They fly in and vanish in seconds. The shutter speeds of our cameras can’t keep up with the mad pace of their slick bikes. “How fast they move!”, “Look at them fly!”, “Stay still for a second!”, people exclaim, amidst the ear-splitting sound of their revving engines.
At the media paddock in Sepang Racing Circuit, Malaysia, journalists from around the world have gathered to witness the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix 2015, an international premium motorcycle championship that visits 14 countries. The penultimate round is being held in Malaysia.
Outside, the sun beats down on the spectators, who frantically wave handheld fans. A few of them scoot out to grab a mug of beer from the stalls. The parents shoot angry glances at kids who want to sneak out to the burger-and-fries stalls. The stadium is abuzz with slogans cheering the local riders, participating in the Moto3 race in the 125 cc category, preceding MotoGP. “Motorcycle racing is catching up in the city now,” says Zulfahmi Khairuddin, a young rider and leader of the Drive M7 SIC team, a racing team owned by Sepang International Circuit (SIC) to nurture Malaysian talents. Zulfahmi, who started biking when he was 15, holds the record as the fastest Southeast Asian rider in the Moto3 TM category. “We are undertaking more training sessions to encourage youngsters. The more the riders, the better the racing scene. We are blessed with a lot of sponsors and local home supporters,” he says.
“Rossi is a legend”, “No one can beat Rossi”; Valentino Rossi fans, wearing yellow and red hair wigs and T-shirts, chorus. However, Christine Jacques and Bridget Beamish from Australia, beg to differ. “We love Marc Marquez. Because he is so cute!” croons Christine. The girls have come mainly because of their bike-crazy husbands. “Of course, Rossi is a legend. But we have our own set of local riders, who have many fans in Australia,” Bridget smiles.
By afternoon, an unusual calm sets in, as the crowd waits with bated breath for the MotoGP to begin. The big guys stride onto the race track and mount their stylish bikes, as the crowd applauds. But No.46, the rider on the Yamaha YZR MI, gets the loudest welcome; Valentino Rossi, nine-time world champion from Urbino, Italy, zooms past us, as we crane our necks to catch a glimpse of the star sportsman.
Men with children on their shoulders shout out as the racers whiz past. There are fans perching on the railings. The race kick-starts soon after a round of test-driving by the racers.
The file of motorcyclists snakes through the circuit; Dani Pedrosa leads, followed by Jorge Lorenzo, and the third and fourth places retained by Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez, respectively. All eyes are on Marquez and Rossi, who are now so close to each other that their shoulders almost rub against one another.
It looks like they will collide at any moment! The game picks up steam when a visibly agitated Rossi swerves his bike, speeds up and overtakes Marquez. But, in a few minutes, Marquez again closes in on him, and what happens next is unbelievable. On lap seven, Marquez inches close to Rossi, and wham! Marquez has fallen off the track, but hold on, Rossi’s foot is seen hanging loose from the bike. Has he unseated his younger competitor from the track?
Even the die-hard Rossi fans are let down. We do not know if the camera has played tricks with our eyes or if Rossi has actually committed a foul. “Wasn’t it obvious?” asks Javed Ahmed, a fan. “It was unfair on Marquez. Rossi ought to be penalised.”
“We all saw it. He kicked him! He has actually eliminated competition. It could be intentional or unintentional. But he has secured his lead in the race,” says Ryan Christopher Songalia, a sportswriter for Rappler, a news website.
The voices of Rossi fans have grown feeble, but they have not given up on their star. “I prefer Rossi a little too much to hate him,” laughs Azahrim Abusaim, a young government officer from Malaysia. “Rossi might be old-school, but he is always consistent. I have been following him since his first race. He has one more race left. He still has chances to lift the trophy!”
But, despite all this, the scene is still chirpy. There is excitement when we get to know that the local Malaysian riders have agreed to give us an interview. The tour operators lead their respective groups to the track to meet the team. The girls, who are volunteering at our paddock, rush out to click selfies with them. For a moment, their attention has shifted from the Rossis and Marquezes to their home-grown local heroes!
The final round of MotoGP will be held at Valencia, Spain this Sunday.
(The writer was at the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix 2015 at the Sepang Racing circuit on the invitation of Tourism Malaysia.)
