In the latest episode of Fast By Prosecco, Carlo Pernat discussed a World Championship that has suddenly opened up again after two weekends full of mistakes and turn of events. From Aprilia’s own goal to Marc Marquez’s comeback, via Ogura, KTM, Yamaha, and Honda, the manager from Liguria analyzed the current state of the MotoGP with his usual blunt and unfiltered tone.
Here’s Carletto’s commentary, as always, as he sips a glass of Prosecco DOC.
“We’re here talking and discussing a World Championship that’s completely wide open again. In recent episodes, we said that the Championship could only be reopened because of mistakes, and there have certainly been some major ones. Martín’s mistake two Sundays ago—which was a disaster, though luckily nothing serious happened—resulted in both Bezzecchi and Martín scoring zeros. And the zero here was due to a truly silly mistake by Bezzecchi.
And this is where I want to weigh in. Marco is a very strong rider, a good guy, but he shouldn’t have reacted that way. In my opinion, the mistake was not going that same day to apologize. The next day, he knew what he was getting into, even if it was spontaneous because that’s just who he is. So, if he had done it that same day, they most likely wouldn’t have disqualified him. They would’ve given him a back-of-the-grid start, a fine, and that would’ve been the end of it. The next day was too late.
That was also partly Aprilia’s mistake. They should have done it right away, immediately. Martin started with two long laps, so, in the end, for the World Championship, Marc—who didn’t become a nine-time world champion by accident—did what he had to do. He was Marc Marquez. This race showed that the Marquez we’ve always known is coming back. We’ll see at Assen, which is the last little litmus test. A litmus test I’d take for granted.
He’s also a bit of a show-off. He puts on a big show, but he’s incredibly strong. Look at those last three laps with his visor. When they caught up to him, he closed it, because he didn’t want anyone to see how exhausted and spent he was. But I understand him. After everything he’s been through, it was a tough race, and it was also very hot. Still, he won in a big way, and, even if Bezzecchi and Martin had been in the mix, they would've lost. They’d have finished third or fourth, but there was nothing they could do.
Now, among other things, even in the manufacturers championship, Aprilia has only a five-point lead over Ducati. They used to have fifty or sixty. Two races have really changed everything.
If anyone likes soccer, there was a Cagliari defender named Nicolai who always scored his own goals. But the team had Gigi Riva, who scored great goals, and so Cagliari went on to win the championship. And here we’re scoring our own goals. What’s happening is unbelievable.
And, sometimes, you also have to be careful with what you say. Do you remember when Massimo Rivola said at Mugello, 'I’m on top of the world'? You have to be careful saying things like that. They come across as small-town. And, in the end, you pay the price. This time, you paid the price.
Ducati’s reactions, on the other hand, have been different. This time, for example, Tardozzi clearly said, “Our opponents were very unlucky. We’ll gladly take these points.” You have to be careful with these statements too. They matter in the world of sports.
As for Aprilia’s race, however, it must be said that Ogura was outstanding. He’s a great rider whom Aprilia, unfortunately, let slip away. He’s heading to Yamaha next year. I don’t understand that decision, but it’s Ogura’s choice. I hope Yamaha does a great job, but letting a rider of this caliber go to Yamaha next year is clearly a financial decision.
Changes are also beginning among the top technicians. Guidotti has joined Trackhouse to replace Davide Brivio, who's moving on to manage the entire Honda team for next season. He'll be Honda’s head of strategy and operations. It’s all Italian talent, and we should be proud of that. We’re excellent at everything... our riders, our bikes, our engineers. So let’s enjoy this moment.
But, for KTM, unfortunately, the engines are letting them down. There’s nothing to be done. Pedro Acosta is getting fed up. He’s right. He can’t take it anymore. Once again, the engine has let him down. He can’t wait to ride a Ducati alongside Marc Marquez next year.
Yamaha. Not much to say. Practically, the entire project has changed, from an inline-four to a V4. So just imagine how long it’ll take. Forget about the riders. Honda has done a great job. They’ve spent a lot, and they’re spending even more. I’d say Honda could be in the mix next year. We’ll see. We’re expecting great things, but before this championship ends, we’re going to have some fun, because it's always going to be Marquez against everyone else.”