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Dall’Igna admits Ducati will be «weaker overall” in MotoGP next year

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Ducati general manager Gigi Dall’Igna has admitted that the Italian manufacturer will be “weaker overall” in MotoGP next following the loss of Pramac and a number of riders and engineers to rival teams.

Ducati has been the dominant force in MotoGP over the last few years and wrapped up the 2024 manufacturers’ crown at last weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Misano.

However, its presence on the grid will be cut from eight bikes to six next year, as Pramac pulls the curtain down on a two-decade-long relationship to join forces with Yamaha.

Moreover, last year’s runner-up Jorge Martin and race winner Marco Bezzecchi will leave for Aprilia, while works rider Enea Bastianini will be heading off to KTM, leaving the marque with three fewer top-line riders.

Dall’Igna has previously defended some of the decisions the Borgo Panigale marque has made, including the choice to limit itself to just three factory bikes in 2025 when its rival manufacturers are supplying four each to their respective teams.

But speaking in a new interview, the veteran MotoGP engineer conceded that Ducati’s position has been weakened with respect to its riders, with the only positive being the addition of six-time champion Marc Marquez to its official team.

“We are probably the first manufacturer to try to use the data from the satellite team in order to improve the bike,” he told the MotoGP website.” Of course we have less opportunity to do this for the future. 

Luigi Dall'igna

Luigi Dall’igna

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“The other manufacturers learned that it was possible to do something like that. 

“Overall we are weaker than this year because the number of riders will be less next season. 

“But on the other side, for the factory team, we will have probably the best ever riders in the history of Ducati.  

“The others bring from us not only the riders but also a lot of technicians. Yamaha, Aprilia and Honda now [have poached our technicians]. 

“For sure, this is a boost for us to do the best.”

MotoGP is set for a major regulation overhaul in 2027 that will see current 1000cc engines being replaced by smaller capacity 850cc units. There will also be a clampdown on aerodynamics, while all ride height devices will be outlawed.

Dall’Igna revealed Ducati has already been holding meetings to decide what direction to take in 2027 as it seeks to maintain its stranglehold on MotoGP.

“The 2027 season arrives quite soon so we start discussions about how the new bike will be,” he said.

“We have to reconsider everything not only because of the reduction in power, but we cannot use the ride height device anymore. 

“Also this moves the balance in a different position. So on the technical point of view it will be an important modification of the bike.”

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Why KTM must come to its senses and not panic amid MotoGP slump

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


No one can dispute Stefan Pierer’s long-standing business acumen. In addition to holding the position of CEO at KTM, he also sits on the boards of several billion-dollar companies.

At the same time, it is clear that business projections are not so easily replicated in an ecosystem like MotoGP. The Austrian company is already running late, according to the timeline set by its most senior executive upon deciding to enter the championship in 2017.

Pierer calculated that KTM would need five years to get to grips with the series and after that it would be in a position to fight for the title within three years. The truth is that those eight years have now come to an end, and the orange bikes are caught in another big whirlwind of change, a further profound shake-up in a season in which some dared to predict a close duel with Ducati.

Motorsport.com understands that KTM’s top management is discussing how it intends to re-establish the balance of power within the organisation, with a major move expected. Francesco Guidotti, the current team manager, is already packing his bags for his departure.

The Italian was recruited from Pramac ahead of 2022 but less than three years later, despite having a contract in force until the end of 2025, will leave his post either at the end of the season or even before the season ends in Valencia. His case comes after that of Fabiano Sterlacchini, who joined in 2021 as technical chief and who agreed his departure a month ago, although his contract is still valid until next month.

Another person who almost left the group was Alberto Giribuola, signed from Ducati in 2023 as KTM’s engineering coordinator. He now plays the role of technical manager for Augusto Fernandez and in 2025 will be the technical manager for Enea Bastianini, with whom he already worked at Gresini.

Had it not been for the express wish of the Italian rider — another of those who will arrive in KTM next year — to work with him, ‘Pigiamino’ — Giribuola’s nickname in the paddock — would surely be leaving the factory.

KTM's progress in the MotoGP pecking order has stalled

KTM’s progress in the MotoGP pecking order has stalled

Photo by: Marc Fleury

«There is no patience here, and that is the worst thing that can happen to a factory in MotoGP,» an authoritative member of the KTM staff told Motorsport.com. «You have to give stability and let the people you hire work. But unfortunately, that doesn’t happen.

«The people at the top are very stubborn. They still haven’t realised that this is not a good thing and that it brings very little positive and a lot of uncertainty among the staff.»

The void left by the departing figures, especially the executive ones such as Guidotti, will be filled by others. Motorsport.com believes that two names from KTM are gaining momentum: Dani Pedrosa and Aki Ajo.

The former is one of the leading testers, to the extent that Pierer himself refers to him as «the real boss of KTM» as he is the one calling the shots in the development of the RC16. However, the Spaniard’s personal life, enjoying spending time with his family away from the whirlwind of the racing, makes it difficult to see him in a position as demanding as that of team manager, which requires a permanent presence in races. It seems more likely that he will be offered an executive role complementary to that of Pit Beirer, KTM’s sporting director.

Pierer and his inner circle are determined to break the bank and give KTM a new lease of life in order to reduce the deficit that currently separates it from Ducati

Then there is Ajo, who is already in charge of managing the KTM teams in the lower categories. He is always ready to lend a hand to his bosses, who have long seen him as one of the most efficient managers in the paddock, especially when it comes to the ratio of investment to sporting profit. The Finn has long been on the lookout for a chance in MotoGP and, in fact, the Mattighofen-based manufacturer even considered giving him a third team for 2024, had he secured the spot that was ultimately denied to him.

With all this in mind, the MotoGP staff are understandably highly nervous, especially given the company’s losses — with sales down 15% — a circumstance that has filled its warehouses with stock of bikes. The KTM share is currently trading at 26 euros, less than half of what it was exactly a year ago (62 euros).

In Spielberg, Pedro Acosta was asked if he had had the chance to talk to the big boss.

«The grands prix are not the right place, because we all go about our business. But the most important thing is that we have been assured that the investment in the MotoGP project will continue,» said the Spaniard, in a message of relief considering that KTM has been laying off employees by the hundreds since the start of this year.

Pierer is ready to splash the cash to give KTM the chance to chase down Ducati

Pierer is ready to splash the cash to give KTM the chance to chase down Ducati

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

In any case, Pierer is unlikely to abandon his ‘toy’, and it is more than logical to think he will use resources and funds from elsewhere to avoid collapse. A month ago, the Austrian entrepreneur signed the sale to the Luxshare group of 50.1% of Leoni, a German multinational dedicated to the manufacture of car wiring, which he had acquired in 2023 and which last year had a turnover of 5.5 billion euros. The rescue of Leoni, which employs 95,000 people in factories in 26 different countries and plays a key role in the German car industry, was so large that it gave him access to a seat on the board of Mercedes-Benz.

The image that the businessman projects, in most areas he works, is that of a man of success. That is why he cannot allow his ability to be called into question in a showcase such as MotoGP. Pierer and his inner circle are determined to break the bank and give KTM a new lease of life in order to reduce the deficit that currently separates it from Ducati.

With Acosta and Brad Binder as the spearheads in 2025, the 2024 numbers can be improved on, given the expectations generated. Although the South African is ahead in the overall standings (fifth), it is the Spaniard (sixth) who has achieved the best results, with three podiums to Binder’s one. The rider from Potchefstroom now has 165 points in the standings, 36 less than he had at this point in 2023, when he was fourth in the standings.

The last victory for the brand, which has won a total of seven times in almost eight years, came from Miguel Oliveira in 2022 in Thailand. Since then, its record has been limited to eight podiums, well below the expectations of the top management.

This drop is not comparable to Yamaha and Honda’s downturn, which has allowed KTM to move into second place in the constructors’ standings, albeit only five points ahead of Aprilia.

But where the Pierer Mobility group — KTM and GasGas — excels more than anyone else is in the area of crashes. Between the four riders, they have a total of 56 crashes, leaving aside test riders Pol Espargaro (four) and Pedrosa (two). That figure is well above Aprilia’s 30 and Honda’s 29, both also with four bikes on track, and is only exceeded by Ducati’s 88 crashes, albeit with twice as many riders on the grid with eight.

Can KTM revive its dip in form?

Can KTM revive its dip in form?

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images



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Michelin responds to Bagnaia’s ‘strange’ tyre issue in Misano

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Michelin says it couldn’t find any problem with Francesco Bagnaia’s rear tyre in its initial analysis following the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Factory Ducati MotoGP rider Bagnaia suffered an inexplicable drop in pace after losing second place to team-mate Enea Bastianini on lap five of 27 at Misano, a problem that also threatened his place on the podium as Gresini’s Marc Marquez closed in.

But even more curiously, the Italian was able to regain his speed in the middle portion of the race, leading to him breaking the 1m31s barrier and setting the fastest lap on the 16th tour.

In his post-race comments, Bagnaia pointed the blame squarely at MotoGP’s official tyre supplier for his contrasting fortunes on Sunday, saying it was the first time a rider had to encounter a rear tyre that «didn’t work» for the first 15 laps.

«The state of mind is that I’m pissed off. Not with Michelin, they can’t help it. I can’t be angry with someone who does something, but doesn’t do it on purpose,» he said after the race from which he eventually crashed out on lap 21.

«But it pisses me off: you take pole, you win the sprint and in the race you improve the start, being first on the first lap, and to see you [being] passed, with the others taking away almost three and a half seconds because you can’t push, it is something that really pisses me off.»

While Michelin is awaiting more data to complete a full analysis, its initial verdict is that tyres cannot be responsible for the wild swings in Bagnaia’s pace at Misano.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

It argued that if there was a defect in his rear tyre, then he would have been slow throughout the race and not been able to set a lap time that was good enough to qualify on the third row with over 10 laps of fuel on board.

«Pecco was in front for the first four laps, then he had a drop that we can’t explain: for four or five laps he lost three tenths.

«We have to understand where this is coming from, whether it’s something to do with the track, the bike or the tyres,» Michelin’s two-wheel motorsport manager Piero Taramasso told Motorsport.com.

«But from lap 12 onwards his pace came back and on lap 16 he set a fastest lap of 1m30.8s, just eight tenths off pole and the track record. He was coming on strong and looked like he could catch Bastianini and Martin, then he crashed.

«We are analysing it, but for the moment we only have his comments and lap times. When Ducati gives us the data as well, we’ll try to understand together what caused that drop. It will take some time, but we would like to understand what it was due to, because there are always new things to discover.

He added: «The strange thing is that the lap times don’t match Pecco’s comments. He says the tyre didn’t work from the start and only did so from lap 12 onwards. In reality, the times of the first four laps were good, so it’s after that that we have to understand where the drop comes from.»

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The new tyres introduced by Michelin this year have largely been a success, with riders successfully able to break long-standing lap records at most circuits.

Even in qualifying for the Emilia Romagna GP, Bagnaia was nearly able to set the first sub-90 second lap time at Misano as he clinched pole position on the Ducati GP24.

However, there still have been some complaints from riders about tyres occasionally not performing at the optimum.

These remarks follow Jorge Martin accusing the French manufacturer of robbing him of the title in 2023 with what he felt was a faulty tyre in the penultimate round in Qatar.



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Quartararo lost Yamaha’s best 2024 result by running out of fuel in Misano

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Fabio Quartararo was set to secure Yamaha’s best MotoGP result of 2024 in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix until running out of fuel with two corners to go.

Having qualified an encouraging ninth on a weekend when he was the sole representative for Yamaha, Quartararo showed solid pace and capitalised on crashes ahead of him to run fifth as the Misano race neared its conclusion.

But with the chequered flag in sight, the Frenchman began to slow down as the engine on his M1 ran dry, forcing him to limp to the finish line as both Pramac’s Franco Morbidelli and Aprilia rider Maverick Vinales overtook him down the straight.

Explaining what happened on the last lap, Quartararo told French broadcaster Canal+: “I ran out of fuel in the penultimate corner.

“We’re already dragging our feet a bit in terms of engine power, and we’re not holding out in races to try to make the most of what we have. Finishing fifth or seventh doesn’t really change our [life]. It’s the pace we had [that counts] but we’re still missing a lot of things.»

Quartararo was running as the best of the non-Ducati riders until two corners from the finish at Misano, representing the progress Yamaha has slowly been making after a torrid start to the year.

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Quartararo has now bagged two seventh-place finishes in a row in the Misano double header, while team-mate Alex Rins also broke inside the top 10 for the first time in Aragon at the start of the month.

Reflecting on a recent upward trend at Yamaha, the 2021 champion said: “I had one second clear from Franky in the last sector. It was just [a matter of] finishing. It was just one straight; it was nothing more.

“But at least I know the race that we did was P5 with some [riders] crashing at [the] front, but this can always happen to everybody. But I think the pace that we had made now was really, really fast.

“It’s three races in a row that we scored in the sprint. Even last year we never really scored in the sprints, so I’m pretty happy.

“I’m making some good starts lately and I hope that we can do it again in the overseas [races]. I think is the most difficult part.”

Additional reporting by Lorenza D’Adderio

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Why it’s time for Martin to get his gloves off in MotoGP title run-in

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The events of Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix will have far-reaching consequences on the 2024 MotoGP battle. While Francesco Bagnaia’s crash with a podium in the bag was obviously significant as it has handed a 24-point lead in the standings to Jorge Martin, it’s the final-lap clash between his team-mate Enea Bastianini and Martin that could have far more serious repercussions.

Whatever your opinion may be of the controversial race-deciding moment between Bastianini and Martin, the championship leader has received a clear message — it’s time to take his gloves off and go all-in.

To assess whether Bastianini crossed the limits of acceptable racing while battling Martin, it’s important to break down his pass into several parts. 

The factory Ducati rider was coming from a long way back and did go for a full divebomb on Martin when there wasn’t much of a gap on the inside edge of the track. While it may not be ethical for some, riders have been making such block passes for decades — and even Marc Marquez is infamous for leaving his rivals with no option but to concede position when he goes on the aggressive. Bastianini can certainly not be blamed for attempting that move when the reward was a race win in front of his home crowd. 

But it’s the second part of the overtake where things get interesting. There was just the slightest contact between Bastianini and Martin as they met at the apex, which forced the Pramac rider to sit up and go off the track. This is what incensed the Spaniard, who raised his hand in anger after feeling he had been denied a victory by an “unfair pass”.

But it didn’t end there. Bastianini then himself went beyond the kerbs at the exit of the turn, before rejoining the track in the lead of the race. This is where Gresini’s Marc Marquez felt the stewards should have drawn the line. Of course, Bastianini was distracted by the incident and did look over his shoulders to check where Martin was, but that doesn’t change the fact that he did not make the corner after completing an overtake.

Stewarding in MotoGP — and circuit racing in general — is a complicated and nuanced subject. Both the series and its four-wheel counterpart have been subject to criticism over vague rules and the apparent lack of consistency in decisions. To be fair to stewards, it’s not always easy to judge whether an overtake can be deemed legitimate or not as there are so many factors involved. But if the rider who makes the overtake subsequently goes off the track, then the rules have to be clear cut: either it’s acceptable or not. There should be no grey area in this regard. That’s not to say that Bastianini should have definitely been penalised for failing to stay on track, but it’s important for the series to leave no room for interpretation in the rules when it’s possible to provide a clear view.

This wasn't the first time that Bastianini has made a seemingly desperate lunge

This wasn’t the first time that Bastianini has made a seemingly desperate lunge

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

In this context, it’s important to look back at a similar incident involving Bastianini at the French Grand Prix in May. On that occasion, the Italian went for a similar divebomb on Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro at Turns 9/10, albeit this time with far more room available to him. Like Martin, Espargaro sat up and went straight, while Bastianini himself ran wide and had to rejoin the track.

The stewards did not take any action against Bastianini for the incident itself, but curiously he was handed a long lap penalty for cutting the corner. Of course, the difference here is that Bastianini gained a sporting advantage by not going through the chicane as intended, while at Misano he almost certainly lost time by running wide. But in both cases one thing is common: he was unable to slow the bike in time to make the corner and breached the limits of the track.

Future MotoGP chief steward Simon Crafar, one of the most respected people in the paddock, provided an interesting viewpoint on the Bastianini/Martin crash. The former 500cc race winner argued that riders should be allowed to race more freely on the final lap, but added that Bastianini should have probably been asked to hand back the position if they had clashed earlier in the race. Crafar’s line of thought will definitely have its own supporters.

«If the next time I need to do [a move like that], at least for me there will be no consequences» Jorge Martin

After all, fans tune in to watch good racing and it’s important to keep them at the edge of their seats until the very end. In fact, all three world championship races at Misano were decided on the last lap, showing how MotoGP and its junior classes are able to keep things unpredictable at a track that is notoriously difficult for overtaking.

But Crafar’s argument about stewards needing to be lenient in the closing stages of a race directly clashes with another MotoGP rule: track limits. As per current regulations, riders receive a warning on their dashboard after they’ve exceeded track limits three times during the race, while a penalty is applied if they’ve violated the boundaries of the track on five occasions. But any reported breach of track limits on the final lap leads to an automatic drop in one position, leaving riders with no margin for error.

So if the riders have to be extra careful about staying away from the green area on the last tour, should they be allowed to be more aggressive than usual while battling with their rivals? It’s something Crafar will have to decide with the rest of the stewarding panel when he takes up his new post next year.

Crafar's take on the clash is worth noting given he'll be making the stewards' call next year

Crafar’s take on the clash is worth noting given he’ll be making the stewards’ call next year

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

For now, though, there is one thing the rider who came off worse from the Misano clash must learn: don’t hesitate from turning up the aggression when the title is on the line.

Martin was visibly disappointed by the outcome of the Emilia Romagna race. It was his chance to take a first MotoGP win since the Le Mans event back in May and add salt to the wound of his title rival Bagnaia after the latter had given away a hoard of points with an unforced error. 

But, having shown a lot of maturity in the summer break in the aftermath of his Sachsenring crash, it’s likely that he will come out even stronger in the Asia-Pacific leg of the campaign that precedes the Valencia finale in November. There was already a hint of change in Martin’s approach towards battling his rivals on track when he spoke about the clash in the post-race press conference.

“We are not clear about the ideas the race direction has for the future,” he said. “If the next time I need to do [a move like that], at least for me there will be no consequences. Let’s see in the future. I’m not a rider that really overtakes like this, but I respect the decision and I move forward.”

Martin now has a substantial 24-point lead in the championship over Bagnaia with six rounds to go. But as this season has shown time and again, it will take just one crash or a poor strategy call (like the one in the first Misano race) for the factory Ducati rider to strike back in their battle.

So far, Martin and Bagnaia have maintained a harmonious relationship on and off the track, as they both continue to represent Ducati as a manufacturer in MotoGP. But with Martin off to Aprilia next year after being snubbed by Ducati for a factory seat, and aware that it could well be his last opportunity to win the championship, all bets will be off.

Martin has played fairly on and off track this season, but will that change for the remaining races?

Martin has played fairly on and off track this season, but will that change for the remaining races?

Photo by: Dorna

Martin will and should leave no inch for his rivals while battling for position, and neither should Bagnaia given the stewards’ decision to clear Bastianini at Misano without any investigation. 

Given how little there has been to separate the two riders during this season, it won’t be a surprise if their title battle goes down the wire in Valencia. That very much leaves the scintillating possibility of the duo duking it out for victory on the final lap of the final race of the season. And if that means the championship is decided by a clash between the pair, the precedent the stewards set at Misano last weekend would be to blame.

Bastianini celebrated in a manner befitting a last-lap victory

Bastianini celebrated in a manner befitting a last-lap victory

Photo by: Ducati Corse



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‘Strange’ Michelin rear tyre didn’t work in nightmare Misano race

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Francesco Bagnaia has pointed the blame on a faulty Michelin rear tyre for his sudden drop in pace in MotoGP’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The factory Ducati rider had started the second Misano race from pole position and was battling with Pramac rival Jorge Martin for the lead in the early laps.

But after losing places to both Martin and team-mate Enea Bastianini on successive tours, he rapidly lost touch with the leading duo, with his deficit growing to as much as three seconds at the mid-way point of the race. At one stage, there was even a serious risk of him losing the final spot on the podium to the chasing Gresini bike of Marc Marquez.

But from the 15th tour onwards, Bagnaia’s fortunes suddenly changed as he set a series of fastest laps, with his 1m30.877s flier remaining unbeaten until the chequered flag.

However, by that time he was back on pace, he had already fallen too far off to mount a fightback, and his race eventually came to a premature end with a crash at Turn 8 on lap 21.

Speaking afterwards, the Italian said he was baffled as to why his rear tyre wasn’t performing the way it was intended to for a major chunk of the grand prix, explaining that no rider in MotoGP has ever encountered such a problem.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team crash

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team crash

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“I was pushing a lot and I was doing 1m31.8, 31.7, 31.8 [laps on a consistent basis],” he said about the early stages of the race. And then in a moment from one lap to another lap, I dropped the lap time by six-seven-eight tenths without doing anything, just riding.

“The rear was not working. I was like a cone for other riders.

“This medium rear was the one from the start of the weekend so it has to be the best one, but it wasn’t working for 15 laps. So it’s really strange.

“Then it was super good. I started to be super-fast, like I was expecting my pace was.

“After the start, I was leading, I was quite sure to open a gap and then going away because my pace was super good [until the tyre issues].”

While Michelin has delivered new tyres this year that have helped riders break long-standing lap records at nearly every circuit, the French manufacturer hasn’t been able to eradicate random problems that keep popping up time and again.

At last year’s penultimate round of the season in Qatar, Martin accused Michelin of robbing him of the title with a bad tyre that felt like a “stone” after finishing the Losail race down in 10th.

Asked about the potential impact of an external supplier in deciding the outcome of the championship, Bagnaia said: “It’s a shame. But I know 100% that Michelin doesn’t know what happened with the tyres.

“This is a problem but they don’t know. They want to give to us the same chance every time, but for some reason sometimes it’s not working the same.

“So this is a huge problem that is making the championship not balanced at this moment.

Referring to a late incident with Alex Marquez at Aragon, he added: “In the last three grands prix, two situations [were] out of our control.

“It’s true that in the two Misano races, I just lost three-five points but it could have been much better for us. The possibility of going from here leading the championship was very high, but we didn’t have the chance.”

Late in the race, Bagnaia lost the bike early going into the Turn 8 left-hander that followed the back straight, giving away a likely third-place finish.

The retirement, his third of the year, has left him facing a 24-point deficit to championship leader Martin ahead of this weekend’s Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika.

Explaining what happened, he said: “I don’t know what was normal today. Everything was strange this morning.

“I was [going] straight. It was 32C and normally in dry conditions you can’t crash with 32C.

“I didn’t brake hard, I braked 80 metres before the fastest lap I did. And I still lost the front like I touched a bump that is not there. Strange but everything was strange from the start.”

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Espargaro warns MotoGP stewards «incompetence» sending «dangerous» message

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Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro said MotoGP stewards have sent a “dangerous” message to riders by letting Enea Bastianini get away with his collision with Jorge Martin in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Factory Ducati rider Bastianini attempted a divebomb pass over long-time race leader Martin on the final lap of the Misano race, leading to contact between the pair at Turn 4.

Pramac’s Martin was forced to sit up and pushed off the track, while Bastianini — who himself ran wide — emerged unscathed to claim his second win of 2024 in controversial circumstances.

The incident has garnered a lot of debate among riders and fans, with the opinion split on whether the Italian had overstepped his boundaries and if the clash can be dismissed as hard racing.

The stewards panel led by two-time 500cc champion Freddie Spencer never formally investigated the incident and the results of the race stand still.

MotoGP veteran Espargaro, however, wasn’t impressed with the stewards’ lack of action, stating that the clash has set a dangerous precedent for riders going forward.

He said: “I’m very disappointed. I don’t understand what the stewards panel is doing.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“I have really no words because one rider touched the other one, and both riders went out of track and they did not even put under investigation. It makes no sense.

“Apart from the [lack of] action, I’m a little bit worried because the message [they] are sending`to all the riders is that you can do whatever you want, you can touch [other] riders, you can go out of track and this is a very dangerous announcement.

“I still can’t believe it, really.”

A fraction of the MotoGP paddock has argued that the heavy reliance on aero has made it harder to overtake on current grand prix bikes, leaving riders with no option but to be more aggressive on track.

While Espargaro conceded that it has become harder to pass other bikes in MotoGP, that doesn’t mean two riders can go off track while battling with each other and still escape punishment.

“This is the result of the incompetence of the guys [stewards] doing this job,” said Espargaro, who is a close friend of Martin.

“[With the current] bikes it is difficult to overtake, but also in the past you can touch other riders and go out of track. You can do now and you can do 20 years ago.

“Is it hard to overtake? Yes, it’s hard to overtake. But if you touch another rider and both go out of track, it’s not about the bike.”

This is not the first time Espargaro has expressed his frustration over stewarding in MotoGP. Earlier this year, the 35-year-old said he was “surprised” both Bastianini and Pramac’s Franco Morbidelli were not penalised for clashing with him at Le Mans.

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Bastianini defends controversial Misano winning move as «on the limit»

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Enea Bastianini has defended the controversial overtake over Jorge Martin that secured him victory in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, saying he didn’t go over the limit.

Factory Ducati rider Bastianini had been piling a lot of pressure on long-time leader Martin over the closing stages of the Misano race and finally launched an attack on him into Turn 4 on the final lap.

Going into the tight right-hander, Bastianini sent his Ducati up the inside of the championship leader, causing the two riders to make contact and Martin to run off the track.

 

The Pramac rider was visibly frustrated at his rival’s overtaking manoeuvre, which he felt was unfair, while Gresini’s Marc Marquez also reckoned the Italian should have been penalised for going beyond the white line at the exit of the corner.

However, Bastianini doesn’t see anything wrong with the pass that was ultimately not investigated by the stewards, saying he had to go for the move when a race win was on the cards.

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“Jorge was certainly not happy, but he closed the gap a lot when I overtook him. It was a bit on the limit, but it was a good overtake,” he said.

“When you have the chance to win the race, you have to do it. Yes, it has been a bit on the limit, but it was the only choice.

“I saw the only chance to attack him in the last lap in Turn 4, and he tried to close the line. I was a bit on the limit with the front, then closed the corner and I won the race.”

Enea Bastianini, Ducati Team

Enea Bastianini, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Martin had overtaken polesitter and Bastianini’s team-mate Francesco Bagnaia for the lead on lap 4 of 27, before building a small buffer on him.

Bastianini then dispatched Bagnaia to move up to second and started hunting down Martin, who made no major errors at the front save for a small moment on lap 27.

Bastianini said his Pramac rival was so strong in the second half of the lap that he was left with no choice but to make a block pass under braking for Turn 4.

“Jorge was incredible from the first lap, he pushed a lot. In the half part of the race he pulled some distance from me, but after two, three laps I again closed the gap,» he said.

“[It was] probably the only opportunity for me because in sector 3 from the exit of turn 10, he was the strongest.

“I don’t know why but at the end of the long straight [between turns 6 and 8] I was always with 0.2s, 0.3s [deficit]. It was the only opportunity to try to win the race.”



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Why Marquez is willing to crash to improve his pace on Ducati MotoGP bike

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Gresini rider Marc Marquez says he doesn’t mind crashing often in qualifying sessions as it is important for him to learn new things and improve his pace on Ducati’s MotoGP bike.

Marquez lost control of his GP23 prototype into Turn 3 with a little under 10 minutes to go into Q2, forcing him to dash to the pitlane and hop on his second bike — which he had already shunted in final practice earlier on Saturday.

Ultimately, the Spaniard was unable to improve on the benchmark he had set earlier in the session, leaving him seventh on the grid and behind the same-spec GP23 bike of VR46 Ducati rider Marco Bezzecchi.

It was the second MotoGP round in succession where the six-time MotoGP champion had qualified out of position due to a mistake of his own making, with a similar incident in the first Misano round forcing him to start from the outside of the third row.

However, Marquez said he has to accept that he will be crashing often because, with championship protagonists Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin running in a class of their own, it is important for him to fully address his own weaknesses.

Asked to explain why he has been having frequent accidents in qualifying, the 31-year-old replied: «Because life is like this: try, [make an] error, try, [make an] error.

«The problem is that for learning [we need to make mistakes]. We are trying things in front of millions of people. But we need to accept that. But I will keep trying.

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

«I feel uncomfortable but I need to understand why I feel uncomfortable. If it’s because I don’t put enough load [on tyres or I put] too much load [on tyres].

«Unlucky for me that I crashed at Turn 3 in qualifying practice because in the race also I had a moment there.

«My life is like this and I will try. I have the confidence of victories and then I will try in Indonesia. Maybe I will finish again on the gravel, we will see. But I hope to improve for the future.»

Marquez explained that it’s the behaviour of the new tyres that makes him «uncomfortable» on the bike — and that explains why he is stronger in race trim than over a single lap.

It’s also the reason why he has been trying new things on the bikes, which ultimately led to the crash that left him over eight-tenths off pole position in qualifying.

He said: «I felt uncomfortable with the new tyre during all the season. When the tyre have [done] six-seven laps, ]in] some corners I’m faster than [I’m] with the new tyre. So it’s there where we need to understand and we need to try a few things.

«This GP we started to try small things on the electronics to understand my riding style. But it’s true that I feel uncomfortable with the amazing grip on the rear that I was not used [to] all my career.

«The way to do the time attack all my career, my concept was completely different with another bike [Honda]. So this is the hardest point to change.»

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Marquez was able to make amends for his qualifying error by charging up to fourth by the second lap, but he lacked the pace to fight for a spot on the podium.

A late off-track moment left him under serious pressure from Tech3 GasGas’s Pedro Acosta but he was able to fend him off the KTM rookie to safeguard fourth place.

Marquez spent the final years of his Honda career with what had become the slowest bike on the grid, making it near-impossible for him to break inside the top five.

But the shift to last year’s Ducati has suddenly made him more competitive and he feels he is now more willing to try new things on the bike knowing that there are better results to be had.

«Of course the fact [that you can] win races, the fact [that you can] fight for the top [positions] gives you more confidence to try things.

«In the past, if you try [new things] but you don’t feel like [you will] never arrive [to the front], and then you start to try less. But now the good things arrive. I try when I need to try.

«And [with] qualifying practice, it’s a session that you need to try. Today I did the [initial] lap time and then I pushed a bit more. Yesterday I did the lap time and I know that I was already on the P3.

«But the only mistake I didn’t like today was one in FP2. But [with] the qualifying practice [error], it’s like this.»



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