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At ProDay at the Misano circuit, the event organized by VMoto, many guests were present on the track and in the pits. Among them was Marco Melandri, who was coming back from an injury while cycling in Switzerland that resulted in a fractured scapula and four broken ribs. However, the Ravenna rider spoke at the event and it was an opportunity to talk about MotoGP 360°.
"When they asked me how fast I crashed at, I was a little bit ashamed - joked Melandri - actually I was going slow, but I went from 40 mph to 0 in half a meter, I hit hard against a rock, so rock 1 Melandri 0" he joked again.
This MotoGP championship continues to hold surprises.
"By now the critical part has passed, I'm referring to the rider market, so now it should be all downhill from here. In signing Marquez to Ducati there are pros and cons, just as there would have been with signing Martin, but both certainly deserved the factory bike. From the point of view of the Ducati company, it had more logic to take Martin maybe. You already have Bagnaia who has won two world championships, probably a third, and already under contract for two more years. Why change the balance then? Maybe he could have been left alone quietly. Martin is young and fast and probably would not have created major disruption in the box; he might have been the best option. Marquez on the contrary is an unwieldy character, just seeing him enter the box changes things, he has a very marked personality. I wouldn't have gone to wake the proverbial 'sleeping dog.' On the other hand, I would have liked to see Marquez on the KTM, Acosta is young and strong, but maybe you would need someone with experience to see in what aspects the bike is still lacking."
Acosta is similar to you and Capirossi, one of those young riders who come in and upset the balance.
"Those were other times. I don't like to make comparisons, but maybe today it's easier for a rookie to get into MotoGP right away and be competitive. Moto2 is much closer to MotoGP, and also the organization of the teams is more centered and the rider can focus only on riding. The doubt about him, however, remains, because after all, he doesn't ride a Ducati, he started off strong right away, but now to take that last step that he lacks sometimes he makes mistakes."
There is a lot of talk about aerodynamics. I remember you on the Honda five-cylinder drifting with one hand, even that bike was not easy to ride.
"It was a nice balance, you could choose with the throttle whether to push to go fast or to drift and go sideways. Now you can't drift as much, you can do the corners if you go hard, you slide a little bit but also the yaw is limited, it's all just designed for speed."
If you could try a MotoGP bike, which one would you choose?
"I don't have the physique to do a real test, and three laps would not be enough," admits the Italian, "but definitely the Ducati that is the benchmark bike. I would be curious to understand because when I rode it it was a really critical and difficult period."
What memories do you have of that period.
"Reluctantly, it was a wasted opportunity. It would have changed my career if it had been an easier bike. The past is the past though, so I would call it a bittersweet experience."
What do you expect from this second half of the championship?
"We'll see, I don't think Bagnaia has anything more to prove, I still say he is stronger than he looks. He conveys little to you though, he wins crazy races but he cheers like he won at a bowling competition. We saw his greatness in Jerez where he fought with Marquez. At Mugello and Assen he did something even more incredible, but he did it with such simplicity that it almost feels like you didn't see it."
To whom would one compare him?
"To no one, he is different from everyone else. I've never liked comparisons, everyone has something different. I expect him to continue to dominate, as I expect a complicated second half of the season for Martin and Pramac. Undoubtedly the atmosphere changes in the box, needless to deny it, because the rider leaves and the team changes manufacturer."
What don't you like about this championship? They just announced that there will be two races at Misano.
"That it would not be raced in Kazakhstan I expected. I was there in November, the track is finished but has never been used, and the city is very far away although beautiful. I'm happy that there will be two races at Misano, it's a beautiful circuit and it deserves it, but the clash with Cremona is a slap in the face to Superbike. It's confirmation that that championship is of zero interest to those who own it, it's being used to open borders. I think Cremona has made incredible efforts and this is a lack of respect."
