We’ve all missed the pan-Asian and intercontinental racing over the past two years with the COVID-19 pandemic but beyond missing it, and understanding the overview of the issues in hand, commentary about the situation on the ground in Asia has perhaps been under-reported.
The DSC Editor caught up with one man that has had significant experience of the realities of living with and negotiating that situation.
Alexandre Imperatori lives with his young family in Shanghai and has been travelling to Europe to fulfil his race programme with KCMG, a team he has had a long association within both LMP and GT machinery.
The most recent programmes involved the Spa 24 Hours in 2020 and 2021 and a programme at the Nürburgring too in the Hong Kong-based team’s Porsche 911 GT3 Rs.
The DSC Editor caught up with Alex in Daytona in the aftermath of the astonishing finish to the 2021 Rolex 24 that saw the tam’s Porsche in the mix for a win in GTD Pro until a clash at the Le Mans Chicane on the very last lap.
“The COVID situation has been particularly tough for anyone based in Asia. I can certainly say that for someone like me, based with my family in Shanghai, it’s been very tough.
“In terms of motorsport, particularly with the travel restrictions that are in place, it’s been impossible for the ACO or SRO, or for anyone to host international racing so the only things that are actually happening are the local and national Championships, so in Japan, you have the Super GT and Super Taikyu running.
“In China, we’ve got a couple of local series, Thailand has the Super Series, but there is no championship that is going cross border between Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and China now because it’s just not possible.
I know from our experience in Europe and the Middle East that the process of dealing with national and border health controls has been very taxing – How has that been in Asia, and in travelling to and from Asia?
“You have all these quarantines and there’s also not a uniform set of rules between countries. So it’s just a nightmare to navigate.
“A lot of the potential international drivers and teams are based in China, and China now has the most stringent set of quarantine regulations and entry requirements.
“So right now, it’s nearly impossible to travel and it IS impossible to travel predictably.
“Actually, as a matter of fact, they called me yesterday telling me that my flight back is cancelled and now they’re offering me to fly back in May. So as it is now I am not 100 per cent sure when I’m going home!
I thought it was pretty bad from our perspective in Europe, but that’s four months away!
“The problem is that there are no flights to China.
“First of all, you must fly from your home country. So for me, I have to fly either from Germany or Switzerland, I have the relative luxury to have two choices!
“But right now with Omicron they keep cancelling flights, because every time a flight or flights arrive in China and it has too many positive cases on board, they cancel that flight for two weeks. It’s just suspended. It’s a penalty system. And because Omicron has spread so fast, most of the flights are just suspended.
How has that affected your career over the last couple of years? What were you expecting to do and what have you actually been able to do?
“Well, first of all, it’s meant some sacrifices, because, as you know, we raced at the Nurburgring. I would say immediately though that we were lucky that we were able to race at all – and without the drive from (KCMG owner) Paul Ip it would have been impossible.
“But even to do that I, and my family, had to make significant sacrifices because I couldn’t go back and forth anymore, and that meant I was away from my family for 5,6 or 7 months in a row.
“So that’s the main way it has affected me. But also it meant having half a season in Europe and then trying to scrape half a season together when I went back to China, which is not easy, because when you get back in the middle of the year, everything is already started. So it’s been very difficult to put programmes together.”
So tell us what the moment was like when the call came in to tell you you were doing Daytona?
“Amazing, because when the call comes from KCMG you know the programme is going to be absolutely top quality. You are working with and for people of knowledge and passion who understands what is needed to get the job done.
“IMSA for the team was very new, and there was a lot to learn, but as I heard more and more about the package, who was involved, how it was being organised, it was clear that we would have every chance of running well.
“To consider that we might finish on the podium before we got here would have been an aspiration, a dream. That we are disappointed that this was the result tells you everything about the ambition here. I can’t wait to come back and get the job done. But first I need to find a way to get home!”
