SBK Czech | Page 54

EXCITING CONTENT
Executive Director ) left , I took charge of the circuit relationship as well , in terms of contractual situation , which is another part . Before I had only conversations with circuits related to all the improvements of the track , and now it becomes contractual thing with the circuits as well . Eva was the assistant to Dani on those terms . Once you enter in this other areas then your focus must be more wide open and that ’ s why each area has their own responsible and head of it , Eva for Circuits & all what involves , Francesco heading MKT & Commercial , Roser heading Media Dept , David heading the Organization Department and Olga heading all the Sporting area . All the areas work together for the implementation of a successful event and each of them has their own autonomy and their own working group . As said my background make me take some aspects more direct related and some other very little ” “ When you have the view of all the areas , it ’ s simpler to make decisions when you have all the information ,” said Lavilla . “ My efforts ( especially off races ) are more mainly focused on what is the championship ’ s future goals and what ’ s coming next , there are other areas here as well that deserve a mention and I work closely , Administration & Legal departments . During events I work as much as I can with riders & safety matters , FIM , Race Direction and whatever is needed during the event that I may need to interfere .” Hopefully for 2022 the range of tracks , the global footprint of WorldSBK will be back to a more pre-Covid normal . There are contracts in place , for example , for rounds that have had to be postponed . Remember the literal meaning of ‘ postponed ’. Not cancelled but put back to a date in the future . “ You know that we signed in 2017 a ten years contract with Australia , so we need to go to Australia hopefully next year in February ,” explained Lavilla . “ Then we have the international contracts , and we had to renew with Argentina . We are working on that . So , the idea is to go back to normality . On the table today , we have many options for the future but if you ’ re talking for ’ 22 I don ’ t see more overseas . If we go ‘ 23 , ’ 24 , it ’ s a different story because there are projects of circuits that maybe are going to be built and finished by that time .” One of the big bonuses for Dorna is that it is the rights holder for both WorldSBK and the MotoGP championship . That helped the overall mission last year , and of course WorldSBK has been a kind of ‘ pathfinder ’ for MotoGP in recent years , racing at great new facilities like Buriram in Thailand , as well as making its own way at an all-new track of Villicum circuit in Argentina . MotoGP and WorldSBK ’ s ‘ marriage ’ was a useful relationship last year too , “ Obviously , we made the start of our season first and it helped to make the situation , especially for Jerez start , but then we were having our own options .” Lavilla also stresses that WorldSBK and MotoGP are also independent of each other . “ We are a company and no one will have something if it doesn ’ t want . There is many circuits that MotoGP goes and we don ’ t go . So , I would not say one or the other or one because of the other . There are many things . It ’ s very complicated to define why this or not . We have certain independence , but obviously is my duty to inform where we are heading and sharing the information within the company . I ’ m feeling very comfortable on this scenario . I ’ m not worried about the reason why we race somewhere . I ’ m just worried about having the event .” The final question is the one maybe best put to those across the negotiation table From Lavilla . But after speaking to so many racetrack partners , maybe Lavilla has a best idea of all what any new circuit sees in WorldSBK ? He , after all , speaks to absolutely all of them , the ones who cannot have a round and the ones who can and do . So what ’ s the thing that attracts the racetracks to WorldSBK , specifically ?
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