In MotoGP, time never stops and movement is always perpetual. The driver transfer market for the 2017 and 2018 seasons has barely started as 2016 has begun. With the main positions now filled one might have expected a lull behind the scenes. But now it is the teams' plans for 2018 that are in the spotlight. And it’s Pramac who gets the ball rolling with an assertive approach with Suzuki instead of Ducati.
The Pramac team is historically the typical satellite structure of the Ducati factory. Between Francesco Guidotti the boss and the factory of Borgo Panigale, the osmosis is total and the complicity is current. And yet, nothing is set in stone. In an interview with crash.net, the transalpine first confirms without batting an eyelid that the future of his pair of pilots Redding-Petrucci is very clear. The duo will be in the same box in 2017. That said, the equipment remains to be defined. And this is where the questions arise.
Until then, the routine was for Pramac to ride with the official machines from the previous season. But for 2017, the situation changes. First of all, Jorge Lorenzo will take up residence and the future policy of the red team will depend on the directions given by the one who is expected to be the messiah. Then, we will remind you that the Desmosedici will have to run without the wings next year. With what consequences on their behavior? It’s the unknown: “ Ducati will first focus on Lorenzo and at the moment I don't know anything about what they want to do for 2017 » declares the boss. “ It also depends on when the new bike will be ready, if there is one. But since 2013 we have been very close to the factory and I am confident in a strategy that will prove competitive ».
2017 seems to be shaping up to be a transitional stage marked by the arrival of Lorenzo. What if it was also the epilogue between Pramac and Ducati? “ We are linked with Ducati until the end of 2017. Then there is nothing so why not think about other opportunities. Suzuki has said it wants two more bikes in 2018. We have already approached them and their response has been positive. This possibility can be seriously considered. But we have time to think about it, even if, at the moment, all the teams are already looking towards 2018 ».
A trend encouraged by Carmelo Ezpeleta : " Dorna said the ideal situation would be the presence of six official teams with six satellite teams. We will see ". The MotoGP chessboard is therefore likely to move. Imagine for a single moment that in addition Valentino Rossi brings his VR46 team up to the premier category. What about Yamaha?
