Having a fancy pass and dodging security is what gets you onto the trackside at the MotoGP and it’s where you start to really understand what goes on during a MotoGP race.
On Sunday at the Silverstone MotoGP it was clear Jorge Lorenzo had it all wrapped up from the start, striding around the corners on his own with the other riders descending in packs afterwards, trying to catch him.
From a distance you can sometimes think it’s about the individual and the bike – that individualistic streak that defines many riders, professional or otherwise.
And certainly there’s no visible communication as such between riders (if we exclude elbows, fingers and fighting).
But the psychology is very evident when you’re up closer.
As the riders corner trackside you instinctively get what it must mean to be trailing someone, or keeping someone back in their place, and you realise how well the riders must know each just from their pure and uncomplicated interaction on the track.
It’s not about a man and his bike; the communication, however psychological, is potent.
MotoGP Silverstone trackside