Ducati effective in MotoGP, but a first rider is needed in order to win the title

Eight Ducatis, so more than a few in MotoGP this year. No other manufacturer is fielding so many riders in the top class, the Borgo Panigale line-up appearing varied and complete, From the Lenovo factory team to satellite squad Pramac, by way of Mooney VR46 and Gresini, it’s a fleet of which to be proud.

And yet, something is missing. What? Enea Bastianini’s put in some incredible performances, Pecco Bagnaia has scored some very strong results, Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin have secured impressive podiums, while Luca Marini, Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio Di Giannantonio continue to make solid progress, all of the men in red clearly pushing hard to lead the way. But… there is no red bike leading the way.

Yamaha leads the championship, but why?

---

You’ll probably be saying "because of Fabio Quartararo", we imagine And we agree – the Frenchman is the strongest MotoGP rider right now. He’s the current champion after all, and having renewed his contract with Yamaha, he’s now less concerned with issues outside the track. His talent has exploded and it may well develop further.

So far, we’ve said nothing new. One further detail is represented by the “choice”, whether conscious or not, voluntary or not, declared or not, to focus on one man. In El Diablo, Yamaha has its first rider. The others are well supported but in Iwata the focus is clearly on Quarta.

A logical strategy owing to the results, or one planned out in advance? Does it matter? No. Fabio is the blue team’s striker, his M1 wins races, and he is leading the championship. Just how much does Yamaha care that the likes of Franco Morbidelli, Andrea Dovizioso and Darryn Binder are further back?! Only so much.

Are eight Ducatis too many?

---

Pecco Bagnaia won in Tuscany but was beaten by Takaaki Nakagami at Montmelò. A worthy winner on Italian soil and then blamelessly down in the gravel a few days later. A high and a low, physiologically speaking, and something to be avoided if we also consider the three crashes resulting from his own mistakes.

The other man to have done great things aboard the Desmosedici (GP21) is Enea Bastianini. Three wins, as many as Quartararo. But contrary to the Monster Energy rider, the Gresini rider lacks consistency. And his points tally reflects this. Incredibly, between them, Bestia and Pecco have won five races.

More than Fabio. To whom should we assign them, Bagnaia or Enea? This can’t be done of course, and so to a debate as to the spread of results. Because it’s great to see Johann Zarco and Jorge Martin on the podium, though not on the top step as yet. Contrary to the Yamaha method, competitive only with Quarta and struggling with the others. But who’s right?

A centreforward needs to be chosen ahead of 2023

---

Whether you like it or not, a centreforward should be chosen. Honda has one too, in the shape of Marc Marquez. At HRC they’re well aware that the eight-time champ is the man on which to focus, as proved by the disastrous results scored by Alex (Marquez), Pol Espargarò, Takaaki Nakagami and Stefan Bradl. Though we must add that the only Honda podium this season dates back to Lusail, and was achieved by Pol.

Then, nothing. In that case, the spread of results and focus is relative because with Marc out, the manufacturer has tried all manner of things, but in vain. The RC213 V was trusted to Japanese rider Taka, who’s unable to fully exploit it. Contrary to Ducati, where almost all of its riders are able to exploit the Desmosedici,

Great, but nevertheless a striker is needed for 2023, the guy who gets the job done. Who will it be? Pecco Bagnaia, theoretically, as he’s strong and, in Tardozzi’s words, a future champion. We agree, if he’s able to avoid the mistakes he's made this year. But then, who will flank him? Are we sure that either Bastianini or Martin will accept the role (whether explicit or masked) of second rider? We’re not so convinced...

Translated by Heather Watson

German GP, disaster for Honda at the Sachsenring: from riches to rags