Rising star Archie Schmidt is learning fast in Europe’s brutal Red Bull Rookies cauldron, with mentor Levi Day helping keep the pressure in perspective
Talk us through your first ever race in Europe. What was the crowd and attention like to handle?
It was very difficult, because I had injuries. I have a broken collarbone at the moment from a highside racing in the European Moto4 championship and every time I went into a left-hand turn it would cause a lot of pain – but I still managed to come from 26th to 21st in my first Red Bull Rookies round; still not where I wanted to be. The crowd was huge – so many people. Even on the Friday there were so many bikes just revving and so many people there enjoying the bike racing. The atmosphere was incredible. It was like being at a Hilltop Hoods concert!
What support did you have at the first round in Jerez?
I had my mum there to support me, which was great. Coming from Australia, it’s hard racing on the other side of the world. Most of the people who have been supporting me are back home. My family isn’t wealthy, so Dad has to stay at home operating big cranes for Fleurieu Cranes to pay for the costs involved in me being over here. Mum also has to work and it’s really hard for her to leave me here when she heads back to Australia. Most racers from Australia are in this position, which makes it even harder for us to compete at this level.
How big is the step up to Red Bull Rookies?
The step up is crazy. It’s a crazy level here. The competing is not comparable to anything I’ve done before, like the Asia Talent Cup. For me to be P20 here is like one second behind pole; all the riders here are fast no matter what. The Red Bull Rookies Cup has the best junior talent on the planet. For most of the riders here, it’s their second or third year in the Red Bull Rookies so they know the circuits and have a good feeling for the bike. As a racer, I want to win every time I race and it’s hard to accept that at this level it’s not always possible. This year, I need to learn to be patient and focus on learning and improving every time I ride.
Aged 16 and coming from Mount Barker, a country town in SA, how are you finding living in Europe?
I am loving Europe. Being here is like a big adventure. The people here in Barcelona are really nice. I am enjoying trying their food and learning about their crazy history. Everywhere I go in Europe it’s like that. Of course I miss my family and friends and I miss the Adelaide Hills where I grew up and I miss my dog, Rex, but living in Europe is where I need to be.
What gets you out of bed in the morning excited to get out and race?
I’ve always loved being on a bike. From a very young age it was pushbikes and then into motorbikes. I’ve always loved the feeling of being on anything with two wheels. I love when there’s a big crowd and they’re all watching and cheering. Not many people do, but yeah I really like that.
Finally, I know how much you love racing at Phillip Island. What are your thoughts on the MotoGP round moving to Adelaide?
Phillip Island is an iconic track and like all racers I love the circuit. But I really think that the MotoGP moving to Adelaide is really cool. It’s fantastic that it’s coming to my hometown and the world can see what an incredible place South Australia is. SA always puts on great events, so it’s really exciting for me.
Levi, how did you get involved coaching Archie? What do you see in him?
I’ve been working with Archie at our coaching days that we run at Mac Park in South Australia for the last few years. It’s always been obvious how natural he is on a bike and it’s been cool to see his progress. I’ve been following his journey since he started road racing and it makes me proud to be able to be involved in helping an Aussie racer progress into grand prix racing, and hopefully he can continue through the ranks over the next few years. I live in the UK now and have done for the last 13 years, while still coming back to Australia for the summer to run the coaching events. But I run a motorcycle graphics business in the UK and coach some riders in BSB, so it seemed to make sense to get involved with Archie, being able to get to the Red Bull Rookies rounds and help him.
What do you see in his riding and attitude that makes him different?
He’s clearly very talented on a bike but the farther up the ranks you go, everyone is talented, and everyone works hard and is hungry for it. He’s finding that out now, moving to Europe and the depths of the field are a huge learning curve for him. But he’s got a mature head on his shoulders and a desire to always improve. He’s never content, which can be a good and bad thing! But he’s so determined to want to do better every time he gets on the bike and you can see that in his attitude on a race weekend.
What’s the key takeaway you try to give to the young riders you mentor?
Keeping them happy and positive is a huge one. Just having someone in their corner they can rely on to have their back and keep things upbeat when times might not be so easy. A happy rider is a fast rider, as they say. And just helping them understand where and why the other riders might be faster in certain sectors, being able to talk about that and try and understand from a riding point of view what they can try differently out there is always a good place to look into.
Each person reacts differently to different communication styles, so sometimes you have to change the way you’re communicating to help them understand something to the best of their ability. I think I’m pretty adaptable to not only work with the riders and help them, but analyse how they handle feedback in different ways and change my communication technique depending on how they’re taking that on board. Most kids don’t react well to the ‘angry dad’ style of coaching, where they’re screaming in their face for not winning. There is a place where sometimes you have to give them some harsh realities, but on the whole a positive and supportive mentor is super important.
