Ducati boss shares ‘team orders’ decision for Sunday's Valencia MotoGP
The reigning champion saw his 21-po💯int advantage whittled down to 14 points after Saturday🅰’s sprint race, which title rival Jorge Martin won.
Bagnaia begi🔥ns the gr🐼and prix on Sunday from second, Martin from sixth.
The role of the other 𒈔six Ducati riders could be a factor in deciding the title.
Ducati’s Davide Tardoz♏zi was asked if he would implement team orders to help Bagnaia, but said: “No.
“Thꦿere have never been team orders last year or this year.
“Whatever💯 the rideꦯrs do - like Marquez or Zarco in Qatar, saying they prefer not to fight with Martin - maybe today somebody will decide not to fight with Pecco.
“There are no team orders in Ducati. Riders ar🧔e able to decide whatever theꦰy want.”
Pramac’s Gino Borsoi insisted that the title scrap has been fa𝓀ir so far - incℱluding Martin’s aggressiveness on Saturday.
“Everybody is fight✨ing in a fair way,” Borsoi said. “Even Jorge⛦ made a fair attack.
“It was all professional. I have to say thankyou ไto them.”
'Bagnaia is pissed off'
T🍌ardozzi was left disappointe💃d by Saturday’s sprint result.
“It was a tougﷺh day, we expected more after the morning session and qualifyin🎀g,” he said.
“Fifth is the minimum that we can accept.
“Jorge did a fanta൩stic race and deserved the win. We will꧙ try to do better tomorrow.
“Pecco is pissed off because he didn’t find 🐠the confidence to find the pꦇodium.
“It was tough but cor𓆉rect. Martin was in a rush, looking to Vinales who was pulling away.
“The right choice was the rear soft tyre. The first three made the difference. Whoever chose the medium maybe made a mistake, it was more slow at the end of t🦩▨he race.
“We’ll see what the choice is [on Sunday].”
Borsoi said about Martin: “It is ♑clear that he’s the best rider at sprint races. We are happ❀y because we closed the gap again, again, again…
“We are still alive.
“Now we’re there. We are fighting again.
“Sunday is always different. Our pace was good [on Saturday]. At th✱e moment we have a goo💮d balance with the setup, Jorge said the bike was perfect.
“If yo♏u have this feeling, we are strong enough to win.ꩵ”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a𓄧 decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
