There is little, Livio Suppo, Racing Consultant revealed that in 2011, Honda had launched an initiative that has since become a law of the transfer market: that of signing a driver very early in the current season for the following years. In this case, it was a Casey Stoner poached from Ducati. This year, HRC did even better: not only did it retain the loyalty of its champion Marc Márquez even before the first Grand Prix of the campaign to launch, but the trigram established a new lease duration. Until now, it was commonly estimated at two years. Here it is extended to four years. Ducati's Paolo Ciabatti tells us what he thinks...
Between Ducati et Honda, in MotoGP, we never stop responding to each other. Each comment from one brings an echo from the other. A tense atmosphere since the history of deflector on the swing arm which brought both parties before a court, at the start of the 2019 season... Since then, we have not let go of each other, with current events providing the opportunity to exchange pleasantries.
The Ducati sporting director thus returned to the new contract of Marc Márquez, signed with Honda for up to four years. A new standard to respect in the MotoGP paddock? “ This is not the new standard, it is the unexpected and courageous decision that Honda made to keep the only driver who gives them the guarantee of being able to win a lot »
A sentence which will not fail to provoke a reaction, thus highlighting a purely theoretical notion of “courage”… To find out if, with such a duration, which of the manufacturer or the driver is more linked to the other, the Italian comments : “ you need to know the terms of the contract to judge. Marquez made a choice that, I suppose, was well paid, knowing that he will be linked for a very long period to the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world with which he has won many times in recent years ».
« From Honda, although I know that Puig will bring out Doohan and all the other stories, the truth is that without Marc from 2013 he would not have won a MotoGP championship, it's a fact. They therefore insured the pilot who gives the guarantee of being a winner very often, as he did even when the bike wasn't the best of the lot ". Certainly, but what can we blame Honda for? It will be recalled that Ducati had Casey Stoner and that the brand was unable to keep it. However, it was still the Australian who brought home the world champion title in 2007. The only one to date for Borgo Panigale. So, who is right ?
