At Ducati, this Thursday near Barcelona, the drink poured into the buckets during the drink celebrating the extension of Alvaro Bautista's contract for another year had a bitter taste. Because, at the same time, a press release from the FIM had come out, mentioning that the Panigale V4R was going to lose 250 rpm at its maximum engine speed, the same that Kawasaki was going to be able to put back on its ZX-10R. Among Italians, the pill has difficulty going down, even with a good swig of Prosecco…
And Prosecco, precisely, Alvaro Bautista has overused it a little too much on the podiums since the start of the season. Before this deadline in Catalonia, the reigning World Champion, who will also be there in 2024, took advantage eight times out of nine possible opportunities from the top step of the podium. A domination which caused a reaction in high places.
Ducati was warned: “ we can change the rules at any time, to guarantee balance, because that's the Superbike philosophy »
La END had however warned as early as Assen with this sentence: “we can change the rules at any time, to guarantee balance, because that’s the Superbike philosophy ". No sooner said than done as soon as the paddock was set up near Barcelona. Yes but the Panigale V4R takes 16 500 rev / min original. She was aligned in WSBK with already 400 rpm less and now the delta goes to 650 rpm.
Like a contradiction while in the official stand Ducati, we have little taste for a situation that is legally fair, but which is nevertheless considered a sanction. The team manager Seraphim Foti thus informed GP One : " this sanction goes against the spirit of the competition. What is the point of investing to be penalized? And why didn't all this happen when Rea was dominating ? They penalized Alvaro, but the other Ducatis behind in the standings will also suffer ».
« It seems strange to me that, in the same day, there is a penalty on one side and an increase on the other. In terms of the regulations everything is correct, but in my opinion the way they apply it is not. » the manager finishes. The fact remains that, indeed, Bassani, Rinaldi, Öttl or even Petrucci will also be impacted this weekend by the new measure.
