Camier talks about his struggle to stop racing and new goals
Beaten-up rider hangs up his leathers to become HRC team boss in WSB
There’s good news and bad news. The bad news? Leon Camier’s riding career is over. The good news? The 2009 British Superbike champion and nine-time World Superbike podium man has been handed the opportunity of a lifetime by HRC to be team manager of the official WSB squad.
And as the 34-year-old lists his catalogue of injuries to MCN, is it any wonder he has called time on racing?
“In 2018 on the Honda, I crashed at Aragon and was run over by Jordi Torres,” Camier begins. “I broke six ribs, damaged my left shoulder and had a load of lung damage. Then I crashed at the Suzuka test and broke my back. In 2019 in Thailand, Warokorn crashed, I hit him and broke my fibula. At Imola, Cortese crashed; I hit his bike and broke all the ligaments in my AC joint. In November 2019, I crashed the Barni Ducati while testing in Aragon. I broke the shoulder – which already had a false ligament – and badly tore tendons in the arm. I also broke my scaphoid!
“There’s a trapped nerve behind a broken shoulder bone. For two years straight I’ve had two to four hours’ sleep each night. For my wife, Sara, and two-year-old son, I’ve not been a nice person to be around. It’s not fair on them. I don’t want to feel like that anymore. You think, ‘Why am I doing it? Will I reach my dream?’ I reluctantly decided that I won’t. Racing is an obsession I’ve had since I was six… everything you do is focused on being the best. To stop is the hardest decision.”
Just as he thought his luck was out, a phone call changed Camier’s life. For once, he had a break which didn’t involve a snapped bone…
“Back in November, the phone rang. Alberto [Puig – HRC MotoGP team boss] called me at about 10.30 at night. He asked how I was and if I was interested in a job. I took two days to think and decided to go ahead with a phenomenal opportunity.” Camier has gone from handlebars to keyboard.
His job is to ensure smooth communication between HRC’s Japanese technicians in Tokyo and the European base near Barcelona. He already knows the staff from his previous Honda stint and he’s working directly alongside co-ordinator Jordi Arquer, who was previously Team Manager with the Estrella Galicia Moto3 team.
“I’m liking it!” he laughs. “HRC has a lot of strict and professional procedures; you can’t just bolt a part on the bike and try it. They’re serious about getting the job done. MotoGP, Dakar, World Superbike… you name it, we win it.
“We’re testing early to be absolutely sure which direction is best. The most important thing is understanding the tyres. You build your bike around that: geometry, engine and electronics. Once you become competitive, as tyres progress your development changes with it… the hard thing is getting to that level in the first place. Pirelli tyres have massively improved the last few years. Much better front feeling means more consistency, allowing riders to give much better feedback. Also, because the tyre is more consistent, that allows electronics to move forward quicker.”
And as a result of the new opportunity, Camier is no longer down in the doldrums. He’s a complete new man.
“I can add to this project straight away,” he confidently states. “The team is new, the bike is new, there’s a lot to improve and it all takes time, but I’m confident we can make some gains. HRC are here to win.”