The 24 Heures Motos start this Saturday April 16 on the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans. A marked 2022 edition in particular by the return of the public, after two years behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 epidemic. During the weekend, 70,000 people are expected in the stands.
Sébastien Poirier, the president of the French Motorcycling Federation, was the guest on Friday morning of France Bleu Maine. He is delighted to see the spectators return: “We have had two extraordinarily disturbing years for motorsport. We have found ourselves in demonstrations behind closed doors which goes against what we want to offer”, he believes. “These last two editions were organized without spectators, and it was heartbreaking. I believe that this weekend the biker community will finally be able to meet again.”
Motorcycling, a popular discipline?
Sébastien Poirier’s predecessor, Jacques Bolle, believed that motorsports were the underdogs of French sport, an analysis that the current president does not necessarily share of the federation: “There is a section of the population that does not like motorcycling, in my opinion out of ignorance. Fabio Quartararo’s title in the premier category, in speed, has made it possible to offer a sounding board to this discipline and I believe that his title contributes to improving the image of the bike.”
Motorcycling is a very popular sport, we will see it again this weekend. I believe that there is a very large majority of French people who love motorcycling, who support it and are passionate about mechanical sports. – Sebastien Poirier
But in the age of global warmingdo motorsports still make sense? “Yes, replies Sébastien Poirier without hesitation, motorsports have always been a laboratory. From a carbon impact point of view, we are totally anecdotal, we have no impact on global warming. But we are symptomatic of a practice that uses fossil fuels.”
We are fully aware that there are climate and societal issues. And then I consider that there are a lot of technologies to be developed: biofuels, synthetic energies. I think motorsport should be that place where you can experience a number of things. – Sebastien Poirier