La battle Axe is unearthed between the manufacturers involved in MotoGP. From the desert of Qatar, a storm blows which pits the protagonists against each other over an accessory which would play on the strength of Aeolus. A bad wind that blows Ducati in the eye of the storm. KTM, Aprilia, Honda and Suzuki are on a roll while Yamaha remains neutral. A procedure is underway to ban this shoe in front of the rear wheel of the GP19. Among the reds, we don't understand the relentlessness, we cry political maneuvering and we would almost make the complainants look like sore losers. An approach that does not please Pit Beirer from KTM…
Pete Beirer, director of KTM Motorsport, ensures that before the Losail race, Ducati had been informed by KTM that a protest would be presented if the controversial wing was used during the Qatar Grand Prix.
Opposing manufacturers Honda, Suzuki, KTM and Aprilia do not want to be presented as sore losers after ganging up on the controversial rear wing of the Ducati GP19 following the arrival of the first meeting of the year. “ The team manager, Mike Leitner, and I went to see Tardozzi on Sunday afternoon and told him that we would protest if they used this wing in racing." , said Pit Beirer, director of KTM Motorsport, in an interview with speedweek. " He smiled and replied that they were confident the room complied with regulations. We told him that four manufacturers saw it differently. And that is why a protest was going to happen. "
« This claim is a logical consequence" , added Beirer. " We are now accused of having said nothing during the test in Qatar. But you see 1 new parts of all kinds from manufacturers on this occasion. Only then do you look at some of it more closely and think about what was made and what it means. We met with the other factories in Qatar and discussed this part. We believe this wing does not fit what we mean by tire cooling or aerodynamics. Four manufacturers assumed that this part produced an aerodynamic difference. We communicated this to technical director Danny Aldridge and asked him to inform Ducati as well. We didn't want to get dragged into that part. However, Ducati's point of view was clear: They are confident that they are following the rules. Other manufacturers don't think so. You can only protest during the race. So we did it ».
He insists : " Before Saturday, Ducati knew it would face a protest. We want clarity for the future. Otherwise, next will come the rear wing on the saddle... This is to ensure that such aerodynamic excesses are contained in the future. This is what the four manufacturers want ».
« Ducati can't blame us for not warning them. They want to make people believe that everyone kept silent, that we let them win before going to protest. But it's not like that. We made it clear that if they used this piece, we would make sure the protest clarified whether it was legal or not. This area in the regulations needs to be clarified. This is starting to get a little out of hand. This aerodynamic madness needs to be stopped a little. At KTM we want to know who is the best rider, not who builds the best wings »
