In addition to his role as a commentator, for the past few months we’ve also seen Marco Melandri take on the role of pundit, as he and Davide Valsecchi star in *Chiacchiere da Box*, a new show that discusses and analyzes news related to two- and four-wheeled vehicles.
For the occasion, Marco told us how the initiative came about and also took stock of this MotoGP season.
Aprilia has indeed shown it has an edge, while Ducati has been left without Marc Marquez, who underwent surgery following last Saturday’s crash at Le Mans.
As always, with great transparency and without mincing words, the Ravenna native analyzed the situation.
“Ever since he returned in February, he wasn’t the same rider as last year,” he said. “His movements were much more controlled, unnatural. In my opinion, he was trying to convince himself that he was fine and that he’d improve over time, but that wasn’t the case. A nerve isn’t a bone: it’s not like you can just put in a screw and everything goes back to normal. If you damage a nerve, you risk never recovering it. That’s why, in my opinion, he couldn’t wait another month or two until the summer break; he had to have surgery right away.”
What prospects do you see for him?
“He’s at a crossroads right now: either he returns to last year’s form, or in my opinion, he’s finished. I see him as tired, drained. At Ducati, he’s also found himself doing a ton of promotional events, and I think that’s draining a lot of his energy. What strikes me, too, is that he doesn’t smile in the pit anymore, whereas last year, every time the cameras caught him, he was always smiling.”
Is Aprilia now the bike to beat?
“Yes, because I don’t see any weaknesses. They used to struggle on certain circuits with slow corners, but not anymore. In my opinion, Martín has raised the bar even higher, and he’s never been as fast in his life as he is now. At the same time, Bezzecchi is also riding strong, but Martín has something extra right now. He has incredible awareness.”
Amid all this, there are those who criticize Ducati’s strategy for having lost almost all its young riders...
“Dall’Igna has bet heavily on Marc, but in the meantime, Ducati has lost many strong riders. Today, the only one who, on paper, can really contend for the world title is Marquez, and I think it’s fair to point that out—until the math rules him out. At the same time, however, Aprilia seems to have the championship in hand. Diggia is a rider with pace, but that’s not enough to beat the Aprilias; it takes much more.”
At Le Mans, however, Bagnaia was back among the fastest...
“The positive thing is that I saw him fast again. In my opinion, at Le Mans he simply pushed a bit too hard. If you look closely at the replay, before losing the front end, the bike had already given him two or three wobbles up front. But the important thing is that he’s going home knowing he’s still fast. And for a rider’s mindset, after a complicated year and a half like his, that’s fundamental.”
At this point, will the World Championship be an internal Aprilia battle between Martín and Bezzecchi?
“Yes, because Martín was already very fast months ago, even coming off a year in which he had practically not ridden at all. Mentally, he knew he could improve a lot. Bezzecchi, on the other hand, was already winning and dominating, so it was harder for him to take further steps. Martín, however, now has incredible confidence.”
Were you also impressed by his start?
“Very much so. He takes off like a rocket. The start he made on Saturday was sensational. If anyone else had done that, people would be talking about it everywhere.”
Speaking of the podcast with Davide Valsecchi, how did the idea come about?
“Actually, it was Valsecchi’s idea. He called me a few years ago to start doing a live show on Mondays. Then we saw there was interest: people from both the motorcycle and car worlds were calling us to discuss some of the topics we covered. We also try to be a bit ironic, without making fun of anyone, but in my opinion, a little irony is fine. Davide is a character, he’s hilarious, and he knows everything about four wheels.”
What is the show’s goal?
“We mainly want to talk about races and analyze what’s happening. Now we’re also starting to invite guests on weekends without races, to give the show some continuity.”
Is there a guest you’d love to have?
“The Márquez brothers together. It would be cool to have them both and have them interact with each other.”
And from the world of Formula 1?
“I like Verstappen because, in my opinion, he’s someone worth getting to know. If you ask him the right questions, he might open up a lot. But I’d also love to have Antonelli’s dad on the show: in 2006, he gave me a car to race at the Motor Show, and I think his wife was already pregnant with Kimi at the time. I like the behind-the-scenes stories, the stories outside of racing. Among the names I’d also mention Fisichella.”
Your interviewing style is different from the classic journalistic approach...
“Absolutely. I’m not a journalist, so I ask different questions. I don’t give a damn about asking ‘what’s the goal’ or ‘what’s wrong.’ I’m interested in understanding why a rider makes certain decisions, getting inside his head. When I interviewed Bagnaia, we were supposed to spend twenty minutes together, but we ended up talking for hours.”
Would you also like to show the human side of the riders?
“Yes, because nobody laughs anymore these days. I’d like to show that riders can also joke around and be spontaneous. At the end of the day, they’re people.”
What have you discovered about yourself through this new experience?
“I like to talk, to improvise. And above all, I like to look for in people the things I wish someone had asked me when I was racing. So many questions in motorsport are now predictable, just as the answers often are.”