Tommy Hill: ‘We needed our first crash’

Former MCE British Superbike champion and new Be Wiser Kawasaki team boss Tommy Hill has admitted that the team needed their first crash to help cement his new squad of mechanics and riders together. That crash came in the form of a tip-off from Chris Walker at the squad’s recent Cartagena test.

Walking away uninjured from the crash, Walker’s team were then forced to repair the bike in time for the following session – but new boss Hill says it was a vital part of their team building process.

“Believe it or not – and I’m probably going to be the first team boss in history to say it – but we needed the crash! Especially with the one-bike BSB rules; the commentators and press always say the pressure gets to the rider, but sometimes it gets to the team too.

“So something like that crash wasn’t a bad thing. Chris got the bike back, it was damaged down one side, and it gave the team a chance to understand what it’s like to prepare the bike for the next session under a bit of pressure.

“A test from my point of view used to be about the rider on track, but now I see it’s about the whole team. The rider needs to feel confident with the team, and having them get a crashed bike back out on track gives the rider that confidence. We needed that roleplay to help with the team bonding!”