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With all eyes on him, Marco Melandri took on the 2017 championship, returning to Superbike after a break during which he referred to himself with irony as "unemployed" as he awaited a new role after so many years of racing in the GP and SBK classes.
The agreement with team Aruba saw the Italian back in the saddle and, with the Panigale R, Marco finished fourth overall, winning at his home track of Misano, where his fans celebrated with him: “I think I've had a fantastic season -said #33- because, after a year's break and a return to SBK, I was able to reach the podium 13 times in 26 races, with a win and a half (the technical problem with the Panigale R at Jerez surely denied him a victory). I don't think many people believed in me, aside from my team, that wanted me because they knew that I wouldn't come back just to make up the numbers but rather to run up front and fight for any chance of a win”.
Is the level of competition even higher now?
“Yes, the level among the frontrunners is really high, at the start of the season there was quite a big gap between the top four and the chasing group, a gap that got smaller as the season went on, with the two Yamaha R1s also featuring at the front. You need to be fast in every race, in any condition, performance in terms of the flying lap and the rapid race pace don't allow for any kind of tactics, other than to be fast, always”.
Why are the Superbikes as fast as the MotoGPs at certain tracks, despite costing a lot less?
“Although the MotoGPs have a lot more horsepower than the Superbikes, at some tracks the prototypes' are unable to transfer all their power to the ground; at certain track, the MotoGPs only fully open the throttle for a few seconds and the difference between them and the Superbikes isn't so much about engine performance but the rider's performance. At certain tracks and in certain conditions, the SBK Pirelli tyres are easier to bring to the limit than the Michelins; we see this at Jerez during winter testing and at Assen, where it's cold and the air and track temperatures are low".
Did you receive the help from Ducati that you'd asked for at Jerez?
“We had a lot of new things at Jerez, but not good things, because they are conditioned by the new technical regulation; for us Ducati twin riders, the step back is much bigger than it is for the four-cylinders: the 600 rev reduction means a sacrifice in terms of torque, and at high speed we also have around 2000 revs of thrust less than the four-cylinders. We need more torque at low revs and we need to improve some details in terms of the chassis, in order to increase grip”.
Rea's Kawasaki has also been castrated but…
“…but Rea is still very fast. Rea's ZX10RR has lost around 900 revs in terms of maximum rotation, but the Kawasaki riders can count on a good range that goes from 7000 revs and pushes all the way to 14100, while we stop short at 12400 revs with the Ducati. The Kawasakis have a much wider range of use and they can better exploit the gear ratios”.
What do you expect in 2018?
“Now I have a year of experience with the factory Ducati Panigale R, this is my strength; it takes time to understand the bike and everything I've learned in 2017 will be useful next year. I think that Rea and Kawasaki are still the pairing to beat. My aim is to send the twin into retirement in the best possible well; then we'll see. I get on really well with the team, both in and out of the garage. I want to give continuity to this project, I have a very competent team, so I'll be aiming for a really good 2018 so that I can be confirmed for the following year”.
