Let's talk MotoGP: Why Pecco Bagnaia shouldn't have said that

Nobody expected it. Shortly after the French Grand Prix, Pecco Bagnaia spoke on a relatively sensitive subject, namely the performance gap between private and official. Indeed, since 2016 and the introduction of the single ECU, drivers racing on satellite machines can finally claim victory. The reigning world champion exposed himself by uttering such an opinion, and his opponents were quick to attack him. Analysis in several points.

I) Respectable speaking

We would like to congratulate Pecco Bagnaia for his speaking. We do not agree with his observation, but in an era where everything is policed, we must support these initiatives because they allow the sport in question to evolve. The Italian, who asserts this head-on in front of the camera, knows full well that his opinion is unpopular and that he will have to face criticism. Of course, a few days later, here he backpedals somewhat under the pretext of leaving the context, but his words were nevertheless clear.

II) There is truth in what Pecco says

Before moving on to what we liked less, we noted an interesting argument. In his release, Pecco talks about the “Big Four” Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner, Valentino Rossi et Dani Pedrosa, and to what extent the status of official pilot allowed the same men to fight, weekend after weekend. This thus shaped the rivalries conducive to the expansion of MotoGP. On this specific point, we totally agree with him..

 

We have had the opportunity to come back to this in numerous articles, but the introduction of the single ECU has largely limited rivalries because performance has become much more uncertain.. In 2016 we had nine different winners, as in 2020. Sometimes, some of these feats are absolutely inexplicable and defy all logic.

As a result, previously more discreet pilots began to win, and this took away air time from the big names. Who says less presence of the same pilots at the forefront means fewer recurring battles, which results in a drop in audience. This has been our thesis for several years. We are convinced that the introduction of the single ECU, among other measures, is partly responsible for the drop in attendance at the trackside. Imagine that since 2021, fabio quartararo et Pecco Bagnaia all compete for victories. Inevitably, a rivalry will arise.

If Jorge Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi had been regularly beaten by Randy De Puniet or Álvaro Bautista, their games would not have had the same flavor.

III) Is he already afraid?

Overall, we largely disagree with his intervention, for several reasons. First of all, he is in a bad position to bring this up, as Hervé Poncharal rightly pointed out.. Pecco moved up to MotoGP with Pramac Racing, which is the closest private team to a factory team on the grid except for GASGAS. Davide Tardozzi reminded him at the 2022 Catalan Grand Prix, Pramac is a “sister stable”. In fact, a man who has benefited from this status cannot say that he would have liked to be less efficient.

Urban artist Pecco Bagnaia wasn't even that good in his two seasons at Pramac when the machine rivaled the one used by Andrea Dovizioso et Danilo Petrucci. We will never know if he could have signed with the official team without this parameter, and that another factory driver, benefiting from a highly efficient machine, would have taken his place.

 

Secondly, we must not forget why Pecco Bagnaia was speaking. Indeed, we are talking here about the aggressiveness of drivers who want to project themselves forward as quickly as possible, during the Sprint or the Grand Prix. If it is verified for some of them, in particular Alex Marquez, the majority of major collisions at the start of the season were caused by official drivers.

Marc Márquez, in particular, is very hard on the man, always on the limit on every overtake ; we will return to his case in a few days. Brad Binder complained about Maverick Viñales in Argentina, just like Luca Marini complained about the South African at Le Mans! In Jerez, DORNA sanctioned the two official Yamaha riders, each time deemed responsible for displaying the red flags. During the Andalusian meeting, Jack Miller railed against Pecco Bagnaia and the latter, at Le Mans, made the same gesture against Marc Márquez during the Sprint! During the Sunday race, the Ducati official clashed with… Maverick Viñales. In short, you will have understood, it is the snake which dies its tail. The fact remains that the tense atmosphere on the track is not only the fault of the satellite drivers, it is a certainty.

Third, this statement does not put him in a good position. From now on, drivers and spectators will scrutinize each of his overtakes, in order to check that he does not contradict himself. With a little hindsight, we could believe that his exit reflects fear, while we think that he has no reason to worry about Marco Bezzecchi, still victorious in Sarthe. However, saying that the private ones are too close can hardly be interpreted differently. It's almost a shame that a pilot of his caliber would stoop to this debate, but as Jorge Lorenzo before him, he shouts his fears loud and clear. This can give him a very bad image in a “tough guy” sport, or in fact, we must constantly remind ourselves that we love contact or risk being ridiculed.

What do you think of his statement? Did she come so badly? Tell us in the comments!

 

 

Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport