Ducati does not give team orders but it does give instructions to its riders

August 21, 2022

In Ducati there are no team orders, assure the bosses of the Bologna house whenever they have the opportunity, and the general director of the team, Paolo Ciabatti, reiterated this this Sunday morning at the Red Bull Ring, where this afternoon the Austrian Grand Prix MotoGP race.

In it, the Italians have placed up to five bikes in the first six positions on the grid, which they see as a great opportunity for Pecco Bagnaia to cut a point from Fabio Quartararo, although the Frenchman, who will start fifth, seems to have other plans and Ciabatti knows it.

“We have up to five bikes at the front of the grid, which is a favorable situation. The circuit has changed with the new chicane, but our bike works here. However, Fabio is super fast, as always, and although Aleix Espargaró is not one hundred percent, apart from the fact that he apparently doesn’t like the chicane very much, we have to be very careful and do a bit of strategy, try to put bikes in front and, above all, not to bother each other, because Fabio is always there, ”said the executive at the DAZN microphone.

Ciabatti aligned himself with the opinion of Pecco Bagnaia expressed on Saturday, when he said that there were many fast Ducatis in front and that could be a problem for his interests.

“The interesting thing would be to make a good start, put some bikes in front and, above all, not hinder each other, that is a bit of a problem because we have Bagnaia, but also Enea Bastianini and Johann Zarco with options to fight for the championship and Logically, they want to do well, like Jorge Martín, who also wants to do well for other reasons, it’s a good situation, but we hope we don’t bother each other”.

The executive of the Italian house went a little further in explaining that strategy when asked if there were explicit team orders.

“There is always freedom to win the race if one of our drivers can win, what we don’t want is to bother each other. If a Ducati rider is ahead and is not as fast as another behind, it is best to let him pass and try to follow him, to prevent the opponents behind from taking advantage. There are no strategies, but we do talk to the drivers to make them understand not to do stupid things on the track and to think, in addition to themselves, of the brand”.

The warning leaves no doubt, Bastiani starts from pole, but if Pecco arrives behind with pace, the idea would be to let him pass.

Bagnaia, who has won four races this year, the last two in a row, has cut 42 points in those two appointments from the World Championship leader, Quartararo, who now has 180 points, to 158 from Aleix Espargaró and 131 from Pecco, who must cut 49 points with 200 still at stake.

Behind, Bastianini (118), Zarco (114) and Jack Miller (107) complete the top six positions overall, with all three alongside Pecco, Fabio and Martín in the first two rows of the grid today.

Jack Miller, Ducati Team