February 7, 2023, Michele Pirro concludes the three days of shakedown at Sepang in the lead, already foreshadowing a season under the seal of Bologna.
November 28, 2023, the Ducati test rider is conspicuous by his absence during the first official MotoGP test for the 2024 season which takes place in Valencia.
Between these two dates, of course, a crazy season for the men of Borgo Panigale who flew from success to success, alone Luca marini not having reached the highest step of the podium among the eight representatives of the Italian firm. No worries, therefore, about the level of future GP24s, even if they were very discreet during the November test in Spain, the only visible differences being limited to an identical "carbon" version for Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini.
At least, during the test in Misano, we could note the appearance of front wheel fins, finally adopted in the second part of the season. It wasn't much, but it's not that surprising, on a machine that was already well-established and largely dominant. But on the Ricardo Tormo circuit, nothing!
The absence of Michele Pirro can be explained by his state of health, the Italian still suffering from a violent fall which caused controversy at the beginning of October, suffered because of a maneuver of Lorenzo Zanetti with whom he fought for the title of Italian CIV champion.
To our colleagues from Motosan.es, he confided, “Unfortunately, I am still suffering from my CIV injury. After the operation, I had several sessions in the hyperbaric chamber, as well as physiotherapy sessions. It's not an easy situation, in fact, I'm trying to hang on. All the work done last month was aimed at allowing me to be present at the Jerez test with MotoGP. » A private test which took place a week before the official test in Valencia.
SO ? Why this absence ? The 37-year-old pilot gives the answer, and warns.
“You will see the final version at Sepang, but for the Valencia test there were decisions to be made on the parts. It is certain that the new motorcycle will not be a revolution compared to the previous one, but an evolution with some improvements. The objective is to continue our momentum and in Malaysia, there will be some surprises with the Ducati. »
Michele Pirro will be present during the shakedown in Sepang, where he will meet a certain Marc Marquez, whose comments he is eager to hear.
“Having Marquez in the Ducati team is an opportunity, because we are talking about a champion. I'm eager to hear what he sees as the bike's weak points. Marc will definitely be able to help us improve the Ducati by asserting himself and filling in the gaps. He is certainly a driver with a lot of experience. »
As for his discord with Lorenzo Zanetti, the man from San Giovanni Rotondo wants to be open but remains firm.
“Yes, for me there is no problem meeting Lorenzo. The fact is that what happened in Imola must make us think because it cannot set a precedent for the future. If someone makes a mistake they should be punished, period, there is no excuse. This is the case in all disciplines, because when someone makes a mistake, there is a sanction. And I say this thinking especially of the young people who ride motorcycles, because maybe next year a rider, in the last race, can imitate what he did in Imola to win the title, taking advantage of the precedent of Imola. This absolutely cannot happen and something needs to be done about it. »
Still anticipating domination by the reds next year, he concludes, « the important thing is that, until now, it is the riders who choose to race with Ducati and not the other way around. »
