a rider makes a mistake, for example, it is important that you tell him that, even if you have to be tough about it”.

DID YOU HAVE ANY PRE-RACE RITUALS WITH HENRY?

“We didn’t do anything special, only when we are alone behind the gate, I always tried to give him good advice, to calm him down and tell him to get the best results that he can”.

In the latest issue of MXGP Magazine, we caught up with a few of the MXGP mechanics to learn more about what it takes to work with some of the best riders in the world! Read the full feature HERE.