Things couldn't just stay there. When Michele Pirro, member of a Ducati factory for which he is the test rider, declares that the decision not to invite wildcards this year in Grand Prix is part of the Honda plot against Jorge Lorenzo, we must expect a reaction of the accused. Especially if their lawyer is none other than the martial Alberto Puig who has already reacted virulently to less serious insinuations. This moment has arrived. And that’s not going to help relations between Honda and Ducati…
The decision did not please those who were its collateral consequences, but it is motivated by reasons that the current global health situation imposes. This is the one taken by the MotoGP Grand Prix Commission who recently announced cancellation of wildcards this season, as part of a growing series of measures taken in response to the coronavirus crisis.
This decision was justified by the need to maintain “ the number of participants at the absolute minimum » for closed-door events, to allow “ optimal use of stand space » and was “ complies with the cost reduction policies of manufacturers in the MotoGP category.».
Everything seemed clear, except for Michele Pirro who put forward another theory: “ Honda may want to charge Lorenzo to go to Yamaha. » The latter, in fact, was planned to race in Barcelona, Misano and Motegi on the M1. He announced his retirement last November in Valencia, when he was due to do one more season with Honda. This is before signing a Yamaha test rider contract.
However, are we angry at Honda of not having put non-competition clauses in Por Fuera's contract, to the point of making up for it by subverting the objectives announced in this ban on wild cards? Alberto Puig finds the reasoning absurd and he is openly offended by it: “ Pirro's comments are a disgrace and are completely inappropriate, I don't understand where this is coming from ", said Puig à crash.net.
“This kind of comment from a factory driver hurts us”
« Honda, like all manufacturers participating in the MotoGP World Championship, has worked extremely hard for weeks to understand the feasibility of this season due to the coronavirus. We held numerous meetings during this period to find consensus with all manufacturers. »
« As Honda, we gave up a lot of things that we wanted to do in the future in terms of technical evolution and we did it for the good of this sport, to maintain equality between all manufacturers. It's not easy, we are all adapting, from the organization to the teams, the sponsors and of course also the drivers, all with the aim of returning to a world championship as we know it. »
« This is why it hurts us that someone who belongs to a factory team makes these kinds of comments in such a difficult and critical situation for everyone. I believe that Pirro should know that at Honda we have respect for Lorenzo. We ended last year with him in a good and respectful way and we wish him the best for his future. » That’s what it says…
