You are here

MotoGP, Petrucci versus Redding: the real battle

Scott: "The agreement is to start over from Brno: the guy who has the most points at the end will get the factory Ducati"

Petrucci versus Redding: the real battle

Share


There's not only a world title and a second place at stake in the MotoGP during this final part of the season.

While Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo battle it out among themselves and with Marquez to achieve the ultimate prize, another fight, more modest but perhaps more intense, is that taking place between Danilo Petrucci and Scott Redding who are both out to 'win' the last remaining factory Ducati that Ducati will supply to team Pramac next season.

Both riders knew from the outset that only one of them would have this possibility, and the reason is clear: with Jorge Lorenzo coming on board, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer will have to focus on him. There are simply not the resources to supply four full factory bikes to Paolo Campinoti's team.

"I think that Ducati has gone with this strategy in order to have more bikes on track and therefore have more information - explains Scott Redding - the bike will probably change a little as it is adapted to Jorge's requirements and a third bike, with a third rider in addition to Jorge and Dovi, will help them in terms of development. Sure, perhaps this means being obliged to test a few things for them, but it also means having the chance to get on a factory bike and be able to race for a place in the top five".

But who will be the lucky man, Scott or Danilo?

At first, the decision was going to be taken in the simplest way possible, going with whoever had done better by the end of the championship. Then, after discussion between the riders and management, another solution was proposed.

"Danilo would have been at a disadvantage of course, having missed some races at the start of the season with his broken hand; on the other side, I've had some technical problems... so we agreed to start over from Brno. Eight Grand Prix to race, discarding each rider's worst result".

Redding is currently ahead of Petrucci in the championship, 55 to 50, but this doesn't count.
On the contrary, in this personal battle that is worth a GP17, it is Petrux who is ahead, having finished 7th, 9th and 11th respectively at Brno, Silverstone and Misano. Positions that amount to 21 points, or sixteen if we remove the worse result. Scott has only two actual results: two 15th places and a DNF.

So he has fourteen to make up over five races, in the most difficult phase of the season. After Aragon, the MotoGP will head east for the 'triple-header' of Motegi-Phillip Island-Sepang, before the final showdown at Valencia.

While it's true that the eyes of the world will be focused on the battle between Rossi and Lorenzo as they chase Marquez, ours will also be following Redding and Petrucci. A true example of a battle between bikers.

Translated by Heather Watson
__

Related articles