After fourteen intense rounds, the MotoGP championship title seems to be edging closer to Jorge Martin. In the recent four rounds, Martin has impressively bridged a 59-point gap with the current leader, Francesco Bagnaia. With a remarkable streak of seven consecutive podiums, which includes five victories, a second place, and a third place (spanning both Grand Prix and Sprint races), Martin, representing the Pramac Racing team, is now just three points behind Bagnaia. With only six rounds left in the season, the title race is heating up.
While Martin and his team are optimistic about clinching the title, there’s a growing belief that Ducati might intervene to ensure that the Spaniard doesn’t secure the World Championship. However, Paolo Ciabatti, the Sporting Director of Borgo Panigale, has firmly dismissed such speculations.
Speaking to AS, Ciabatti emphasized that Martin will have the freedom to compete on equal terms with Pecco until the season’s end, even though he races for a satellite team. He stated, “It’s a team that has the same bike as the official team and official riders. If Ducati hadn’t wanted them to be on the same level, they wouldn’t have given competitive bikes to the Pramac team and wouldn’t have hired the riders directly.”
Ciabatti further explained that many question how a satellite team can outperform the official team. He clarified, “It is not a satellite team. We have seven Ducati men in their team. The sponsors are different, but the bikes are the same, and the riders all have a contract with Ducati. If we were afraid of them winning, we wouldn’t give them the treatment they get.”
Reiterating Ducati’s commitment to Martin and the Pramac team, Ciabatti said, “Ducati has made an investment with this rider and this team. The important thing is that a Ducati wins. Obviously, for Tardozzi, the Team Manager of the official team, it’s more crucial that the Ducati is from the Lenovo team. But for me, the factory team’s responsibilities towards its sponsors are paramount. Hence, I’d prefer Pecco to win. However, if Jorge wins because he’s better, he has an official bike and an official rider contract.”