English
Italiano
Ducati’s supremacy and the introduction of the Sprint Race starting next year. These are the two topics of the day in Austria. The red tide (7 Desmosedici in the first 8 places) was, all in all, predictable. The sudden change in format wasn’t. Even the riders didn’t know about it, and Pecco Bagnaia is one of them.
“I’ll find out more. I don’t know if I’ll like it or not. We’ll have to understand how and when we’ll be doing it.” He stated his doubts. “Mentally, it’ll certainly be harder to do a season with twice as many races.”
Do you like the idea?
“In the end, we’re here to race, and there are other people who decide for us, like what happens in the Formula one. But this is a fairly important decision, and I didn't know anything about it until today. In certain situations, our opinion should count at least a little.”
What would you like to propose? Do it only in some GPs?
“If we had to do the sprint race on Saturdays and then the normal Sunday race, it wouldn’t be easy on a track like Austin. You can practice all you want, but that circuit is devastating both physically and mentally. The sprint race is a kind of long run, but there are points up for grabs, so it's totally different than an FP4.”
Could it be even more dangerous given that it’s short?
“It depends more on the riders than on the format.”
Let's move on to your day. A 5th place among many red bikes.
“It’s amazing how many strong riders Ducati has. That’s what I think. We’re among the fastest, and there’s an incredible balance in performance. Our bike definitely works very well, especially on this track, and all those who ride it can aim for the victory because they’re really fast.”
Could it be a problem from a championship point of view?
“It's definitely a great stimulus for me. Ducati is the only team to have all competitive riders, and this speeds up the work in some situations. In others, it could be a problem. But, at the moment, it isn't. I'm glad that’s the way it is.”
Do you think Ducati will intervene in that case?
“I hope so, but until the time comes, I won't think about it,” he said laughing.
What do you think of the new chicane?
“It’s not bad. It has been well studied, considering the space available. The wall on the left, however, is very close, and if you go straight and are very fast, it’s not easy to avoid. Also, I went long today, and the gravel was leading me towards the barriers they placed in the middle of the chicane. It’ll be something to talk about in Safety Commission. The design isn’t bad. Certainly better than what they did in Barcelona.”
Quartararo says that the Ducati could be favored in the race.
“I’m always skeptical when I hear certain things. In the end, Fabio was fighting for the victory last year, and the Yamaha loses only two kilometers per hour on the straight. I don't think their problem is maximum speed on this track.”
