The World Superbike Championship has been over for less than two weeks, and now that the engines have died down what is holding the headlines is the issue related to the petition submitted by Alvaro Bautista to the Superbike Commission, formed by Dorna, FIM and MSMA, i.e., the representatives of the Manufacturers.
The issue is now well known to all: about two years ago the rule regarding the introduction of the bike+rider weight limit was passed, which hit the Spaniard hard. In fact, Bautista found himself with 6kg more weight on his Ducati, and all this he experienced as a kind of discrimination against him.
Over the years the number 19 has made his voice heard several times, showing his disapproval. In the last month, however, he has decided to take the field himself, asking all the riders in the paddock to sign the petition in his favor to remove this rule. All the riders on the grid signed it, except one, namely Johnny Rea, who preferred to postpone his decision until after the Jerez round.
At the time when Bautista presented such a petition in the Superbike Commission, Dorna showed a neutral position on the matter, just like the FIM, which decided to open a discussion table with the MSMA. Indeed, the message from Dorna and FIM was clear: If the representatives of the manufacturers all agree unanimously, we can remove the weight rule enacted two years ago.
And here comes the kicker: yeah, because the moment all the riders signed the petition in favor of Bautista, in turn all the manufacturers voted against the former Aruba rider!
Yamaha, BMW, Honda, Bimota, and Kawasaki in fact vetoed it. The only manufacturer that sided with Bautista was Ducati, although it must be remembered that two years ago, it was the Borgo Panigale manufacturer that voted in favor of the rule regarding weight.
In light of all this, we wonder: what will happen now? Will Bautista win his own battle or is it a fight against windmills? In itself, the issue inherent in Bautista's petition may be nipped in the bud, because in order to enact a rule, unanimity is needed from all the manufacturers, which at this time there is not.
One thing, however, is certain: regarding what has happened this past week, Dorna has been very surprised at the rift that has occurred between riders and the manufacturers, considering that the riders have taken an opposite position from the very manufacturers from which they receive a salary. Someone even whispered, "It's odd to see riders like Toprak sign the petition, after they have always sided against Bautista and Ducati in recent years."
The fact remains that a discussion table between Alvaro Bautista and all the other riders, as well as Dorna and the manufacturers in order to understand what the situation really is and whether all those riders who voted for the petition would be willing to confirm their position again.
Certainly what has happened is something that is likely to set no small precedent. Obviously, in the next few days we will come back to discuss this matter in more detail.