“If needed there will be orders!” Will Ducati bosses decide MotoGP title fight?

Factory Ducati and Pramac bosses have both hinted at Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin receiving help from teammates in their bid for the MotoGP title.
Jorge
Jorge

Bagnaia, the reigning c🃏hamp🌳ion, has a 14-point advantage heading into this weekend’s Qatar MotoGP.

The closeness of Martin’s ch🐭allenge, with four races remaining (including sprints𒊎) means that fellow riders could be given team orders to help influence the result.

"Johann Zarco is a Pramac rider, his teammate is fighting for the title and if needed there will be orders,” 🐻Pramac boss Gino Borsoi told . 

“We talked about it and in🌼 any case he mu🧜st also think about finishing fifth in the World Championship".

Ducati’s Davide Tardozzi offered a reminder thᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚat Enea Bastianini’s debut win in𝓡 red, last week in Sepang, came after assistance from his title-chasing teammate - and he hinted it could be returned.

"Eওnea received important help from Pecco on Saturday morning, on the track and psychologically🍃,” Tardozzi said. 

“Small 🦋things that make you make the leap in quality. 

“It's well known that Enea is going fast, the click that arrived in Mal🍒aysia was missing, and I think he's aware that Pecco's help in this."

Bagna♔ia previously said about help from Bastianini:  “I prefer always to ride alone but maybe it's the time to do something together.”

But Martin shot🌟 down team orders: “ܫI don't care about 'friends'.”

'Pressue and tension increased'

Jorge Martin, Francesco Bagnaia, Qatar MotoGP, 16 November
Jorge Martin, Francesco Bagnaia, Qatar MotoGP, 16 November

Pramac’s Borsoi previewed the title scrap in𝓰 Qatar: "More than ready. Pressure and tension have increased, when you understand that you can fight for ✱the first three positions, which then become the first two, things change. 

“But I think they havಞe m๊ore pressure. Regardless of the ending, we did an incredible season. 

“If ♊the icing on the cake comes, perfect, otherwise 🐼it's fine."

Borsoi insisted he isn’t superstitious:🐽 𝓡"Absolutely not. I mean, when I was racing I always had those things to do, now I'm more about a job well done.

"During a season you alwa⛄ys make some mi🍰stakes. 

“We're 🥂concentrating, but you can never predict everything. We were at -64 points, we were first, I'd ღsay we worked well."

Borsoi said 𒅌about the 14-point disadvantage: "If I had the choice, I would prefer to have them. But there ar🦋en't many.

“Wꦯe're racing on two tracks where we've always been 🐬strong, our minds are prepared and positive.

“I have great respect for Pecco, he's in the lead and he's the champion. He 🅺has the team, the bike and ꧟in 2022 he recovered a lot of points from Quartararo, he knows how to manage, especially the last part of the season where there is this constant nervousness about the result. 

“But we are aware that we ar🉐e on ♌two tracks where Jorge has always been strong."

Borsoi said the differ✱ence will be “steady nerves”.

“Now Pecco doesn't even have the tyre pressure [advantage] anymore, w💝e're starting from scratch,” he said. 

“In any case, the pressure will decide, between that of the people, the drivers ♏and the 🗹tyres. Let's hope the latter doesn't have an impact, it would be sad.”

Tard🎀ozzi believes it is unlikely that Bagnaia will wrap up the championship at the penultimate round this weekend.

"I see 🅺closing it in Qatar as difficult,” he said.

“For Pecco it will be important to increase the gap before Valencia, where I believe Jorge will have ಌan exceptional race. For Pecco, in my opinion, this race is much more important.

"I wouldn't want to arrive [in Valencia] with just a few points, anything can happen in a single race. If the advantage ﷽is consistent, you can manage.

“Both having an exceptional championship, it is also diffic🐷ultও to say that one deserves more than the other. 

“Pecco had a wonderful season up until Barcelon▨a, ​​then Martin's time cam🌞e. They deserve to fight until the end."

Tardozzi explained 🅺Bagnaia’s mind-set: "Absolutely calm. But aware that the battle is tough. 

“We talk about iꦿt among ourselves, he knows how strong Martin is. But I don't see him as fearful, and I think he showed it in Sepang.

"Since ﷽Jerez there has been a maturation in the race st🍃rategy. 

“The mღistakes at Termas and Austin were very serious and he made the most of them. 

“On Sunday in Sepang perhaps🌜 he could have even risked finishing second, but it was too important to finish in front of Martin🏅.”

Tardozzi detailed Martin’s strength: "His aggression. If he manages it, he will ⛦have good room for growth. 

“He has innate speed and going fast straight away, from the first corner, made the difference in the last part of the seaso💛n. He will becomﷺe important.

"Pecco must race based on his strengths, brakꦬing and corner entry. 

“If he manages to ride with the ease of Malaysia and the determination he h🌄as especially in braking, I believe he can absolutely finish ahead of Jorge, who instead has in the distance corners and the aggressiveness of the first laps are the strong point. 

“Pecco will have to keep Jorge behind, or not lose him,🍨 because in the second part he will have a b🦩etter chance of victory."

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