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Team manager Davide Tardozzi admits Ducati MotoGP higher-ups were “obviously nervous” and having Argentina 2016 flashbacks as Enea Bastianini took on Francesco Bagnaia at Sepang – but feels vindicated to have trusted his riders.
Bastianini, who represents the satellite Gresini team, put title hopeful Bagnaia under massive pressure for much of the race, until passing the factory rider with a Turn 4 lunge.
But Bagnaia soon responded by passing Bastianini at the final corner and held serve from there, Bastianini giving it a good go to retake the lead on the final corner but ultimately settling for second.
Much of the race broadcast was interspersed with footage of Ducati MotoGP bosses Tardozzi, Paolo Ciabatti and Gigi Dall’Igna in nervous conversation, but no order ever came to Bastianini on the dashboard.
Ducati has kept the door to team orders open throughout the season, but has resisted them so far, instead publicly insisting that its riders are free to race as long as they are extra careful. There have also been suggestions that the unofficial policy within the camp is that Bagnaia’s stablemates need to be particularly mindful of his title prospects unless they’re fighting for a win.
Bastianini, who will join Bagnaia in the factory team in 2023 and already raced him hard in victory duels at Misano and Aragon, said he was indeed trying to win on the final lap – but also acknowledged that championship considerations played a part in him deciding a lunge on Bagnaia was too “dangerous”.
Speaking to British broadcaster BT Sport, Tardozzi brought up the team order question basically unprompted: “I would like to anticipate, and I’m sure the second question – ‘did you say something to Enea?’. Yes, the always [same] words. Don’t be too hard with other Ducati riders. That’s it.”
Tardozzi, equipped with a heart rate meter during the weekend, said the rate went up from 200 beats per minute to 250 when watching Bastianini pass Bagnaia.
He also referenced the infamous intra-Ducati accident in the 2016 Argentine Grand Prix, in which Andrea Iannone took down factory team-mate Andrea Dovizioso on the final lap while the pair were on course for a double podium – at a time where top-three finishes were so much rarer for Ducati.
That collision was widely regarded as having been pivotal to Iannone losing his ride at the end of the year.
“We were thinking, do we have trust in our riders, and the answer was yes. Obviously we were nervous. Because we don’t want any- we still have Argentina, Iannone/Dovizioso, in front of the eyes.
“So, we don’t want this again. And this is the bad thing that can happen. And we want to avoid that. But in the end we trust our riders.
“And we say, no, we don’t give any orders. They know what to do.”
Tardozzi also pointed out that the laptimes suggested both Bagnaia and Bastianini were finding it easier to follow than to lead, which will have informed the way they approached their battle.”
“Who knows about racing like those two guys? I think they understand, staying behind it’s easy to follow and easy to make some times, but when they are in front, if you are faster, you still go with the same times. And [that] didn’t [happen].”
Bagnaia now just needs two points from the Valencia finale to become Ducati’s first MotoGP riders’ champion since Casey Stoner in 2007.
Even if sole remaining rival Fabio Quartararo wins the Valencia race – which will be a tall order given it was the scene of a Ducati 1-2-3 last year, although Tardozzi believes Quartararo’s “important” Sepang ride shows he will be stronger this time – Bagnaia will only need to finish 14th.
“Knowing that we need only two points to win the championship, all the Ducatis will be absolutely free [to race],” said Tardozzi. “But the words are still the same – don’t do overtakes to other Ducatis that are very dangerous.”
