There are still 148 points to be awarded this year but Ducati is already certain that the drivers’ title will return to it. Only the first four in the championship still have a mathematical chance of being crowned and each of them has the Desmosedici. Among them, Jorge Martín and Pecco Bagnaia are detached from Marc Márquez and Enea Bastianini, and the main favorites are separated by only ten points.
The two leaders have exactly the same machine despite a different context: Bagnaia represents the official team and will continue to do so for at least two more seasons, while Martín wears the colors of a satellite team, Pramac, and will leave for the competition , Aprilia, in a few weeks.
At a press conference at Phillip Island, a video of Pedro Acosta was broadcast and, mischievously, the rookie asked the two contenders if they were sure of being treated equally. No doubt on Bagnaia’s side, who takes as an example the chassis that he really appreciated during the Misano test but that Ducati is not able to produce in enough copies to provide it to all the GP24 riders this year, which pushed the brand to abandon launching it in competition this season.
“I think if they wanted to help me in some way, I could have already had something better than our package [actuel] in Misano because we tested a new chassis”declared the winner of the last two championships. “It’s not ready for everyone so we don’t use it. It’s more correct that it be like that.”
Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martín
Photo by: Dorna
“I think Gigi [Dall’Igna, directeur général de Ducati] has always been clear on this subject, since my debut on the Ducati. This has been even more the case for two seasons: the factory teams have the same package, nothing more, nothing less. Or if there’s something new, everyone has it. I think it’s a different strategy compared to others but it allowed Ducati to be there. It is thanks to this, this strategy, that Ducati is so successful. I don’t think and I don’t believe that anything will change by Valencia.”
Martín was less talkative about Acosta’s question, simply expressing his hope of receiving the same treatment as Bagnaia until he leaves for Aprilia. “I understand why he asks that question!”the championship leader laughed. “He’s asking this question because he’s thinking about it. I don’t have control over that so I’m not going to focus on that, I’m going to focus on driving. I hope that’s not the case, but I’m going to focus on what I can control, which is to drive 100% and try to be fast.”
