The tone has fallen, and it is sharper than ever. Michele Pirro, 39, veteran and Ducati test rider, did not mince his words after a Sprint at Phillip Island completed in the 20thLast place, just behind... Pecco Bagnaia, the brand's two-time MotoGP world champion. A surreal situation, to say the least, which Pirro commented on without filter in the press room.
For Pirro, the goal was not the glory of the classification, but the collection of data on a circuit "very different" from those where he usually tests:
« It wasn't the best race, but overall, this track is completely different from the others I've tried. Coming back here after so long isn't easy. My race was consistent, and I am very disappointed because Pecco is not fast. But it's important to gather information, because there's little grip and lots of bumps. »
The tone is calm, but the remark is striking: Bagnaia in difficulty is unprecedented - and worrying. "It's a strange situation," he says before elaborating on Moto.it.
The test pilot admits: even within Ducati, no one really understands what is going on with bagnaia.
« It is difficult to understand why Pecco is doing the same thing as me, but we are trying to understand with the pilots where the problem lies, because it is not the level of this bike, nor that of Pecco. For the moment, we do not have a solution »
Pirro, lucid, recalls that its role is precisely to detect faults before they become structural:
« My work is essential to understand if there will be problems in the future on this circuit, and also to improve the grip of the bike for next year. »
Michele Pirro: “ Pecco Bagnaia is not fast, that's the problem »
Another thinly veiled criticism: the lack of concessions for Ducati, which restricts private testing and development capacity.
« Ducati has no concessions, and it's difficult for me to test on different circuits. We don't have tires, and sometimes we forget that. The real problem over the last couple of years is that it's been difficult to test different parts or on different circuits. Meanwhile, other manufacturers can do it and progress »
In other words: the current regulations are holding back Ducati's development, while Yamaha, Honda, Aprilia and KTM are benefiting from them.
When a reporter asks him if he noticed anything strange while following bagnaia, Pirro drops a bombshell with a disillusioned laugh:
« (Laughs) He's not fast, he's not fast. That's the problem. It's like when a driver doesn't have the feeling. It's not a specific point on the circuit, it's global »
A sentence that resonates like an electroshock in Borgo Panigale: the official pilot Ducati is in total loss of confidence.
Despite everything, Pirro refuses to be catastrophic: " People forget that Ducati won the last race, and also in Japan with Pecco. It's sport. You have to accept all that.Everyone is trying to understand, but I am convinced that in the future the situation will improve. Sometimes you have to fall to come back stronger. »
Pirro, last of the Sprint, raises the alarm about the lack of grip and the lack of rhythm of bagnaiaDucati is suffering from no longer being able to test freely without concessions.
And above all: even the brand's most loyal test driver no longer hesitates to say out loud what many think quietly — Pecco Bagnaia is in the hard.
MotoGP, Australia Day 2, Starting Grid:
MotoGP, Australia J2, Sprint ranking:
