Ducati will secure the MotoGP world championship again this year, with all eyes currently focussed on Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin, the main contenders for the final victory. Even so, Casey Stoner believes that the italian manufacturer has mismanaged its riders, putting unnecessary stress on the current title holder.
Stoner, who was the first to win the riders’ championship with the italian giant (in 2007), criticised the Ducatista management in a statement to TNT Sports: ‘When they start going around the paddock with all their teams, it’s not just about asking a teammate «don’t cause problems for your teammate, stay away»’.
Although there is a lot of talk about the absence of team orders, with various Ducati personnel saying on several occasions that this doesn’t happen, Stoner believes that this isn’t the case, and that it ends up putting more pressure on the riders, with Bagnaia keeping a close eye, as he explained: ‘I didn’t like seeing that and I know Pecco didn’t want it, I feel sorry for him. Ducati add a lot of stress to situations, they could learn to be better in that area. They haven’t been very good at managing the riders and understanding the pressures they’re under, they think on their own terms’.
Even though the Desmosedici is widely regarded as the best bike on the grid today, Stoner is of the opinion that there aren’t more titles in Ducati’s bag… by their own fault:
– They’ve had the best bike for a while now, but they’ve struggled to win a championship until last year and this year. It’s not about the bike, it’s about the way the programme is run. They need to give the riders more credit. Let them have their say. And take the pressure off, don’t put it on them, let them race, and they’ll solve the problem.