You couldn't have missed it at the Thailand Grand Prix No matter what platform you were watching the race on, the commentators were bound to mention Ducati's string of consecutive podium finishes. Indeed, it had been 88 races in a row that at least one Borgo Panigale rider had finished on the podium. Do you remember the last GP without Desmosedici on the podium? Let's rewind!
MotoGP has changed
To find the race in question, we have to go back to 2021, to Silverstone. At the time, the championship was completely different: Fabio Quartararo, on his Yamaha, was heading straight for his first world championship title, while Pecco Bagnaia had yet to win a single race in the premier class.Jorge Martin, riding for Ducati Pramac, already had a victory under his belt, while Marc Marquez, still with Repsol Honda, was trying to return to his best form after an absence of almost a year. Maverick Viñales, also with Yamaha, had just been dropped after a meltdown in Austria.
Strange qualifications
During this weekend devoid of Sprints (introduced two years later), qualifying resulted in an incredible performance from a Repsol Honda rider. Who? Pol Espargarao! Indeed, "Pollycio" spent two years as a factory driver for the Japanese manufacturer, and I can't explain why, but it feels like those two seasons never really happened. In any case, he was quite fast over a single lap in 2021, the first of those two years. However, once the lights went out, he struggled to convert those times into fast laps. Second on the starting grid, Bagnaia confirmed his rise to prominence at Ducati.
The race, if I remember correctly, was relatively forgettable; it didn't particularly stand out. I do remember Fabio Quartararo's victory, of course, but not much else. The event was marked by Bagnaia's poor form, precisely. Silverstone certainly doesn't bring him much luck; the Italian finished 14th. Up front, things weren't particularly interesting either. Quartararo triumphed by just over 2.5 seconds ahead of a surprising Alex Rins, who secured his only podium finish of the season.In third position was Aleix Espargaro, marking the very first top-three finish for an Aprilia in its current era, when the team was still associated with Gresini Racing. Looking back and considering the context of the time, it was a rather unusual trio that lined up in parc fermé.
Well, the first Ducati wasn't out of the running yet, though., since Jack Miller, then a factory driver for the Italian brand, took the points for fourth place.
Another time
It's hard to realize how quickly time passes.The year 2021 isn't that far away, but the increasing number of events (we now exceed 40 starts per year) doesn't help with efficiency. When I look at this grid again, I find some anomalies: Joan Mir, third in the championship, who delivered what I still consider his best performance in MotoGPBut also, a Valentino Rossi in a final stand, completely outclassed. Even worse, There was the return of Andrea Dovizioso mid-season to Yamaha Petronas SRT, whereas he should have remained retired. During this race at Silverstone, Jake Dixon, future Honda rider in WSBK, was present in the SRT garage in place of the injured Franco Morbidelli.
I'm curious to know if you have any memories of that Grand Prix, then. tell me in the comments!
As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport