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2005
- GECKO lounge, Hong Kong, May 1st, 2005 - late night: TEAM OF PARIS is brainstormed by a group of enthusiasts to support the French racer Raphael CHAUSSE in the Macau Moto Grand Prix, the last race of the season on the most demanding circuit in the world. The name is in tribute to the late TEAM OF CHINA, created years before by Frenchman Michel MARQUETON, the manager who was running the Chinese team in World Moto Endurance.
In September, after months of lobbying to get France represented in the famous Grand Prix, a Suzuki GXSR 1000 is tuned by CHAUSSE in LUC MOTOS workshop - Paris, the garage owned by team cofounder Luc MARTINET.
- In its first year, TEAM OF PARIS title Sponsor is TUV-SUD, the certification firm, and the French Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macau, as Media partner. Finally, the Macau committee invites another racer for the team: the French World Champion Bruno BONHUIL, who wishes to support the initiative and race in Macau for the 3rd time. Unfortunately, BONHUIL is victim of a high-speed crash during the warm-up lap and dies in the intensive care unit of Macau hospital on Nov 19, 2005.
- Several racers decide to stop after the 1st lap of the race in tribute to Bruno, and the star of the English championships, Michael RUTTER gain his 6th Grand Prix, becoming the all-time record holder of victories in Macau. Michael crosses the finish line with Bruno’s name on his number plate in tribute to the French world champion. The official events of the after-race are maintained at the request of the team and the racers and for the friends or former fellow-members of Bruno, in his memory.
- Sadly, the same night, the French TV TF1 displays the shocking image of the crash to open the nightly news (But the TF1 magazine AUTO-MOTO pays tribute to the missing pilot by promising to return in following years).
The team considers its immediate dissolution.
2006
- The former team managers and the friends of Bruno BONHUIL encourage the team to continue, because it is what the French champion would have wished, and the team receives testimonial of support from the whole world. After months of hesitation, Olivier PIERSON and MARTINET, cofounders, decide to keep the adventure alive with the assistance of the organizers and Andre MUNSCH, the owner of NIKKO-RACING, a racing parts dealer based in France.
- Gerald MUTEAU, double endurance French Champion France, Joao FERNANDES, based in Macau and friend of the team, propose to run for the team in 2006, while a friend working for GOMACAU.COM convinces the website to be the title sponsor for the new trial.
- Despite lack of funds, the team takes the 11th place in Superbike and the 4th place in Super-sport, thanks to the solidarity of the racers: a SUZUKI GSXR 1000 K5 was lent by competitor Frank HEIDGER, while Jimbo DAWSON, the owner of KWIKTIGI, a racing school based in Zuhai-China, provided his own racing KAWASKI ZX6RR 600cc and the technical crew, all volunteers to support the team still in recovering process.
2007
- Hughes de JAILLON, manager of the famous French watches brand YEMA, proposes the company as an official sponsor of TEAM OF PARIS to finance 2 French racers: Gerald MUTEAU, once again on a SUZUKI, and his fellow-member in endurance, Pierre CHAPUIS, racing the winning bike of the French championship, a YAMAHA 1000 R1. The two become triple champions of France Endurance in 2007, few weeks before Macau motor event.
- In spite of the retirement of Gerard due to mechanical problems during the race, the results on the track are encouraging (15th place for CHAPUIS for its his 1st participation on the dangerous swivel of Macao), but especially, TEAM OF PARIS gains 1st place of the Grand Prix in term of audience. Thanks to the number of VIPs and supporters of the TEAM with more than 80 guests, outclassing the Official teams.
-Reports on the Team appear in the specialized press and on websites in France and Europe. The Team is nicknamed `The Impossible-not-French Team' by some English rivals in connection with the first 2 difficult years. The notoriety of the team exceeds the borders of France and South Asia. TEAM OF PARIS is requested by more and more French and foreigner racers to integrate the team to take part in the mythical Macau Moto Grand Prix.
- In December 2008, TF1 grants more than 39 seconds to the Team during Macau 2007 in its famous televised magazine AUTO-MOTO. The pilots and managers are interviewed by the team of Eric MINGANT, punctuated with a poignant tribute to Bruno BONHUIL.
2008
- The Team launches out a new challenge: to become the biggest team in the history of Macau. PIERSON explains: “Realistically, we do not stand much of a chance to compete on the track against the `factory' teams which benefit from budgets 15 times ours. On the other hand, our image: France, Paris, the Red White Blue colors make people dream, therefore let’s become the ‘pet team' of the reporters and gain top place in the medias”
- The concept works wonders, with 4 French pilots and Conor CUMMINS, a talented 22 years British racer from Isle Of Man, that Alistair FLANAGAN from A.I.M. racing introduces to TEAM OF PARIS, accompanied with a “semi-official” YAMAHA R1 Superbike which had gained the GP in 2007 with Steve PLATER and all its technical crew.
The unit is sponsored by HALFEN, a German industrialist who understands well the interest of investing on the Team which is gaining increasing coverage in Asia and worldwide.
- The results exceed all hopes: The Team takes pole position, breaking the lap record; thanks to CUMMINS and its “semi-Official” motor bike, but unfortunately will have to give up during the race when the podium was in sight. But the French racers make a real statement: 2nd place and podium for MUTEAU in Super sport class on a TRIUMPH DAYTONA 675, 2nd top speed (279km/h) for CHAPUIS, still on YAMAHA, 2nd new comer for the world endurance championship runner-up Amaury BARATIN, also on a YAMAHA R1 STK, and especially 1st pleasant racer in the media for Fabrice MIGUET, called `the most Brit’ French Racer' in England, with the only SUZUKI of the team.
- TEAM OF PARIS, the French ‘Tom Thumb' of the Grand Prix of Macau imposes itself in front of the best world teams. The victories are dedicated to Bruno BONHUIL and his family.
- The buzz in the media make TEAM PARIS one of the favorites for the edition 2009 and the Team is also invited by the clerk of the course, Mervyn WHITE to the 80th North West 200, the mythical race in Northern Ireland, a premiere for a French team. In March 2009, the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST issues a full page report on the team with the tribute title: “The French Team will fly Bauhinia” to announce the 1st participation of the Hong Kong based team.
2009
- In spite of the world economic situation, TEAM OF PARIS decides to push back its limits once more, and logically, the team prepares to achieve the ultimate goal of the Grand Prix: Victory. To have a chance to reach the highest step of the podium, the means implemented are impressive: “Factory” bikes, technical crew with the best experts, logistics, and effective communication and financing in ratio, are essential to challenge the best teams.
- A great step forward is made in July 2009, when the French insurer AXA, via its subsidiary company in Asia, approach TEAM OF PARIS for the 2009 edition, introducing the British Superbike MSS-Kawasaki team of Nick MORGAN and the record man of Macau, Michael RUTTER (see par. 2005).
- In August, the 2009 Team package is decided with 4 top racers and registration in the 2 categories of the Grand Prix:
3 X SUPERBIKE `factories' KAWASAKI ZX10R for RUTTER, MUTEAU and English newcomer Simon ANDREWS, and the 2008 TRIUMPH DAYTONA for the vice-champion of the World BARATIN for the Super sport class.
- 2 months before the race, PIERSON declares: “After our 1st participation in 2005, nobody would have put 1 cent on the future of our team. Today, some of the World Official teams come to congratulate us each year and to encourage our crew to keep on. They respect us and associate our team with `IMPOSSIBLE IS NOT FRENCH', which pleases us a lot, but we often think of another proverb which represents us much better: NEVER GIVE UP, and which was also the philosophy of Bruno BONHUIL to whom we pay tribute every year by our presence. Can’t wait November in Macau!”.
- For this new challenge, the team is renamed ‘TEAM OF PARIS-AXA Racing' and thanks to the presence of RUTTER to lead the team as one of the favorites of the Grand Prix, attracting all media, including Chinese Official TV which makes a report of more than 20mn on the Team, hitting millions of viewers in South Asia. In spite of the mechanical problems which deprive RUTTER of a 7th victory, the results are beyond the hopes of the TEAM, with the 1st French victory at the Moto Grand Prix in Super-sport category for BARATIN, and 3 Superbikes in the first 12, of which the prestigious price of 1st new-comer 2009 for the talented ANDREWS.
- After 4 years of efforts, TEAM OF PARIS has become one of the leading teams present at this Grand Prix, and was congratulated by the best racers, car drivers and team managers of the event. But the team will not rest on its laurels. During the evening event after the Grand Prix, a new bet is launched by MIGUET, BARATIN and PIERSON: `Why not bring the TRIUMPH Daytona, which lead us to victory in Macau, to run on the ring of Daytona?!?' Three handshakes are tightened at the same time, and the countdown is launched for `DAYTONA with DAYTONA', the next challenge of the team.
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