Ducati had hoped for this crude scenario in its forecasts for the 2022 MotoGP season, drawn up during the winter: having one of its riders lead the championship at the end of the first episode of the still long soap opera of this campaign, before the start of a new period of the calendar which will open on April 22 in Portugal, against a backdrop of reunion with Europe. It's perhaps even better than expected since the brand also leads the manufacturer rankings. However, the smiles are a little frozen in Borgo Panigale, because all this happiness comes from a Gresini satellite driver on a GP21 that the counterparts in red with the new GP22 should have dominated. Before going to Portimao, the Ducati Corsica executives of course show their satisfaction after the first four Grands Prix overseas, but they also do not hide the fact that they would like to rediscover the logic of the food chain...
A feeling that means Pecco Bagnaia as Jack Miller will have to show that the GP22 is superior to its predecessor GP21. Which won't be so simple. Because Enea Bastianini is in a state of grace, which further exacerbates his talent, while the technical team set up at Gresini, notably with the former chief engineer of Dovizioso, is efficient… Gigi Dall'Igna was not mistaken in praising, after Austin's demonstration, the " maturity and determination » of the protégé of Charles Pernat, while sending his congratulations to the Gresini team for “ the perfect settings » of the GP21.
But it's still Paolo ciabatti which best explains the atmosphere currently reigning at Ducati : " It is obvious that at Ducati we are happy because one of our bikes has won half of the races that have taken place. But it's time for the factory team to win », clearly says the sporting director of Ducati Corse on Motorsport.com.
Ducati: “ there is a gap between the information available to the engineers and the sensations transmitted by the pilots«
But there is also a fundamental problem which will not be so easy to resolve… “ There is a gap between what the technicians have projected from their ideas and the information they have, and the sensations that the bike transmits to the riders » we regret in Borgo Panigale. It remains that we must move forward, resolve, and that the color red regains its rights within the brand's clan made up of eight Desmosedici. Gigi Dall'Igna does not say anything else under the cover of an encouraging analysis of the events experienced in Texas: “ a weekend totally under the Ducati seal! A Grand Prix that I would not hesitate to define as being the final confirmation », Describes the general director of Ducati Corse still on Motorsport.com. “ After fantastic qualifying with five of our bikes at the front of the grid, we experienced a race fought until the very end, a Grand Prix which brought us a lot of joy and vitally important signals ».
These signals are identified as follows: “ Jack Miller was in rather difficulty towards the end, after a first game at a very fast pace which no one could compete with. However, he achieved a very important podium. An excellent race which tells us that the Lenovo Ducati Team is finding the right feeling, although later than expected: it is now a question of quickly catching up with the last delay ". That's it for the first message.
The second follows: “ although apparently unsatisfactory, even the fifth place of Pecco Bagnaia, seen in this context between qualifying and the race where, on several occasions, he recorded the best provisional time, indicates that not much is missing for achieve the stable harmony he needs so that his performances gain consistency. We look forward to continuing this important progression with confidence. during a season that will be long and open to all results, also given the performances of our opponents ". From Portimao, Dall'Igna will no longer want to see its official troops mishandled by its allies, who are starting to become cumbersome.
