Sunday in Jerez wrote a new chapter in the history of Ducati. The 1-2 win for Miller and Bagnaia, with the latter climbing to the top of the MotoGP championship standings, was confirmation that dealing the cards worked. In Borgo Panigale they have found their present and their future and Paolo Ciabatti, sporting director of the Reds, cannot hide his satisfaction.
“This result was a confirmation because we were convinced that we could do well, but 1st and 2nd place far exceeded our expectations – the Turin manager admitted – Last year Bagnaia was 2nd before his engine problem and we got 3rd with Dovizioso and 4th with Miller, so it’s a difficult track but not as much as in previous years. To do a 1-2 in Jerez was a very pleasant surprise and confirms that we are working well because our bikes have always been on the podium since the beginning of the season.
When you see the festivities in the garage, it seems like there is a really unified atmosphere now …
“Miller and Bagnaia get along well, they value each other and this win is important for many reasons. Not only because it’s the first in Jerez in 15 years, but also because it is the first for Jack with the Ducati at a time when, according to his own account, he had gotten into a not very positive spiral. And also because Pecco has proven to be a very fast, solid and clear driver and we are leading the world championship with him. “
Did you have any doubts about Miller after the first few races?
“For our part there has never been any doubt because we think he is a very talented driver. Also, like so many drivers who had compartment syndrome problems at Jerez, including Quartararo who is otherwise a very hard to beat Opponent, Jack had it in Qatar and his results were determined by it; in Portimao he was not 100%, he had had an operation just 8 days before and that fall had put him in a difficult position after some excellent winter tests. He had put himself in a situation that could have been very negative, and this victory, along with the reward for his work, got him out of this spiral that could have had negative effects. “
Miller thanked him after the race …
“We have always trusted him, we did everything to make him feel supported. We didn’t start this adventure together as he and we expected, but we knew it would only be a matter of time. On Sunday he won and took a lot of weight off his shoulders, but above all one that he put on himself.
Bagnaia leads the championship, can you say that it will be difficult for him now?
“I believe that Pecco not only has a great talent, but also a clarity, a coldness in assessing situations and managing the races that doesn’t let him feel this pressure too much. As he said, now it is better not to think too much about the championship or you can start slowly. Finishing first is important for him and for us, but there are 14 races left on the calendar so we have to keep our feet on the ground and build the championship race after race. Now we’re going to be racing on two tracks that are quite cheap on paper, even though I’m sure that Fabio will be very strong at Le Mans and not just him. Then it’s Mugello we must try to maximize all the possibilities available to us without making mistakes. We have done well in Barcelona in the past but we know that there is less grip every year and it is a situation that gives us problems. The tests on Monday also served to try out solutions to improve our competitiveness under these conditions. “
These are three chances for Bagnaia to take a first win. Do you think he could take another step forward with that?
“This is his third season, Mir won the World Championship in his second year and I think Pecco already had the pace last year to win the second race at Misano, then he crashed. He is a very mature driver, it is clear that the first win takes a burden off a burden, but in his case it will only be a matter of time ”.
Is this new team from Miller and Bagnaia already a safe bet?
“I would say yes because it was a difficult, brave decision and some even criticized it. We thought it was the right time for it and we had great confidence in the two drivers, then only the results tell whether the choice was the right one or not. I believe that the work that is being done right now, the approach of the drivers and the whole team, the desire to keep improving shows the spirit and enthusiasm that we needed. “
Is that Ducati’s strength right now?
“It is one of the strengths, together with the fact that the bike will be improved in 2021 thanks to the continuous work of our engineers under the guidance of Gigi, it is certainly a combination of two factors. We focused on a few characteristics of the Desmosedici, such as difficulty in cornering, and today it is an extremely balanced bike. We’ll never have the cornering speed of the Yamaha because it’s a different project, but we’ve improved that aspect as well. There is a great desire to be good together and to enjoy this freshness that is present in the team. “
Is Miller’s renewal for next year a foregone conclusion?
“He’s a rider we want to stay with Ducati, on Sunday he proved himself to be the winning driver and we want winning riders “.
Speaking of 2022, negotiations are also ongoing for the second independent team. How is the situation?
“I repeat that we would like to have 6 bikes, we would like to have both the ability to have 6 riders and more data for many reasons. We’re talking to both Gresini and VR46, I think a decision will be made by Mugello.
Any preferences for Ducati?
“Gresini Racing has always been a reality that made things serious, while VR46 started winning projects in Moto3 and Moto2 and this year got a foot in MotoGP through an agreement with Esponsorama. Both are solid realities and we’ll see how the discussion develops ”.
Is it possible to enter 8 bikes?
“We have already done this in the recent past when we had the Avintia and Aspar teams alongside Pramac. It’s a big commitment for sure, but if the conditions are right I think we could evaluate it.
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