Claudio Domenicali is the boss of a Ducati manufacturer which can boast, after this half-season in MotoGP, of the best results in terms of victories and pole positions. But he regrets, at the same time, to see his best rider in the overall championship standings only in third place, 58 points behind leader Fabio Quartararo on Yamaha. Worse, a fellow Aprilia, but also a rival for national supremacy, is in front. This without specifying that its factory drivers are not among the best ranked in the race for a title which is the big objective set since 2007. The succession of Casey Stoner is not simple, even with the best machine on the field and This calls out to the boss who is telling his four truths during this summer break. At the start of the school year, we will have to do better…
Claudio Domenicali has emptied its bag in this mid-season of MotoGP which brought a lot of satisfaction, but in too scattered order. The first in line, Pecco Bagnaia, designated for the ascent to the title, turned out to be too brittle and the latest news item which put him at the center of a material accident which revealed driving under the influence of an alcoholic state did not didn't help matters for the Italian. Finally, it did not escape the CEO of the Borgo Panigale factory that his motorcycles were in the crosshairs of a moralistic competition which found in the themes of overtaking and safety the chimeras to hide its incompetence to do so too. well within the framework of an absolutely respected regulation.
Claudio Domenicali therefore had enough to say what was on his heart, and he did not hold back by occasionally giving some indications on what he would like to see in the second part of the season... Before to pour out, he reassures on one point: “ the team is united and the climate is positive ". A state of mind that counts at a time when, before the end of August, the arbitration will be made between Enea Bastianini et George Martin to know who, of the two, will be the teammate of Pecco Bagnaia.
Claudio Domenicali: Pecco Bagnaia lacks a pinch of maturity
Exactly, bagnaia… The boss does not hide the Ibiza affair: “ Gigi Dall'Igna contacted him, there was no need for my intervention ", said Sundays has 'La Gazzetta dello Sport'. « Pecco immediately understood that this was inappropriate behavior. And he said it publicly ". On who was to be the first pilot, he adds: “ he has talent and determination. So far, he lacked a pinch of maturity in some races, it is the last step to take to capture the World Championship. But I believe it, these points can be recovered ».
Certainly, but for the moment, bagnaia is not what is expected at home Ducati. Claudio Domenicali recognizes that this place must be taken within his troops: “ we are missing the scorer. On the other hand, some teams have built the entire project on a single ace and this makes you too dependent, because if the ace is missing… ". In any case, in 2023, Ducati arranges for a menage a trois. The CEO says: “ Both Bastianini and Martin will have an official Desmosedici, with all the material and developments in real time. It's like having three pilots. The only difference will be that one will have the official Ducati livery and the other Pramac ».
Claudio Domenicali ends his remarks with a thought for a competition that often thinks about its motorcycles: “ This makes me smile, because some teams spend twice as much as us just to pay a driver. They say the front wings hinder overtaking? Watch Aleix Espargaró's race at Assen, a manual for overtaking. Some decisions only seem political to me, and that annoys me to a certain extent ". The return to Silverstone on August 7 should be in the tone of this current season: exciting.
