Honda hit back at Ducati in concessions row: “Created in the past, for others”
Team managers throughout the paddock have their say on new MotoGP concessions ꦇrules
Honda have del꧑ivered a forthright reminder to Ducati that the MotoGP concessions system previously helped them back from the wilderness.
The tweaked concessions rules will this season𓃲 give a helping hand to H🧔onda and Yamaha, but Ducati have complained about some of the newer details.
Honda have struck back by i🍸nsisting that Ducati’s current status as MotoGP’s top manufacturer was aided by concessions in pa🦹st years.
Repsol Honda team manager Alberto Puig said: “It’s a clear help. This s🍷ystem was not created now, for us.
“It was created in the past, for others!
“So now, we are getting a benefit from it. Of course, we will try to use it as much as possible𝓀.
“It’s there, it’s in the regulations. We’ll try to use it with the ꦐadvan🅺tages, or let’s say the possibilities, that the regulations give.”
Ducati’s Davidꦗe Tardozzi said: “Having the two Japanese factories with these kind of concessions? It will help them, a lot, back to the top of the grid.
“We have to underline that they were on the podium las♛t year.
“We accept this situation. But we have to complain a bit that to help the others, you don’t hav♔e to take some🌠thing from those who are leading the championship…
“We have to think about our testing th🎃is year. Having 70 tyres less for testing is a big step down📖.
“We accept it. We have to show ಞthat we will be competitive🔯 anyway.”
Yamaha’s Massimo Meregalli said: “They will, f👍or sure, help us to speed up the procedure of improving the bi🌊ke.
“We alr❀eady started. We did 🔥two days testing in Sepang [at the shakedown].
“We will try to prepare for races in 🐭advance where it’s feasible. Like Mugello, Misano, maybe Jerez.
“We will try to exploit the concessions𒆙 as much 🗹as we can.
“The plan is to introduce tw🥃o steps of ▨engines during the season.
“This♉ is an extra advantage that the concessions are giving u🍸s.
“In this moment I can see only posi꧙tive things. The only bad💞 point is the extra work!”
KTM 🐲and Aprilia currently find themselves in the middle of three brackets within the new concessions rules. They have more benefits than Ducati, but less than Honda and Yamaha.
KTM’s Francesc🦂o Guidotti said: “For us, it changes a lot. We have o♛nly a few more tyres available compared to last year.
“They have big, big, big help. For sure, they w🍌ill use it in the proper way.
“We have to focus on our job,ꦿ not to look around and wh🌼at they do or don’t do. We have to focus on our job daily.”
Aprilia’s Paolo Bonora said𓆏: “For sure, the new concessions s🐻ystem will help the manufacturers that have to recover a technical gap.
“There are many new rules that will help them.
“But also it will help the 🍸show. Because having many bikes of a closer technical level will help the show.
“We hope that the fans at home will enjoy.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everytꦡhing from American🀅 sports, to football, to F1.
