The Pramac team had its best season in the premier category last year, helped by a particularly efficient duo of drivers. What to consider with optimism the new exercise that is coming.
In many ways, 2021 has been a successful year for the Pramac team, arguably its best in MotoGP so far. The bar had however been set high by the penultimate duo of riders composed of Pecco Bagnaia and Jack Miller, who have since joined the official Ducati team with no less success.
But with the then reigning Moto2 World Champion Jorge Martín, as well as a more vengeful Johann Zarco than ever after his failure with KTM, the Italian structure had a line up capable of making sparks, and that did not didn't miss it.
Zarco hit the ground running at the start of the season, reaching the podium four times (we won't forget his pole position at the Sachsenring) and temporarily leading the championship before a slump in the middle of the season, to finish in fifth place in the general classification, his best result in MotoGP (the Frenchman finished sixth during his first two seasons with Tech3 in 2017 and 2018).
For his part, his Spanish teammate, who, let's remember, made his debut last year in the premier category, was able to recover from a heavy fall at the start of the season in Portimão to achieve a first victory during the Styrian GP – he was among the rest already on the third step of the podium, alongside second-placed Zarco, from the second round of the season at the Doha GP.
A decisive role in the awarding of the title among manufacturers
The success achieved by Martín in Austria during the summer was also the first for Pramac, and quite simply the first for a Ducati satellite team in MotoGP. An important milestone in the history of the transalpine team, which was thus able to contribute to obtaining Ducati's second manufacturer's title and thus demonstrate that Borgo Panigale was right to entrust it with two latest generation machines.
« Last year we won the manufacturers' title for the second year in a row, partly thanks to the efforts of Pramac. », recognized Paolo Ciabatti, the sporting director of Ducati Corse, during the presentation video of the Pramac team. “ We must understand that for us, Pramac is like a second factory team: they have exactly the same machines, the same opportunities as well as the same technical support. For Ducati, all that matters is that a Ducati wins. »
But after obtaining the constructors' and teams' titles last year, Ducati now wants to aim for the triple crown by returning to the drivers' crown, which would be a first since 2007 and Casey Stoner's first title.
A line up at the forefront of the fight
With two riders equipped with the brand new GP22, Pramac also finds itself in a position to place one of them at the pinnacle of the discipline: “ Pramac was the best independent team last year, just like Johann among the drivers, while Jorge was the best rookie. », continues Ciabatti. “ Johann and Jorge had fantastic results last year, and I am sure they will be able to fight for the podium or even the championship. »
For his part, after having assumed the status of best rookie last year (signing four pole positions along the way and achieving three podiums), Martín assures that the after-effects of his accident at the start of the season in Portimão are indeed behind him : " What's important is that I achieved my main goal, which was to win the Rookie of the Year title.", thus assures the Madrilenian. “Afterwards, it was clear that it was great to get my first pole position, my first podium and my first victory. I was also the victim of this big accident in Portimão at the start of the season, but when we returned to Portugal at the end of the season, for the second race organized there, I came out of it rather well [he finished seventh in the Algarve GP, editor's note], and I must say that I no longer have any apprehensions linked to this fall. »
“I no longer have any apprehensions linked to my fall from Portimão”, Jorge Martín
To find out if he also aims for the title this season, Martín wants to be cautious: “ Expectations are of course higher. My goal is to finish in the top 4 at the end of the championship. It's an ambitious goal, but I'm going to fight for it. »
The first round in Qatar, which will be held in the first week of March, should provide a clearer picture of what the Pramac drivers can really expect this season. Last year, Zarco and Martín both finished on the podium at the Doha GP. If such a scenario is repeated, then all hopes are allowed.
