Between the Races: F1 Racer Vitantonio Liuzzi
From: www.roadracerx.com
By CJ
(15/11/2006)

When he tried out the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One car two weeks ago on the Valencia circuit, John Hopkins must have felt some pressure, but the guy who was really on the spot was Vitantonio Liuzzi. The Italian F1 driver was driving a MotoGP bike for the very first time, but he comported himself well on Hopper’s Rizla Suzuki GSV-R. We spoke with him by phone last week.

RRX: Did you follow motorcycles and motorcycle racing before?
Vitantonio Liuzzi: I’m a big fan motorcycles. It’s a world that always fascinated me, since I was small. I didn’t do anything on bikes because it’s a sport that sometimes parents have trouble accepting, as it’s a bit more dangerous than cars. They never gave me permission, but I was always a big fan. I follow the MotoGP series because I like it a lot?

RRX: Do you have a bike?
VL: Yes, I have a Buell. I got it a month ago.

RRX: Is the seat swap at Valencia something you’ve always wanted to do?
VL: Yes, for a long time I’ve asked Red Bull to organize something like this, because like I said, I’m a big fan. Even though I don’t ride bikes much, I still wanted to try an experience like this. Last year we were close to doing it, but unfortunately, I think John broke a leg at Sachsenring, so we weren’t able to do it.

RRX: In the days leading up, and that morning, were you a little nervous?
VL: No, I was very excited because I couldn’t wait to get on the bike. Up until a half-hour before, I was completely tranquil, and then when it became time to get on the bike, I began to be a little nervous, because I didn’t want to crash or mess up.

RRX: Did you know John before?
VL: Just a little, because I’d seen him at a couple of MotoGP races. So we’d met, but we didn’t know each other well. Now that we know each other better, I’ve seen that he’s really a nice guy; he’s fun—really a great guy. He’s crazy.

RRX: How did the experience go?
VL: For me, it was an orgasm! I really had a great time because bikes can do incredible things. The bike had so much power, and it was hard to keep the front end on the ground on the straights, even in fifth and sixth gear. Also, the really cool part was seeing close-up John on his bike, because we did two or three laps with me behind him in my Formula One car, only about two or three meters behind. Two or three laps, seen from that close behind a great rider, is really something that makes you dream.

RRX: Would you like to try it again?
VL: Yes, for sure. The first thing John and I did when we finished at the end of the day was ask, “So when do we get to try this again?” We heard that it might happen again in the future, and we were very happy, because we both liked it a lot. I really do hope we get to try it again.

RRX: How did John go in the car?
VL: John went really well in my opinion, because the problem is that we didn’t really get to do a real test. We got in the car and on the bike, and they said, “Okay, you have three stints of five laps.” We didn’t have a lot of time and laps at our disposition. John had a few troubles in the beginning, but that’s normal, because Formula One cars aren’t easy to get used to and to drive at first. In fact, he had some trouble keeping heat in the tires at first. I think it was easier for me at first, because with two wheels, you start off more mellow, because if you make a mistake, you crash. In the car, he pushed hard right away, but he didn’t immediately understand the right way to do it. Afterward seven or eight laps, though, he understood how to drive a Formula One car and he went really, really well.

RRX: Anything you'd like to add?
VL: Just that it was one of my best experiences ever, because I was really surprised by John and what a great guy he is.