Marc Márquez and Valentino Rossi share one of the most iconic rivalries in MotoGP history, and now one of Rossi’s closest friends will have #93 by his side: Pecco Bagnaia. Davide Tardozzi addressed Bagnaia’s connection with Rossi and how his job will be to maintain a good atmosphere within the garage.
Asked by Cycle World about how he, Team Director of Ducati Lenovo, sees the relationship between Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Márquez, Tardozzi replied: ‘It is true that Pecco is a rider from Valentino Rossi’s Academy, but he is a solid champion in his own right. Our priority is to keep the atmosphere in the garage harmonious as it currently is. It is my task to maintain it’.
Still keeping the Sepang Clash in mind, in 2015, involving a fierce battle between Márquez and Rossi, Tardozzi said he is looking at the present and the future, without worrying about the past and how such events can affect the current moment: ‘We have to say that the Sepang facts date back almost 10 years. We look at the rider’s performance and his ability to develop the bike together with Pecco and win titles. We look forward, to the future, not to the past’.
And he added: ‘Furthermore, in sports there are fans who follow a single rider, and then there are Ducati fans who follow the brand – that is very special and we are very proud and honored to have them’.
