Paolo Ciabatti announces changes in company philosophy: Valentino Rossi’s VR46 team will have two unofficial Ducatis.
Ducati collects the Constructors’ World Championship after the victory of Enea Bastianini in Aragon and now focuses on the drivers’ title. A goal that is now within reach, after Fabio Quartararo crashed on the first lap of the Aragonese race, bringing back a really heavy “zero” for the classification. Pecco Bagnaia approaches ten points, when there are five GPs left at the end, it could be a golden opportunity for the men of the Emilian company.
Too bad we sent five points up in smoke, with Pecco overtaken by Bastianini on the last lap and forced into second place. More than deserved the triumph of the ‘Bestia’, decidedly faster in the final, but the Ducati leaders do not hide a certain bitterness for those five points in the standings that could prove decisive at the end of the championship. “We hope not“, He stressed Paolo Ciabatti to Sky Sport. “We are not hypocrites, we would have preferred Pecco to win because it would have brought his detachment from Quartararo to 5“.
Two unofficial Ducatis in the VR46 team
Enea Bastianini, like any other driver, did not want to concede anything to his future box mate. A clear demonstration that there are no team orders in the Ducati pits as someone had hypothesized after the Misano round, which ended with Bagnaia’s victory over Bastianini for 34 thousandths. However, a change of philosophy in the next stages of the World Cup cannot be ruled out, because the Italian brand wants that title that has been missing since 2007. “Next year they will both be official drivers with the same chances, now we have to make some assessments, because we want to win the drivers’ title“.
Another change is planned for next season. There will be four, and no longer five, the Ducati Desmosedici officers. So in the VR46 team of Valentino Rossi there will be two GP22s next season, so that both Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi can process the data already collected in previous years. “Only Lenovo and Pramac will receive the last official bikes of 2023Sporting director Paolo Ciabatti told Speedweek.com.
The team manager echoes him Davide Tardozzi: “Ducatis are strong. Any specification is fast and can win. It is best if the other two satellite teams focus on proven bikes with a lot of data“. Other changes are also planned in the pits, especially as regards the technical department. A few days ago the news that Pramac Racing will hire the former driver and now an experienced manager Gino Borsoi. “The owner of the Pramac team Paolo Campinoti made an excellent choice – concluded Tardozzi -. Gino has a lot of experience“.
