 
Interview Alexandre KOWALSKI
"EnduroGP must evolve!"
Director of Enduro and Rallying at Yamaha Europe, Alexandre KOWALSKI was
one of the key players who witnessed the changes to the format of the FIM
Maxxis EnduroGP World Championship, which began in 2016. And now, with the
first season of the latest EnduroGP format just around the corner, the
French manager gives us his view of the discipline and, of course, of his
official Yamaha teams...
Hello Alexandre, how do you look back on last season?
Alexandre KOWALSKI: "For Yamaha, 2016 was a building year. We had been
absent from Enduro in an official capacity for quite some time, and it was
important for us to come back and be a key player in EnduroGP. The arrivals
of new products like the Yamaha WR450F have come into play. It also allowed
us to help some teams and to be present in almost all categories; we had
bikes running in Junior, E2, E1 and of course in EnduroGP... "
What are your goals for 2017?
A.K: "We have had good results last season with EnduroGP podiums and
category wins. So 2017 is a year of strengthening. With this new format of
categories, we will remain focused on the Enduro 2 and the EnduroGP classes.
But I also do not want to overlook the Junior category, where will be
supporting Mikael PERSSON (S). In 2016, we finished 3rd in E2 with Loïc (LARRIEU),
so the objective this year is to be one or two steps higher! It will be
necessary to regularly chase podiums, run at the top and be among the best.
We want the same in Enduro 2... Despite an injury during last season, Jamie
MCCANNEY was up the front in E1. Now we see that he is fully recovered,
driven, and ready for a new season. We may only have three riders, but these
are three strong riders who will perform at the highest level in each
category... "
Jamie MCCANNEY (GB) - Pic: Future7Media
"Key contenders in each category… "
For a while there were talks of you being linked with a 'big fish',
but in the end it didn't happen…
A.K: "Things were almost done and dusted. But there was a personal
problem that prevented this "big fish" from coming. But we are not
disappointed. Today, I think we just have to look ahead. It would have been
nice to have him with us, for Yamaha and for EnduroGP; it would have brought
a lot of freshness. But this is how it is; we look to the future, prepare
for the season that is fast approaching and stay focused on our goals. At
Yamaha we really want to have a family atmosphere, that's why I wanted to
bring together the Outsiders team and the Johansson team during this press
conference with Yamaha Europe. This team spirit will allow our riders to
stay focused on their goals... "
Are you aiming for the title in all three categories?
A.K: "Today, we are competing to drive the motorcycle market. We
are here to promote an image of performance and results and especially to
bring the best show to the customers and the spectators. So of course, when
you compete at this level, it's to win and it's not to finish second or
third... but I do not want to put pressure on the teams. I also think that
there are titles that are won or lost in a beautiful way: we saw it again in
Le Touquet this year with a fight between two champions who respected each
other. When we take to the start line it is to go to win titles, but what it
is really important is that the season is a brilliant one and that Yamaha is
truly viewed as a leader of the market and of the Championship! "
In regard to the season opener in Finland, how will you
prepare?
A.K: « Yes, it's all planned! This year is special with this opening
round in the snow; it will be something completely new. The format will also
be new since the special tests will all be different and it will not be
possible for the riders to walk them or check them beforehand. It's almost
like a little revolution for Enduro! We know that Enduro has a very
traditional, very conservative spirit, and I think it will be good to bring
this new style of event into the mix. It does not make it easier for us
because it requires additional investment, a lot of travelling and different
preparations to the other races, but I think that in order to perpetuate and
strengthen a championship such as EnduroGP, it must continue to evolve. The
two new categories that will arrive this year will also bring a freshness,
and this year we will truly have two Enduro World Champions. Having
different race formats is also going to make a lot of difference overall. On
the Yamaha side of things, we have the Johansson team, who are Swedish and
thanks to our team cohesion, as soon as Joakim (JOHANSSON) knew that we were
riding in Finland, he immediately invited us to train and prepare at his
home »
Mikael PERSSON (S) - Pic: Future7Media
"Social Media has changed the industry… "
Are you going to do the same for the British GP?
A.K: "Great Britain is another different format since there will be
an Enduro Sprint on Saturday and a GNCC on Sunday. There will be specific
training necessary, but we will not go there specifically to prepare. We
must go to Finland because there will be snow and ice so we will have to
ride with studded tires, heated grips... and there is a lot of logistical
matters to be put in place "
As a Yamaha spokesman, were you in favour of the new
categories and new racing formats?
A.K: "Twenty years ago, Enduro was very traditional. We must always
take into account the past in order to see what has been built, but we must
also live in the present moment and project ourselves into the future. We
see changes happening in all disciplines and all sports. Mechanical sports
are evolving; be it in Rally, Enduro or Motocross. There is an evolution
among the spectators, and above all, the transmission of images. Social
networks and social media have shaken up our business in terms of
communication and image. So I think that today it is necessary to evolve and
change with the times. We may make mistakes, but in any case, we must try
new things because until now, Enduro was too conservative and under the
radar. It is good to bring freshness and new ideas to open it up to the
public more. It is important that people perceive the sport in a much
simpler way. When you have ten categories and therefore ten plates with
different colours, you cannot tell the difference... we could be at regional
or national level. It is difficult to say it, because we would like to
reward the maximum number of people for their achievements, but in
high-level sport, there is only one winner, one champion; whether in
running, tennis, sailing or soccer. It was important to simplify the
visibility of the Championship and to have one or two Champions, like we
have in MotoGP for example! "
Alexandre KOWALSKI in Finland in 2016 with Marc BOURGEOIS and Loïc LARRIEU
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