English
Italiano
The Pramac team is increasingly an integral part of Ducati's effort to double that one world title won by Casey Stoner in 2007.
Not only does Paolo Campinoti's team act as a nursery for young riders with Joan Martin, but it also functions as a test team for the Grand Prix races with Johann Zarco.
The two-time Moto2 world champion is, in fact, a very analytical rider and has also been the only one to enthusiastically welcome the 'shapeshifter', the front lowering device, which is paired with the rear one to minimize wheelie without the loss of power that the use of electronics entails.
Although it has already been banned for 2023, with a truly absurd decision and which still awaits a regulatory justification, Zarco continues to use it.
"We have been using it since the beginning of the year and I am getting used to it more and more - said the Frenchman at Jerez - and Ducati is still working to improve it. In Portimao it helped me a lot at the end of the last corner and also at Jerez, where we also tested it last winter. At the exit of turn 5, for example, the acceleration is really better ".
Unfortunately Johann is still missing a victory to show that his perseverance has been rewarded. After all, the one who is perhaps the least followed, even by the media, of the Ducati riders, is today just 5 points behind the best placed Ducati rider, Bagnaia, 5th overall. The difference, however, is that Zarco is in that position with two zeros in the standings (Pecco only has one), but Johann has been on the podium twice, third in Indonesia and second in Portugal.
Victory is illuding the king of the backflip, but thanks to him the Pramac team is getting stronger and this, together with the excellent personal relationship that binds him to team boss Campinoti, who in addition to his riding skills also appreciates those of multi-instrumentalist and chansonnier for Karaoke, gives us the impression that the Frenchman is one of the cornerstones of the team.
Moreover, it’s a team that is set to strengthen – say paddock rumours - thanks to the arrival of a big sponsor, an insurance branch, it seems, starting with the Mugello GP.
And while there is no doubt that Ducati is concentrating its efforts on Bagnaia for the title, perhaps at the end of the season that one-tenth less per lap could come from the shapeshifter that Zarco continues to develop.
