Interview to Markéta Rosická: official umbrella girl 2014 of the world champion Marc Marquez.
We see them at every race. These beautiful girls during GP wearing always their most beautiful smile even if the weather is bad and even if they wear high heels.
But what do we really know about grid girls?
We saw the first models in 60s in Japan with Rosa Ogawada. She was called "Race Queen" and she was the first grid girl of the story.
It started in a strange way for Rosa. She was married with Minoru Kawai, leader of Racing Team Toyota. She usually used to go to every race so there was requested to her if she could go with winners to the podium. And all it started like this.
It started in an atypical way for Markéta Rosická too, the official Marc Marquez umbrella girl in the season 2014. For her it was not in her plans to become a grid girl but the passion for two wheels is in her skin.
1. Hi Markéta. Tell us more about you : how old are you, where do you come from, do you study, which subject ?
Hello, my name is Markéta Rosická and I'm 18 years old. I'm from Brno where I'm finishing high school – Business Academy majoring in economics and in May I have to pass the leaving exams and then I also wil have the entrance exams to University.
2. When did you start your activity as umbrella girl?
I think it was in 2011 in Brno with Mika Kalio in Moto 2 and in 2012 with Scott Redding and last year with a MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez.
3. How did you become an umbrella girl?
Well, I started a bit different compared to the other girls. I was a racing rider when I was a kid so there are a lot of riders in paddock as Karel Hanika, Scott Redding or Marc Marquez I know for a long time. Honestly I didn't plan to be a grid girl but beeing at some MotoGP races was fun and it was the only way to keep in touch with my friends from all over the world.
4. So motorsport is passion for you?
For sure it's a passion for me. I love racing, two wheels and the smell of gas and I grew up in this atmosphere so it's wonderful and it is also better when you have fabulous people around you. Last summer I could finally do a driving license so can't wait to pull out my scooter from the garage. But it would be nice to get back to racing tracks.
5. Compared to the other girls you are the most dressed on the starting grid. Can you choose your clothes?
Yes thats true. Anyway I couldn't choose the clothes and the truth is that I wouldn't mind to wear something different as a short or a dress but I loved the Honda Repsol dresscode. Every single piece was by Gas and I felt so comfortable all the time. It was a sporty style but the high heels made the dresscode elegant. And sometimes the weather was bad, especially in Brno so I was lucky to wear also a jacket.
6. What is the hardest thing for you in that job?
This kind of job is really fine. Sometimes it can be a bit stressfull or you get tired. But how I said I was racing too so probably the hardest thing for me is to see all the guys racing on a track. Sometimes I would like to change the positions with them.
7. Could you tell us how is a weekend as grid girl? How is your schedule organized?
The weekend as umbrella can be various, it depends on the weather, on the situation and atmosphere in the team or on the number of visitors but at the end everytime it is the same, it only changes the circuit. There also is somefree time and less presure for an umbrella girl than for the members of the team. Usually you are staying in the box while the sessions and also posing for photographers. And of course you don't have to forget to wear your smile 24 hours a day.
8. What do you do when you are not on track?
I love travelling, hanging out with my friends and doing sport. But in this period, I need to dedicate my whole free time to school and to study hard for all the coming exams.
9. What kind of sport do you practice to stay fit?
I totally love the sport and can't imagine how I could live without it. Sport is making me busy almost everyday, usually gym or running but I have some experience also with crossfit and it is amazing.
10. What are your plans for the new season coming? Will you be Marc Marquez umbrella?
At the moment I'm not able to say where am I going to be. I liked to be at Honda Repsol Team because the atmosphere was really cool and I've enjoyed it. I was already looking for a full time job as a team coordinator but if I couldn't do it this year I would like to be a grid girl in this season again but I'm still waiting for some good offer for 2015.
11. What would you like to do in the future? Would you like to continue your career as model?
It isn't a long time since I became a model so I would like to continue my career here in Czech Republic and also abroad and trying to become that team coordinator in MotoGP how I mentioned and later future is written in the stars. Maybe an architect, maybe a fly attendant, we will see.
12. When you are with Marc Marquez on the starting grid, we can feel a little bit the “before race pressure” and Marc is totally focused on the race. How is Marc when he’s not on track?
It's true that he is totally focused on the race but this is his job and it is needed from a rider. Marc is a busy person but when he's not on the track he is normal young boy, kind and a really modest person with a big heart and huge smile and sence of humour. Simply he is the champion.
13. Do you have a funny anecdote to tell us which happened when you did the umbrella?
Surelly there were a lot of funny anecdotes during the whole year. The mechanics were funny and people had started after few races saying that we are M&M team as Marc & Markéta so I think it made laugh more people than just me. People also thought I am Italian or Spanish even when i start to speak Italian, but I am Czech and proud to be. (Markéta speaks czech, english, italian and german).
Thank you Markéta for your availability and being so nice. I send you all my best wish for this new season hoping for a contract and your wishes coming true.
Published in Fotarte Motor 25th March
