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by Giorgio Burreddu
Ducati intervened in the spat between Dovizioso and Petrucci, when sporting director Paolo Ciabatti spoke to the microphones of SKY TV to give a lucid analysis of the situation.
“Andrea was upset. I spoke to him immediately after, he did not expect Danilo, who was slower and could not stay in front of him and give him a tow, got in behind him. Andrea never wanted any kind of strategy. I simply believe that since all riders are selfish in certain situations, Danilo was selfish in this situation. But Danilo and Andrea have a special relationship. For sure I didn’t find out now that riders are selfish. But perhaps, knowing that your teammate is fighting for the world championship, a little more attention might be necessary... On the bike, at that speed, with adrenaline, maybe you don't think about certain things ".
The Borgo Panigale manager tried to make sense of what happened…
"Danilo and Andrea travel together, tomorrow they will return together to Italy, there is a rapport ... They certainly see each other, talk to each other, they hang out a lot, but in my opinion a characteristic of the riders has emerged: egoism. Danilo decided to take advantage of that situation, he did the lap of his life in view of the conditions in which we had arrived here, and unfortunately Andrea who was second became third because Miller also came along and as we know is fast in the flying lap. Do you want me to tell you I'm sorry? Very much. I think Andrea had the pace to make a great race, I hope he can make a great start tomorrow because otherwise it won't be easy. Andrea is not angry with Ducati, Ducati is giving him all the support possible because we want to win the championship too. What's more: the world championship is the first of our goals and we can only win it with Dovizioso this year. And that's the situation".
In the studio there was a bit of bit of back-and-forth between Mauro Sanchini, the voice of Sky Sport, and Ciabatti. To Sanchini, who asked why Ducati had not supported Dovizioso with a strategy, Ciabatti replied.
“I think that you talk a lot like a fan from time to time. It is not true that Andrea does not have our support. He didn't want to have a tow from anyone. He simply did not expect that in the second fastest lap he was doing, Danilo was behind him taking a small advantage. Danilo wasn't faster, what were we sending him in front to do? Andrea didn't want to be towed by anyone, he wanted to lap alone. If you think we should have forced him to be towed by Petrucci, I'm sorry but that wasn't what the rider wanted ”.
For the Ducati manager, the affair is much simpler and he explained.
“There are no team orders. Andrea was upset, I spoke to him immediately afterwards, he didn't expect Danilo, who was slower and couldn't stay in front to tow him, to get behind him. Andrea never wanted any kind of strategy. I simply believe that since all riders are selfish in certain situations, Danilo was selfish in this situation ”.
What if it was the last lap of the race when conditions change...
“The races are different, the dynamics are particular, it's a question of predicting. And it's not easy. We have always said that our riders must not hinder each other, what happened between Dovi and Iannone in Argentina in 2016 must not happen again. When it comes to the very last races, it will be necessary to reason on the basis of the classification. What we are asking now is not to get in each other’s way ”.
And he finished with a comment:
“If we had finished first and second in Q1 we would have been phenomenal. Instead we were first and third, but with another Ducati second, the Ducati that is not fighting for the title ”.
