Ducati's sporting director celebrated the good results as a factory, but acknowledged that the balance is not 100% positive, since the 2022 season lacked consistency. Manager, however, ruled out throwing in the towel, since, mathematically, the title is still possible
Ducati has laid out a clear plan to try and seek out Fabio Quartararo in the MotoGP Riders' World Championship. On the eve of the resumption of the 2022 season, the manager made an assessment of the first part of the championship and avoided throwing in the towel, but acknowledged that it will take an aggressive tactic to recover the 66 points Francesco Bagnaia has in relation to the Frenchman.
Ducati Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti evaluated that, as a brand, Ducati has nothing to complain about. After all, although the factory team took a while to wake up, as the GP22 proved to be more difficult to get right, Enea Bastianini won three times in the year, while Johann Zarco added four podiums and a pole in 11 races.
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"As a factory, we can only be satisfied, because we've won five out of ten races, we've done seven poles, there's always been at least one Ducati on the podium, always a Ducati on the front row, so this is a good result for the brand, as well as us leading the Constructors' World Championship by 49 points, if I'm not mistaken," Ciabatti told the MotoGP website before the Dutch GP. "But on the other hand, we lack a bit of consistency, with our riders," he assumed.
"For sure, we showed that we can be competitive on all tracks, even on circuits where normally Ducati had difficulties. At Sachsenring we saw many Ducati going well, Pecco was fantastic on Friday and Saturday, pole-position, but of course that crash on the third lap was very disappointing for him and for us, because now we have less chances to fight for the championship," he recalled. "Of course we will fight, but with the level of consistency that Fabio has, and I would say also that Aleix Espargaró has, it will be difficult to catch up. We'll try, but it's not so easy," he pointed out.
Ducati closed the first part of the 2022 season with 246 points in the Constructors' World Championship, 74 ahead of Yamaha, the second-placed team. In the riders' contest, Zarco is the best placed, in third, 58 points behind Quartararo. Bagnaia is fourth, 66 points behind.
Asked what the plan is for the second round of the 2022 season, Ciabatti ruled out throwing in the towel and warned that as long as there is a mathematical chance, Ducati will keep up the fight.
"We know that the bike is capable of being at the top in each of the circuits. At least, that's what we've demonstrated so far," he commented. "We are working with our riders as well to get them in the right mindset," he continued.
"Nothing is lost as long as mathematically it's still possible, so we will try to get as many points as possible, try to win races, try to be on the podium and hopefully not have any more zeroes," he closed.
MotoGP is now on vacation and will resume on August 7, with the British GP at Silverstone.GRANDE PRÊMIO is following all the activities of the 2022 MotoGP World Championship.