Marc Márquez was the second-place finisher in the MotoGP Spanish Grand Prix, losing an intense direct duel with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati). The Gresini rider has last year’s version of the Desmosedici GP, unlike the Italian.
Some consider that this difference could be significant when it comes to winning races. However, Ducati test rider Michele Pirro told GPOne.com that the differences are not radical:
– Personally, I regret that people continue to talk about the comparison between these two bikes. It is true that the GP24 is an improvement over the GP23, but what should we do, develop bikes worse than those of other manufacturers? However, I want to emphasize one thing: there is not half a second between the two bikes, as some might think.
The Italian highlighted that, especially in the final stages of the race, it is the rider who makes the difference: ‘Above all in these last five laps of the GP in Jerez, it is the same to have the GP23 and the GP24. When you are so on the limit, what matters is the wrist and above all the attributes you have. Period, there is nothing more to add‘.
To further emphasize the fact that there are no inhibiting differences in an older version of the bike, Pirro gave a concrete example from last year: ‘It almost seems as if the GP23 was a little competitive, underestimated bike, and it is not. In this sense, I would like to point out one thing: last year [Fabio] Di Giannantonio had the GP22 without a single update all season, but he worked hard, reaching the end of the season fighting for podiums and victories‘.
