PETER SCHORER: ORGANISING THE TT MEANS RESPECTING TRADITION WHILE LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE

The Dutch GP is arguably one of the most important events on the Moto GP calendar, which is exactly why Motul wants to be the title sponsor. But how rich is the history of this event, and what do you do to live up to that tradition? Only one man can answer that question: Press officer & Manager Communication and Media Peter Schorer.

 

 

Peter, how rich is the history of the Dutch GP exactly?

 

The Dutch GP has so much history that it’s a unique event on the calendar. The TT started in 1925 and has run every year since then, with the exception of the years during the second world war. It’s been on the world championship calendar since 1949. It’s the oldest event on the calendar by some margin.

 

How do you handle an event with that much history? The pressure must be tremendous.

 

In Holland we have a saying: ‘You have to know where you’re coming from to know where you’re going’. I’ve been working on this event for 11 years and you just have to take pride in all that history and respect it, but never become dependent on it. Assen has always been a Grand Prix that was always looking ahead, so we want to follow this simple rule: look forward to the future while respecting the history and tradition, but without getting stuck in the past. That’s why we are continuously investing in the track to keep it a state-of-the-art facility.

 

 

 

When you’re organising an event like this, where do you even start?

 

Well, after the last race, we start the very next day. We look at all the info and analyse what went well and where the challenges were, and we try to find solutions. I also visit five to six GPs to talk with partners and teams to listen to their feedback and take all that into account. The great thing is that all the fans who bought a grandstand ticket this year can already order the same ticket today, so we keep in touch with the fans.

 

What’s the biggest challenge?

 

There are so many challenges. whether it’s logistics, traffic flow, ticket sales, catering, IT. There are so many variables and fitting all the pieces of the jigsaw together is the biggest challenge of all. It’s an enormous task and a lot of people work on it, but when we manage it, it’s the best feeling in the world. 

 

 

 

In your eleven years organising this GP, is there one event that tops them all?

 

One of my favourites was about three years ago when I worked with Motul and Romain Grabowski to organise the first Motul Superfan event, and I’m not saying that just because I’m talking to you, but for me that was the start of something incredible and I’m amazed at how much it has grown three years later. On a competitive level, one of my favourites has to be last year because Valentino Rossi won his only GP of the season here in Assen, which made it so special.