MotoGP | Exclusive: Francesco Guidotti, "Marquez always surprises, confident in a restart in August"

MotoGP World Championship – We exclusively interviewed Francesco Guidotti, Team Manager of Team Ducati Pramac. With the MotoGP still stopped due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Guidotti is also in forced quarantine, mitigated however by the fact that he lives in the countryside, in Tuscany to be precise, in Colle Val d'Elsa.

We spoke with him about this forced stop, the economic consequences it will have on the future, the possible scenarios for a restart of MotoGP, then touching on topics such as the training of its riders in this period, arriving at the riders market (Vinales confirmed in Yamaha and Quartararo promoted alongside him to the official team and renewal of Marquez until 2024, ed.) up to Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Iannone. Here's what he told us.

Statements Francesco Guidotti Ducati Pramac Coronavirus

“I'm quite well, we obviously have more worries, but I'm also lucky, because living in the countryside (he lives in Colle Val d'Elsa, ed.) I have space to move around my property. We confidently await the evolution of the situation."

Statements Francesco Guidotti Ducati Pramac Coronavirus Dorna contribution to the Satellite and Moto3 and Moto2 Teams

“I confirm the considerable help from Dorna, a monthly contribution with a quarterly plan. Regarding Moto3 and Moto2, I can't give you a precise answer, but I think it's in proportion to the commitment, also because fewer people work there compared to MotoGP. Dorna helps us in a concrete way, it's a great help. They did a 'good job', the right thing.”

Statements Francesco Guidotti Ducati Pramac Coronavirus possible scenarios for MotoGP restart

“As you were saying, there are three possible scenarios, starting in August and trying to do as many races as possible, or starting later with fewer races, or the last hypothesis, not racing, but I'm confident that we can start in August. Realistically speaking, I doubt that there are scenarios for restarting before July/August. Of course, not everything will be resolved and there will be limits, but I have faith that we can race, even if behind closed doors. I believe that the third scenario will not occur, I am confident that a certain number of races can be held. The fact of racing without an audience would be the lesser of evils at this point."

Statements Francesco Guidotti Ducati Pramac Coronavirus training Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia

“Jack (Miller, ed.) is the one who is suffering the least from this lockdown, he is in Australia, lives on a farm and also has the opportunity to train on cross-country tracks, as he has done for many years now. It is certainly one thing to train on a cross bike or Motard and another to ride a MotoGP and therefore he too will suffer the consequences of this long break, longer than the winter break. Pecco (Bagnaia, ed.) is worse off like all the other European riders, because he is confined to an apartment. It is not just a question of training, but above all a psychological question, which we are all facing.”

Statements Francesco Guidotti Ducati Pramac Coronavirus "change of cards on the table" in case of recovery

“On the track this stop will certainly be an additional variable, but in the event of the start of the Championship a test has been planned, at least on a theoretical level, to ensure that the riders regain confidence with the bike. It's clear that the spirit of adaptation to this new situation, having been stationary, having to run many close races, will be an additional factor that could have an impact. It will be a particular championship, but the quality of the Champion is also that of knowing how to best interpret every occasion."

Statements Francesco Guidotti Ducati Pramac Coronavirus riders contractual situation in case of season not played

“Logically speaking, 2020 could be “frozen” and we could start again in the 2021 season as if the 2020 season had not been played. In this case, however, everyone would have to agree. Just think of a driver who for "x" reasons said "I want to quit", then new situations would be created. I don't think there are contractual clauses with which a team can force a driver to race because the season was not held for non-sporting reasons. For example, if Valentino Rossi retired, Fabio Quartararo would take his place as per the contract and Petronas will have to find a replacement, which they would have had to do anyway."

Statements Francesco Guidotti Ducati Pramac Coronavirus Ducati GP20 winter tests

“There are no big differences between the Ducati GP19 and the GP20. There have been more in the past, for example from GP18 to GP19 it had changed more and from GP17 to GP18 it had changed enormously, from GP16 to GP17 it was a completely different bike. Ducati has gained competitiveness by putting itself on par with the competition and on some occasions even better. The bike was competitive in 2019 and will also be so in 2020. As for the winter tests, they are not easily interpretable, the true values ​​can only be seen throughout the season.”

Statements Francesco Guidotti Ducati Pramac - Surprised more by the renewal of Vinales or by his failure to land in Ducati, by the hiring of Fabio Quartararo in the Yamaha Factory or by Marquez who renewed until 2024 with Honda?

“Quartararo and Vinales made an almost obvious choice. For Quartararo, leaving Yamaha would have been almost madness, but he was right to demand the official bike, without taking anything away from the Petronas Team, but the official team can also give that plus in terms of prestige and morale. Vinales made a heartfelt, even reasoned choice. He left Suzuki without closing the circle and now reciprocating (from Yamaha to Ducati) without having achieved his objectives, he could have left some regrets. He was close to Ducati, but then made a more "obvious" choice. Marquez, as great champions and people of that level always do, always have a way of surprising. They look beyond the obstacle; the renewal with Honda was obvious, but the surprise was doing it until 2024.”

Statements by Francesco Guidotti Ducati Pramac on Marc Marquez when he was very young

“As you said and remembered very well, Marquez was introduced to me when he was doing the CEV. He was still too young to see all his talent, but already halfway through the first year of the world championship it was understood that he could have some numbers, which he showed in the second year. Despite an undeveloped bike, we had a KTM and fierce competition with the Aprilia RSA, he had already shown he had the numbers. Even though he didn't win a single race, it was understood that he had important numbers."

Statements Francesco Guidotti Ducati Pramac hiring Alex Marquez HRC

“For the situation that arose, I think it was the right choice, but it's clear that it's a gamble, because putting a rookie on an official bike is never easy. However, I don't think there were many other riders on the market who gave guarantees in terms of results, he is still the Moto2 World Champion even if his surname may have had an impact on him. Being in a team with Marc is a double-edged sword for me, one can get hurt a lot, being too close to one's brother can have side effects. In hindsight he was still right to "jump" onto a MotoGP, at this moment it would have been difficult to find a bike for 2021 if he had remained in Moto2."

Statements Francesco Guidotti Ducati Pramac withdrawal of Jorge Lorenzo HRC and hiring as Yamaha tester

“I never believed that Jorge wanted to retire. It seemed like a bit too hasty a decision. He wanted to end a bad experience, because the one with Honda can only be defined as such, but I always thought that he still had the desire to ride a motorbike. I certainly wouldn't have expected his return to Yamaha so soon, even as a tester. There had also been rumors of a return to Ducati, but you would have to ask them, because he never looked for us. The sure thing is that Honda has never been informed of anything and if someone wants to leave to go to another team they must first talk to their team."

Statements Francesco Guidotti Ducati Pramac Andrea Iannone doping affair

“My opinion on the Iannone doping issue has not changed over time and it is what I have had from the beginning. I don't have the necessary tools to make a scientific evaluation or to discuss the sentence (18-month disqualification, ed.), but I have always thought that there has never been voluntariness in taking a doping substance. Knowing Andrea, knowing his principles, I never thought that he had done anything to go against the rules. Much less in a technical situation in which he found himself last year."

Statements by Francesco Guidotti Ducati Pramac on the possible return of Andrea Iannone to Ducati

“It all started when Andrea said in an interview that probably his biggest mistake was leaving Ducati. We love him and if he arises again in the future the opportunity for him to return should be evaluated. Now is certainly not the time, but it is an opportunity that should be taken into consideration.”