I've taken it step by step, and now I'm very happy with my post as team manager of the Repsol Honda Team, though I don't think it's my definitive goal. I don't have any goals, I just want to improve. In the past, all the team managers were engineers, but I come from a mechanic's background. I want to show all the young mechanics, and the rest, that a mechanic can make it to team manager if they are ambitious and work hard enough.
Q:
You have worked in many different areas of the team, and I suppose that gives you a much broader view of the team as a whole. Does that make your job easier?
Kazuhiko Yamano:
Thanks to my experience as a mechanic, I know how the mechanics feel, even the riders, because the relationship is very close. Even more so when you're the chief mechanic. Therefore, now I can understand all points of view within a team; what they are feeling, how they face problems, how to have a good relationship with the riders...
Q:
You have worked with a number of different riders. Who impressed you the most?
Kazuhiko Yamano:
I think that, to date, Mick Doohan impressed me the most, because after the serious accident he had in 1992, and the complicated injury, he recovered and won the championship on five occasions. His motivation was incredible, and he showed me that the important thing is to be highly motivated in order to win the world championship. His fighting spirit also impressed me a lot.
Q:
Despite a difficult pre-season, HRC's hard work was rewarded when Pedrosa finished a shock third in the Qatar season opener, won next time out at
Jerez and is now leading the championship. Team-mate
Nicky Hayden has also shown podium potential. How large a role in the team's early season success do you feel you have played?
Kazuhiko Yamano:
It's not only me who did all the hard work. As team manager, I did what was expected of me. There are many people within the HRC and we have to let everyone who is part of this company know what the actual situation of the team is, the complaints made by the riders, etc. Not just an approximate description, but a clear idea of what is needed. I just did my job, which happens to be that of team manager, but at the time everyone did what was expected of them.
Q:
Last year, the RC212V initially struggled against its rivals before enjoying a strong end to the season. A pneumatic-valve engine was planned for 2008, but is yet to be raced. What do you think of the current bike?
Kazuhiko Yamano:
Last year the rules changed and displacement was limited to 800cc. We'd made a new bike, and we didn't want to start all over again this year. So we made use of the work done until then to develop the bike, without any major changes. When I'm asked 'can the championship be won in this situation', I think it's a tricky question to answer. We have to try out new things, and that takes time; and though we're aware that the riders are expecting these developments, we're still carrying out tests.
Q:
What is your opinion on your riders,
Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden?
Kazuhiko Yamano:
Both riders are very strong mentally and are very talented, though with different characters, which we try to make the most of in both cases. I've learnt a lot from Dani, as he knows who to seize the chance in any particular situation. He's a very intelligent rider. Nicky is very aggressive, and thanks to his team's motivation and his own passion for the team, he also does some very valuable work.
