THEWhat was Paolo Bonora’s secret to getting this far?
A lot of passion, a lot of study and a bit of gambling. My dad had an electrician’s shop and I grew up constantly putting my hands into engines. The passion has always been there, then came the study: the faculty of engineering specializing in IT and automation.
And Aprilia?
Right away. And here comes the gambling part. Because I did my degree thesis with Aprilia. There was a tender from Aprilia, which has always collaborated with universities and in particular with that of Padua, which concerned software for the production of high-performance camshaft profiles. It was a somewhat extravagant proposal to make to a faculty specializing in IT and automation, but since I was already passionate about these things, I didn’t miss the opportunity and I grabbed it immediately. What I worked on for my thesis was also produced and for me it was an enormous satisfaction, something similar to when our drivers win now.
You seem to be completely in love with Aprilia…
I am. And I’m not saying this out of circumstance. This is not just a company, it is truly a family. I believe that even in racing it is clear that the human aspect counts here and that there is a strong sense of belonging. I said it: my story began with Aprilia and is continuing with Aprilia, I have been working with Noale in various roles since 2002. It’s a reality that I like, but I see that it’s a reality that many like because it is made up of people before drivers, mechanics, technicians or any other role.
And what would you say to a young engineer, or even a young mechanic who would like to try to get to MotoGP?
That we must first of all study. And then don’t be afraid to try. Motorcycle racing is not a distant world and opportunities are always there for everyone. Then it is clear that there are paths to follow. As regards the mechanics, for example, we have teams that we keep an eye on in the national championships and perhaps some young mechanic who is reported to us ends up in our orbit and, after the various steps, comes to us. The same thing, in some way, applies to technicians. We have collaborations with universities, but, I’ll throw it out there, we also read emails and therefore if someone feels they are worthy and wants to propose themselves we are not closed to taking new profiles into consideration. Also in this case there are paths, perhaps internships, entry into the test team or in any case more or less long periods in which one evaluates and then MotoGP arrives, which is the best for someone who is a rider and who is clearly the best for any other role.
