Waiting for activity to resume seriously on the trail of Misano, from next Tuesday to Thursday, the news concerns rather the visit of Danilo Petrucci and his manager to Austria at KTM, consequence of the not officially confirmed passage of Pol Espargaró at Honda. And there are also two prestigious drivers who have not yet renewed their contracts: Andrea Dovizioso at Ducati and Valentino Rossi at Yamaha.
Former team manager and current personal manager of drivers, the Genoese Carlo Pernat spoke with Paolo Scalera and Matteo Aglio about GPOne.com Sports Bar from the famous Italian site.
“I must say that Vergani (Petrux manager, Editor’s note) took a big step forward with KTM because during this week they talked about the contract and also the details. I think 80% of this operation is closed. »
“The Dovizioso affair is more complicated, because at the moment he has two solutions, either to stay with Ducati or to stop racing. He is currently very tired from a mental point of view and is thinking about what to do. »
Don't you think Dovi and Vale are in the same situation?
“Valentino is terrified of quitting, while Dovi wants to quit. Perhaps the best solution for Andrea is an annual contract. »
And for Aprilia, what to do in the event of Iannone's license being suspended?
“If I were Aprilia, I would take Cal Crutchlow for a year. Apart from that, what is happening to Iannone is shameful, because you cannot take a driver and a manufacturer hostage like that, while the judgment is heading towards an acquittal. This is shameful behavior. I fear this situation will drag on into August. »
Carlo, what do you think of the Superbike calendar with almost all races in Spain?
“The situation seems clear to me, Superbike was taken by Dorna to put it in a corner compared to MotoGP. Their priority was to do MotoGP, then they would have thought about derivative products later. The fact is that in Superbike, manufacturers have to decide what to do to face the future. »
Let's digress for a moment. Would you advise a young man to become a manager?
" No ! It was a different time, before that there was a lot more money. Now, if you take young people, you have to invest money in them without earning any. The payoff comes later if you get lucky and your pilot develops and delivers results. Today, to begin with, families and managers must take money from their own pockets. »
Let's also talk about Moto3: isn't it strange to see Antonelli, Migno and Fenati in Moto3 at 24?
“Fenati's story is different, since he was in Moto2, then back in Moto3. Antonelli and Migno have some talent but they haven't managed to achieve big results yet. The fact is that when we reach a certain age, we take the place of the young. Anyway, I have a proposition: if after 8 years of Moto3 you haven't scored a certain number of points, then you leave. »
And Lorenzo?
“It is clear that Jorge is a champion, if he is in good shape he has the right and the duty to race. He must show that he is a pilot and not spend his days by the swimming pool. Jorge is strong and if his head is strong, there will always be a place for him in a team. »
And Rossi: Stoner said it wasn't right for Vale to end his career on a satellite team.
“Rossi will be at Petronas next season and if he were to fight for the title in 2021, I am convinced that the Yamaha factory would not stop him. Vale has a unique opportunity, like no other driver has ever had in his career. »
Which team will Valentino have?
“It will be a 'big little' problem. There are difficulties on the economic level and this will be a big problem, an aspect to evaluate. In my opinion, in the end, Fabio will take his men and the same will go for Rossi. »
Will Quartararo be able to beat Márquez?
“I would say no. Marc is the strongest of all and the only thing that could put him in crisis would be the situation related to his brother. »
Squidward: Which pilot would you never hire?
“Abraham and Rabat, because I would never get results with them. »
With the current schedule, do you think Dovizioso can be helped because he never falls.
“It could have advantages, even if Marc remains the favorite. I expect different races from the start of this season. »
Carlo and Marco Simoncelli
Scalera, Pernat and Aglio
Photos © Motogp.com / Dorna, Paddock-gp.com
