For the second consecutive year, MotoGP is witnessing an intense title battle between Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) and Jorge Martín (Prima Pramac/Ducati). Unlike many historic rivalries, this sporting competition hasn’t resulted in heated moments off the track, as both riders maintain a cordial and friendly relationship without major controversies.
Franco Uncini believes there should be more drama to meet what the fans enjoy. The former rider told La Gazzetta dello Sport: ‘Both are professionals and don’t spend much time on their public image. They aren’t really characters because they don’t incite controversies or cross boundaries, which is what fans love’.
Uncini, the 1982 500cc World Champion, shared his own experience: ‘When I raced, I pretended to be serious, but I would argue with Marco Lucchinelli and also with Virginio Ferrari. That quote of mine, «the bike needs to be ridden, not torn apart», which even made headlines in the Gazzetta, was a dig at Ferrari, who spent all day in the gym. I played with the journalists to create rivalry. And even though Lucchinelli recently told me he cares about me, when he threw the bait, I took it, and vice versa’.
Uncini is convinced that Bagnaia should embrace controversy, even if it’s not his natural inclination, noting what fans want: ‘Bagnaia says he’s happy to have [Marc] Márquez on the team. If they asked me about Lucchinelli, I would have said, «Who the hell is this idiot?». And he would have responded even more harshly. Pecco needs to stir up some controversy, cause a bit of chaos, even if he doesn’t really want to. The fans want rivalry, not people getting along’.