Exclusive interview with Dino Chiesa: “Staying calm in the face of Coronavirus”

The day after the publication of the decree suspending many sporting events in Italy until 3rd April, 2020, the boss of Kart Republic Dino Chiesa kindly answered our questions on the current situation in Italy regarding the outbreak of the Coronavirus Covid-19. Let’s remember that more than 7000 cases of infection have been officially recorded to date in the peninsula, which places it in third place among the most affected nations with rapid progression. The region of Lombardy, the provinces of Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Rimini, Pesaro and Urbino, Alexandria, Asti, Novara, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Vercelli, Padua, Treviso and Venice are part of the red zone, i.e. about 15 million Italians in quarantine. France and Germany are evolving similarly with a delay of about ten days, with Spain not far behind.

Dino, how is daily life in Padua?
It’s not too bad at the moment. We are in good health, there are no cases of infection in our entourage (family, friends, collaborators), so that’s a good thing. Life is a little more complicated than usual, but it’s not too serious yet. We can work, we can go out and go back to our town, but the government’s advice is to stay home as much as possible so as not to risk spreading the virus.

What’s your analysis of the situation?
We are aware of the risk, but we don’t know exactly how dangerous it is. I don’t have the skills or information to judge the situation. I think we need to remain calm and follow the advice to prevent further spread of the virus. We have two or three crucial weeks ahead of us, so the best thing to do is to wait and remain confident.

What is the problem for the races in Italy?
It’s geography. Many of the main karting players are in the red zone: Tony Kart, KR, Birel ART, Parolin, CRG, Energy, Vortex, Iame and TM Racing are affected. That’s almost all of karting! Of course, everyone wants to go as fast as possible. I think it’s wiser to give up on the next three WSK races because it represents more than a thousand people going to Muro Leccese and Sarno and could infect others. WSK Promotion has made its decision with the agreement of everyone. Some people may be tempted to go abroad where races are allowed, but this entails risks for other people. I believe that if we approach these two or three weeks with reasonable caution, things will be better afterwards.

What about international competition?
It’s not clear what will happen regarding Zuera. First there is the RGMMC Champions of the Future series at the beginning of April, then the first race of the European Championship 15 days later. You have to take into account the situation in Italy and also how things are developing in Spain. It’s a question of not being stuck in quarantine for 14 days when we get there and also of being able to go home afterwards. Only Italy has announced its policy until 3rd April. The other countries are considering what they should do. There is nothing more we can say today. We are relatively fortunate that the problem became apparent at the end of February before the important dates from April onwards.

“We don’t have a cure for this virus. So it’s wiser for now to stay home as much as possible. The only thing we can do is not to spread the disease. If everyone takes precautions, the virus will disappear more quickly”.

Info Kartcom / Photo © KSP