Claudio Domenicali is a happy boss. He is in fact at the head of a Ducati brand which dominates track competitions at this stage of the season, both in Superbike and MotoGP. For the first category, the control of newcomer Bautista with the latest Panigale V4R is a good surprise. For the second, it is a great satisfaction to arrive in Europe in a position of strength whereas, in recent years, it was a question of reversing the punishments inflicted by Marc Márquez in Argentina and Austin. In fact, the general manager of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer would like his drivers to take inspiration from what happened in Texas…
And what happened there? A Márquez whipping into the lead with a Honda driven to the limit which took an almost definitive lead over its opponents, before falling. A scenario that Claudio Domenicali deciphered as follows: “ I am convinced that Marc is an extraordinarily talented driver but that he feels the pressure. So, the more his opponents are able to make him feel it, the more mistakes he will make. ».
However, the teammate of Jorge Lorenzo remains the man to beat: “ I think that Marc, the world champion, remains favored by the predictions. He has shown in recent years that he can do extraordinary things. But each season, he also starts from scratch ».
The boss was in Rome for the inauguration of a Ducati Store with Dovizioso. In addition to his sports predictions, he also showed his faith in the red coat of arms and a “ italianity » anchored to the body and in the heart: “ we have a great bike and a great rider. Ducati know-how is also revealed in its approach to regulations where we find technical solutions that have never been used before and which allow us to improve the performance of the motorcycles. Having an Italian bike that always fights for the podium and for victory in all races, I think it's a good thing for all Italians ».
He ends by pointing out that the complaint made after the first Grand Prix of the year by four of his competitors always remains in mind… “ Technological development is why we race, I really don't see anything wrong with it. As for the complaint, we were bitter about its form. It was against our three drivers and it shows that the spirit was not aimed at clarifying the regulations, but at causing them to suffer as much damage as possible in terms of points ».
