Exclusive interview with Ronni Sala – Birel ART

Located near Milan, in the very centre of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy, Birel ART was immediately deep in the problem. The company took the measure of the situation and reacted quickly and realistically. On 8th April 2020, a telephone discussion with the President of Birel ART Group Ronni Sala gave us a better understanding of the last few weeks and a positive outlook for the end of the season.

Ronni Sala, thank you for giving us some of your time. To begin, can you update us on the health of Birel ART’s employees?
Luckily, everyone is doing well! When I saw that the situation was deteriorating very quickly in Italy and especially in our region, we decided to close the factory. That was on 13th March, one week before the government’s directives. It was not possible for me to make the staff work with a permanent fear of being infected. Everyone went home and no one got sick. I don’t regret having made that choice!

How is it going at the moment in Italy?
The situation is improving slightly, let’s just say that it hasn’t been so bad for some time. For several weeks now, everyone has been well confined to their homes and the positive effects are beginning to be felt. We are preparing to resume production. We’re waiting for the latest decisions from the government these days so we can get our operation back up and running around mid-April. That is what we are all hoping for, but the risk of infection is still very present as there is no known cure for the virus at this time. If everyone behaves as before, the epidemic will spread again.

There is no doubt that very strict measures will have to be taken to ensure the safety of staff. Having said that, reopening the factory is not the most complicated part. The workstations are well separated, there is no need to put employees in direct contact and they can stay at a safe distance. In the offices, we have already provided partitions with Plexiglas screens between people to take maximum precaution.

At the moment, the connection with the world is likely to pose the most difficulties. Italy is not the only country affected, it concerns the whole world. Many countries have been isolated for several weeks and trade remains complex.

How do you envisage the resumption of kart racing?
Personally, I don’t think that competition can resume at least before June. We had a remote meeting with the CIK-FIA sporting working group yesterday (Tuesday 7th April). The first event is not currently planned before July. The month of September could be busy with the European and World Championships going on until October. Decisions have been taken, but nothing is official yet. It will undoubtedly be necessary to limit travel in the heart of Europe to reduce the risks.

The WSK and RGMMC have put themselves on stand-by waiting for the CIK-FIA’s position, but there won’t be many free weekends left between July and October. We are not going to be able to completely make up for two months of delay, it doesn’t seem possible. There are still about twenty international races to be run so it doesn’t seem realistic to race every weekend for four months. We will have to reduce the programme, it is unfortunately unavoidable. Compared to the exceptional situation we’re experiencing, it won’t be catastrophic if we only lose a few races.

You seem to be in good spirits!
It’s true, I remain positive, because karting is a field of enthusiasts. Of course, it is not a basic necessity in life, but like sport in general, karting helps to maintain positivity and allows us to think about other things. 2020 will undoubtedly remain a very special year, but I think we will get through it. It will start again, I hope so and I believe so!

I’m in contact with our distributors all over the world. It’s not easy for anyone at the moment, but they are also very positive and are also waiting for the recovery. It’s not easy to know when and how business will pick up again, but we all have to face it with confidence and prepare ourselves more dynamically than ever. When the recovery comes, the economy will have suffered and the financial situation is likely to be difficult for many. For now, most of our customers have confirmed their intention to participate in the races. Like us, they are eager to get back on track.

Info Kartcom / Photo © KSP