Sporting director of Ducati Corse for many years, Paolo Ciabatti is the one most often responsible for expressing the brand's point of view, with General Manager Luigi Dall'Igna frequently being very busy with technical matters and organization. of the team. Ciabatti is generally quite diplomatic, so his recent criticism of Johann Zarco came as a surprise. But when you think about it, is this a criticism or rather advice to help him solve his major problem?
After the termination of his contract with KTM amicably at the end of the year, Johann considered becoming a test driver for a manufacturer, while racing a few GPs as a wildcard and then returning as a permanent driver. At the house of Ducati, the door remained closed because the Bolognese firm has under contract Michele Pirro again for next year.
« Zarco knows we have no room for him » declared Sports Director Paolo Ciabatti during a interview with Speedweek.com.
“He’s a fast rider, of course, he’s a two-time Moto2 World Champion. He wasn't that young when he arrived in MotoGP, but he surprised everyone. He was very fast with the Yamaha in 2017 and 2018.”
“Zarco is still a very fast driver, but what I noticed is his situation in a personal environment which is not ideal. »
“His performance in 2019 is therefore not only influenced by the performance of his bike, but also by some facts that can be attributed to those around him. »
“We fully respect Zarco and his driving skills. But we can't offer him anything. »
At first glance, this might seem like a criticism, but that's not Ciabatti's style. His views are generally positive and always respectful.
We can therefore assume that he has noticed Johann's current distress and is seeking, by helping him to become aware of the nature of his problem, rather to give him useful advice than to be unpleasant to him.
We see the whole of a problem more easily when we are on the outside of it, rather than on the inside being shaken by the maelstrom. As Lao Tzu said, “ When you fall, you have to get up first, then think again. If you think when you're on the ground, you won't get up any time soon. »
Photos © Ducati and Christian Bourget
