Although apparently it may seem like one of many, for those who have lived in the MotoGP paddock for many years, the absence of one of the most loved, admired and respected people on the circuits was strongly felt in the Aragon Grand Prix: Ramon Forcada, who after more than three decades without missing a race weekend, he was not present at Motorland.
With the announcement of retirement before Andrea Dovizioso’s season ended, the career of the Spanish coach is over at the moment, who at 65 is undecided between retirement or some of the offers that are coming to him to continue in 2023.
“It should be something very interesting, something new that motivates me”, assured Forcada, when the author of these lines asked him at Misano if he wanted to continue to remain in business. Whether he stays in the paddock or not, the San Marino Grand Prix was his last at the highest level, as a track engineer for a top rider, the last of many who worked with him.
Forcada, who made his debut in 1989 with Alex Crivillé in the 125cc world championship, has worked with many very good riders in his over thirty years. We are talking about riders of the caliber of John Kocinski, Alex Barros, Carlos Checa, Casey Stoner or Jorge Lorenzo, with whom he was from 2008 to 2016 in Yamaha. There he won three MotoGP world titles, as well as 44 victories in the premier class. In his last career stage, Forcada was in the pits of Maverick Vinales, Franco Morbidelli and Andrea Dovizioso.
Jorge Lorenzo, Yamaha Factory Racing and Ramo Forcada
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
In addition to his palmarès, motorsport.com spoke to some of the world champions who worked with him to understand what the Spanish coach is like and what he has meant in their respective careers. “For me, Ramon is a very intelligent person, with a lot of character and personality, in terms of suspension for me he is the best,” said Jorge Lorenzo speaking of Forcada.
“He was also a person who had a lot of resources, having a lot of experience and intelligence, he always found a solution for everything. Sometimes too much, I remember that on some occasions I exposed him a problem and he tried to change the bike. In some moments we had to sit down and stop this dynamic a bit. But in general, and especially in terms of suspension, he is one of the best Spanish technicians in history, ”recalled the five-time world champion.
Another world champion, in this case in Moto2, who passed through the hands of Forcada is the Italian Franco Morbidelli, who together with the Catalan, in 2020, obtained second place in MotoGP with a Yamaha out of production. “Ramon, in my opinion, was the best technical director in history, a very important character for this paddock, who can teach a lot to many people,” said Morbidelli.
“The truth is that I feel very bad about the possibility of not seeing him here again. Besides being a great technician, he is an excellent person and I have always enjoyed working with him. If I don’t see him in the paddock again it will be one thing. which I will not like at all, “he added.
Forcada, Franco Morbidelli, Petronas Yamaha SRT
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
By decision of Yamaha, when Morbielli passed from the satellite team to the factory team last year, the two separated. Since then the Italian has not been able to get back on his feet, which however did not push him to try to get him back: “No, the story with Ramon is over. It was very beautiful, but it ended ”.
Maverick Viñales joined Yamaha in 2017 to replace Lorenzo, inheriting much of his technical team. The current Aprilia rider, Moto3 champion in 2013, won his debut race, in Qatar, on the M1, second and fifth, leading the world championship. However, things went badly for Mack and Ramon and, although they managed to take third place in the championship in 2018, they ended up separated and with Forcada in the Petronas satellite team, now RNF.
“I talked to him at Misano and personally I believe and hope that he will not leave yet, that next year he will be offered something nice to continue working here. For me Ramón is one of the three best technicians in the paddock,” he said Viñales. “In the time I spent with Ramón I learned a lot, especially about setup, he explained the details of the bike very well, he made me understand how the Yamaha worked. I think Ramon can be very important for those who are starting out, a young rider. with a certain projection, “he recommends.
“There were three or four circuits where Ramon was able to do something with the setup and the bike was spectacular, I don’t know what was incredible about it. At Le Mans, I remember him telling me not to worry, he would take care of the adjustments. and that we were going like a plane. Ramon knows a lot, he has a lot of experience “, admits the Spaniard, who, despite the fact that professionally the relationship with Forcada did not end well,” personally we have always had a good relationship “.
Race winner Maverick Viñales, Yamaha Factory Racing, Ramon Forcada, Yamaha Factory Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Another World Champion, in this case in SBK, is Carlos Checa. Spagolo worked with Forcada in 1995, and curiously ended his career always with him at the LCR, in 2007, the year he replaced Casey Stoner in the Honda satellite team, and the season before Dani Amatriain hired him for join Lorenzo at Yamaha.
“I had a very special relationship with Ramon, when I started the World Championship in 1994 I already knew him and the following year, when I moved to the Sito Pons 250cc team, I was already with him. The working relationship also continued. when I switched to 500cc for another two seasons, and the great thing is that in my last year in MotoGP (2007), with Lucio Cecchinello, I was with him again, just what made me accept the offer is that there is it was Ramón and an excellent group of mechanics, whom I knew, “Checa explains his relationship with Forcada.
“When he started, Ramon was very closed technically, but he was able to evolve and work a lot. In the last year I saw a technician who knew how to work perfectly with the rider. Ramón knew very well how to channel the emotions and sensations of the riders to interpret them and apply them to the technical section. And this is crucial for an engineer, because this is a very technological sport, but also a very emotional one, and the ability to blend both aspects is what makes Ramon special, “said Checa.
“One of Ramon’s best features is that he was able to understand the pilot, motivate him, accompany him and always remain rigorous and rigid in his method, without making changes to please the pilot. He has always been able to keep the line of work and this made him a very successful technician. “
“Ramon will miss the paddock a lot. He is a person with whom you can talk about everything and any period on a technical level, with enormous knowledge. Forcada, without a doubt, is one of the great sages in the world of motorcycling,” said the current television commentator.
Carlos Checa
Photo by: Team LCR
#MotoGP #Forcada #eyes #champions