Ever wondered what it’s like to be a MotoGP™ rider’s right-hand man inside the box? Well, this week’s Last On The Brakes MotoGP™ Podcast guest is exactly that to reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), and we learn a great deal about a crucial cog to a MotoGP™ team’s machine.
Frankie Carchedi, crew chief to Mir since 2019, sat down with hosts Matt Dunn and Fran Wyld at the Catalan Grand Prix to delve into plenty of topics, including the ins and outs of what a crew chief does.
“So we're quite fortunate in Suzuki that they give you full responsibility… with every aspect,” says Carchedi, who has experience across the motorcycle racing world in British Superbikes and WorldSBK, alongside MotoGP™. “Whether it's the planning of the weekend, the parts you use, the setup. They're there in all the meetings, they want to know what's going on. We try and do as much for them as well, on the development side suggestions.
“So we do have a, what I would say, is quite a high level of control, which can be quite dangerous! But they are so knowledgeable as well, you know, they participate, they can help you with the direction they have a lot of experience from testing in Japan. So, we work really well together. And as a crew chief, it’s… I'm sure that each one has slightly different roles, different things they do.
“I mean, we have a big say on the electronics, the chassis… I was fortunate, I've worked on both, so I have a quite high knowledge. And like you say, there's also the psychological, you know, sometimes I think, wow, if I’d done a degree in psychology, I’d have been in good stead! So I would say every race, every session, every evening is a different aspect. You might go somewhere and it’s… you're working constantly on the chassis because you're struggling. There may be an evening and you turn into this psychology guy, and you know, maybe they're struggling. You figure it out and work on them. And vice versa.”
To listen to the full episode of Last On The Brakes with Carchedi, then head over to your favoured Podcast streaming platform and get on it!