Ducati believes Aprilia obtained “unfortunate” with climate modifications over the Australian Grand Prix weekend, citing the RS-GP’s superior tempo in dry situations.
Aprilia was anticipated to dominate proceedings at Phillip Island after Marco Bezzecchi led a 1-2-4-5 end result for the Noale-based producer in Friday Apply. However Saturday’s working didn’t fairly go because it had anticipated, with Ducati’s Marc Marquez claiming pole place in a moist qualifying earlier than main a podium lockout for Borgo Panigale in a dry-weather dash.
Nonetheless, Ducati workforce supervisor Davide Tardozzi believes the dash outcomes weren’t consultant of the true pecking order, saying Jorge Martin’s velocity earlier than his crash and Marco Bezzecchi’s cost from ninth to fourth confirmed Aprilia nonetheless had a quicker bike.
“I feel that they have been unfortunate as a result of it is apparent that in dry situations Bezzecchi was very aggressive. He got here up from the fourth row to the fourth place,” Tardozzi defined.
“Martin made a mistake, however he was very, very aggressive. I have no idea if Marc was in a position to beat him on the finish of the race or not. I feel that it was head-to-head till the top, however sadly, he made a mistake.”
Marquez and Martin engaged in the most effective duels of the season within the Phillip Island dash, with the pair buying and selling place a number of occasions as they fought for victory and the championship lead concurrently.
Martin made a number of errors through the battle and finally crashed out on lap 8, struggling an unlucky fracture to his arm within the course of.
CT scans on Saturday confirmed that the fracture to his radius was non-displaced, which means he doesn’t require instant surgical procedure and may try and race in Malaysia this week.
Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia Racing
Picture by: Gold and Goose Images / Getty Photos
Tardozzi backed the previous Pramac Ducati rider to battle again strongly following his damage.
“I”m glad to listen to that he might be in Sepang. That implies that the damage just isn’t so unhealthy,” he stated.
“We all know Martin very properly. He is a hero, he is a quick rider, so he’ll strive exhausting to offer us a tough life.”
With Sunday’s full-distance race cancelled, Marquez now enjoys a 10-point lead within the championship over Martin, with Bezzecchi 50 factors adrift in third place.
Simply 4 rounds are but to run this season, assuming the Qatar Grand Prix on 8 November goes forward as deliberate.
Whereas the occasions of final weekend have strengthened Marquez’s bid for a tenth world title – and second in as many seasons – Ducati insists the championship remains to be removed from determined.
Requested whether or not he sees Martin or Bezzecchi as the larger menace within the title run-in, Tardozzi stated: “It will depend on the Jorge scenario.
“I’ve big respect for Marco. I feel that fifty factors is nothing. I feel that Marco has the potential to win each race; each race from now until the top. So, I feel that the 50 factors [deficit] for Marco is nice for us, however not unhealthy.
“On Jorge’s facet, it is apparent that his damage will make the distinction in a optimistic or unfavorable [way] – if he might be very aggressive. Meaning to not win as a result of I do not assume that he’ll have the ability to win in Sepang.
“For certain, it is one thing that can inform us his competitiveness in Sepang and Qatar. That is the distinction.”
We would like your opinion!
What would you prefer to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
– The Motorsport.com Workforce