MotoGP | Exclusive: Francesco Guidotti (Ducati Pramac), “A pleasure to see Petrucci win”

Ducati Pramac MotoGP – At Mugello on the occasion of the Italian Grand Prix we interviewed exclusively Francesco Guidotti, Team Manager Pramac Ducati, a team that this year fields rookie Francesco Bagnaia (2018 Moto2 world champion, ed.) and Australian Jack Miller.

We spoke with Guidotti about his team, making an initial assessment, the motorbike market, the victory of Petrucci (former Pramac Racing rider and winner of the first race in MotoGP, ed.), the dominance of Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi in the championship. Here's what he told Motorionline.

“The balance is positive, the general level of MotoGP has risen a lot, sometimes there are 18 riders in one second, so we are satisfied from a performance point of view. Jack (Miller, ed.) this year is managing to take advantage of the technical package made available and has improved a lot compared to last year. It's a shame for him about the last falls in the race, but in terms of performance he is respecting expectations. As for "Pecco" (Francesco Bagnaia, ed.), he is adapting very well to MotoGP, at Mugello in the first tests he had set the best time, but like Jack he also collected less in the race than what he showed in testing. During the winter tests he went very well, he even set the track record in Sepang, but he is still firmly in the Top Ten. He is growing a lot and is a rider prepared for MotoGP, a category where you have to have everything under control. He is facing new challenges, such as electronics, which were not present in the "old" Moto2."

MOTOR MARKET

“The market always depends on opportunities, there are no particular deadlines at the end of 2019, not even for satellite teams. The only "vacant" position is the official Ducati one, given that Petrucci's contract expires at the end of the year. We would like to continue with Jack, but Ducati will be the one to unblock this situation."

VITTORIA PETRUCCI MUGELLO AND RENEWAL

“It was a pleasure to see him win, it was a piece that was missing. He was with us for 4 years, two on an official bike and he came close to winning, it's a great pleasure for him but also for us who raised him. I believe that this victory absolutely weighs on the renewal issue, he had arrived in an official team without having won and some did not agree, but I believe that with this victory all doubts are swept away and as mentioned he deserves the renewal."

MARQUEZ DOMINATION CHAMPIONSHIP?

“A rider who wins five world championships in six years needs no introduction, he's the one to beat. If he hadn't scored a "zero" in Austin he would be much further ahead in the standings and even if Honda has improved in performance, he puts his best effort into it."

VALENTINO ROSSI, 40 YEARS AND STILL IN MOTOGP

“I don't know what motivations drive him to continue and be competitive; ask him (laughs, ed.).”