Jorge Martín was one of the biggest stars of MotoGP in 2023 and, the Pramac Racing rider, had such a good season that he could even have forced Ducati to consider putting him in the official team, as Carlo Pernat, manager of Enea Bastianini, made sure to say.
With the two riders at opposite ends in terms of performance, with Martín fighting for the title and Bastianini struggling at the beginning of the season due to the injury suffered in Portugal, Pernat was asked if Bestia’s place in the factory team was at risk, saying: ‘Well, with the championship that Martín had, honestly, we could have done it.’
However, the Italian said that there was a contract and that Ducati wasted no time in ensuring that Bastianini would stay in the factory team, in the summer: ‘But the main problem was the contract. There was only one option, but in August, at the end of the month, Ducati renewed and put on paper that he was in the official team for the 2024 season. So, when you make a contract, it is normal for it to be fulfilled.’
