Interview With Berthold Hauser, BMW Motorrad

Berthold Hauser, BMW

Munich/Stephanskirchen, 12th May 2010. With BMW Motorrad
Motorsport fresh from recording its first podium finish in the FIM
Superbike World Championship, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
Berthold Hauser weighs up the performance of the team and riders
Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus.

Berthold Hauser, the race weekend at Monza was the most
successful in the still short history of BMW Motorrad Motorsport in
the Superbike World Championship. How would you sum up the team's
latest showing?

Berthold Hauser:"This very positive result is deserved reward
for all our hard work over the past few weeks. It's just a good
feeling to finally get our first podium. We've all greatly enjoyed
the moment. It's even surprised us slightly that we've managed to
get this far this quickly. However, we're also aware that we're not
one of the top teams yet. We still need to develop the necessary
consistency to finish on the podium on merit on a regular basis.
We're certainly not about to start taking it easy; instead, we'll
continue to work purposefully and rigorously to ensure we get back
onto the podium as soon as possible. We're racers and are only
satisfied when we're performing well enough to be consistently in
with a shout of victory."

What are the reasons for the team's upward trajectory?

Berthold Hauser:"We see the last year as a year of development.
We had to build up the team's structures, and processes and
workflows had to bed themselves in. We went into our first season
on the grid with no experience from the circuits and still without
a test crew.

The situation this year looks rather different. We've been able
to build on proven practices and data and have got into the groove
of working together; we've made our team structure and processes at
the circuits much more professional. Our technical department is
doing an outstanding job; the BMW S 1000 RR is a much better
machine than a year ago in terms of chassis, engine and
electronics. And the riders are really motivated in what they're
doing."

On the subject of the riders: Troy Corser has made a convincing
impression since the start of the season with a string of good
results. How would you rate his performances?

Berthold Hauser:"Troy has done a great job from day one this
season. He's impressing us every weekend at the moment with the way
he's riding, and he's very professional and single-minded in his
work. I'm happy with his fitness level - although of course there's
always potential for improvement with every rider."

Ruben Xaus has endured his fair share or criticism at times this
season. How do you see his performances up to now?

Berthold Hauser:"Ruben had a lot of bad luck at the start of the
season. We knew that it wouldn't make sense to start putting
pressure on him - Ruben is a consummate professional and has been
his own biggest critic. After the race at Phillip Island, Davide
Tardozzi, in particular, focused on building up Ruben's confidence
again. And the results have been impressive over the last two race
weekends. Ruben has shown that he's back on track, and posted his
best result so far for the team at Monza. I was personally very
disappointed that he was unable to finish the second race after
becoming the innocent victim of an accident at the start before the
first chicane."

How has Davide Tardozzi fitted into the team?

Berthold Hauser:"Davide looks after team management and
operational control for the team at the race tracks. He calls the
shots in the pits - in terms of how the team is working, but also
when it comes to tactical decisions with a direct influence on
performance. His many years of experience in motor sport make him
an invaluable asset for the team.

The structure of the team presented in January ensures that we
are set up well for the future. Team management and team
organisation are important roles within the team, and Davide is
doing an outstanding job in both these areas. At the same time,
this reshuffle has given Rainer Bäumel the chance to focus on
the core areas of Overall Project Management and
Engineering."