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Calendar, market, riders and much, much more. These are some of the topics we discussed during our regular Live chat on Saturday evening in the company of our very own Carlo Pernat. The Ligurian manager in fact commented on the latest news of the week, which on this occasion saw the publication of the long-awaited calendar.
“So guys, let's start with the calendar - began Pernat - more than that Dorna hasn’t been able to do. It was obvious that the World Championship would take place in Europe, the rounds in Spain are welcome, as are the two in Misano. It is not a Spanish championship, but a World Championship. There are, however, two new things: the first concerns the Czech Republic, where they have asked the Government to open their doors to the public for the race with the presence of 30,000 spectators. The second instead concerns Qatar, which is not out of the scene at all. There is a proposal to put MotoGP and Superbike together in one weekend. "
What do you think instead of what happened in Honda with the arrival of Pol Espargarò?
“Honestly, I wouldn't want to be Puig the first time he finds himself in the garage with the Marquez brothers. I expect some major consequences after this affair, so much so that I see Puig’s place under threat. I fear that there is going to be a big mess in Honda, since with Marc you can touch everything except his brother”.
So do you think there could be repercussions?
“For sure, there will be a thousand clauses in Marc's contract, but this fact is a lack of correctness towards him. I don't know if he will continue with Honda for four years. In my opinion, he will do two years and then say goodbye”.
Meanwhile, the week has also seen the accusation of tax evasion against Sito Pons...
“I fear that Baldassarri and the team risk big time because of this situation. We should remember, among other things, what happened two years ago, when Sito was involved in another story. I think Carmelo will have to invent something in the face of this accusation ".
Let's get back to talking about MotoGP. Why Marini and not Martin with Pramac?
“The matter of Martin is a battle between Honda and Ducati. If Honda hadn't made a proposal to Jorge, Ducati would have waited. "
Some observers are saying Martin with KTM…
“If I were KTM I would have already signed Dovizioso, or Petrucci. KTM needs experienced riders and so far, the Austrian manufacturer hasn’t moved well at all in MotoGP, both in the choice of its riders and as regards the development of the bike ".
What about Valentino? How much significance will his farewell have?
“25% of the people who come to the circuit do it to see Rossi. When Vale stops, these people are gone. "
But he will continue…
"Exactly! There are still some details to be sorted, but everything is already settled. Full marks for how Yamaha did it. In fact, I can tell you more: Valentino is more afraid that Francesca Novello will ask him to get married than continue racing. "
Let's talk for a moment about the young guys: Romano Fenati…
“Romano has made several mistakes in his career, but his category is Moto2. He asked me to be his manager and I can tell you that he already had a contract signed with Boscoscuro, then we did nothing. With SpeedUp he would have done a great championship, that was his big chance ”.
And what about the others?
“I would say that the guys of the future are Bastianini, Bezzecchi, Baldassarri, to whom I can add Di Giannantonio and Marini. They are going to give us a lot of satisfaction”.
Going back to the subject of the market. Is it normal for the negotiations to go crazy like this?
“In my opinion, the surprises are not over yet. 2020 has really driven everyone crazy, from Honda to Ducati, without forgetting Moto2. The market is still wide open and will continue to be so”.
Speaking of the future: when will we see Leopard in MotoGP?
“The projects have already started to do Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP. They have a really strong and well-organized structure with a great project. Obviously, it will not be easy to plan everything as a lot will depend on what Avintia will do. As soon as they drop out of MotoGP there will be a queue. "
Carlo, don't you think it's dangerous for Dovi to compete in motocross races?
"If he had done motocross, he would have taken home some World Championship titles; he is a really strong rider in that specialty."
Let's talk a little bit about numbers. How much do the manufacturers invest in the World Championship?
"At the moment, Honda is the company that spends more than anyone, about 70 million, then 50 for Ducati and Yamaha, 30 for Suzuki and KTM, 20 for Aprilia. These are indicative figures. At the moment a sponsor like Repsol or Phillip Morris can be valued at 15 million euros per year ".
Carlo, what do you think of the fact that Stoner has expressed a desire to be involved in MotoGP?
“I would take him immediately, without second thoughts. Like as a coach. The problem is that he costs too much ”.
And Iannone instead?
“I would like to see him race, but his situation is getting worse, it is not at all simple. These four years are a real risk".
Finally, what do you think of Bulega?
“Unfortunately, he is paying for his height, which has penalized him several times. Bulega is however a strong rider and about that there is no doubt”.
And to conclude: Are Morbidelli and Bagnaia’s contracts at risk?
"Franco no, Pecco instead yes, he will have to do well in the first three or four races".
