MotoGP: Bagnaia’s Comments On Satellite Teams Draw IRTA Chief Herve Poncharal’s Ire

MotoGP has never been more competitive than it is today, with a majority of the riders on the grid having won at least one premier class race at some point. However, the heightened competition in the championship may prove to be a threat to rider safety, as per current MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia, who commented on the topic following this past weekend’s French grand prix.

Also Read: MotoGP French Grand Prix: Jorge Martin Wins His First Sprint Race As Bagnaia And Marquez Scrap Behind

The Ducati star, whose race ended after a collision with Aprilia’s Maverick Vinales, made a statement in an interview with Italian media that raised a few eyebrows. Bagnaia addressed the issue of early race incidents, highlighting how the gap that separated factory riders from satellite team riders back in the day no longer exists. He argued that riders should refrain from attempting to pass multiple competitors in a single lap, especially when braking at the limit.

“A rider behind you, that doesn’t have the potential, is looking to pass six riders in one lap. And it doesn’t work like this. Because we are all on the limit, looking for the maximum goal. And if I’m braking on the limit, especially in the first part of the race, it’s wrong to try and brake beyond this limit. If you look, the incidents are mainly in the first part of the races, because there is a lot of agitation. We should think about trying to improve this situation, because it’s not safe like this. One thing I think is that, from the first bike to the last, everyone can win. There is no longer a 6- or 7-tenths gap between the factory and satellite bikes. That was useful, honestly, because the ‘Fantastic 4’ [Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa] were born because they were the strongest, but they also had factory bikes”, Bagnaia told the media.

Bagnaia acknowledged that while these riders were the strongest, they also had superior technical capabilities compared to their counterparts on independent teams. However, he emphasised that the current level of competition is extraordinary, with every rider having a genuine chance to win. Bagnaia highlighted the performance of rookie rider Augusto Fernandez, who achieved an impressive fourth-place finish in the race, demonstrating that the playing field is more level than ever.

“I mean, the pace wasn’t that fast, apart from Bezzecchi. And he just did the pace we all expected. The others were slow and that keeps the group together. So in my opinion I’d like a bigger gap between the factory and satellite bikes. Or at least to find a solution to avoid these kinds of incidents.”

In response to Bagnaia's remarks, Herve Poncharal, team principal of Fernandez's Tech3 GASGAS team and president of teams' association IRTA, expressed surprise and disappointment. Poncharal pointed out that Bagnaia himself benefited from the current system.

Herve Poncharal is team principal of Augusto Fernandez's Tech3 GASGAS team and president of teams' association IRTA.

“What makes me surprised is that he benefited from this system, he was able to have high-performance motorcycles in an independent structure [at Pramac Ducati] and now I read that it would be good if we castrate the motorcycles of the private teams by 6 or 7 tenths per lap in order for the rich and powerful [teams] to have fun.”

Poncharal disagreed with Bagnaia's suggestion of creating a larger performance gap between factory and satellite bikes. He highlighted the collaborative efforts between independent teams, Dorna, FIM, and MSMA to ensure that satellite teams have access to competitive machinery. Poncharal underlined the achievements of independent teams, noting that the top four positions in the Grand Prix of France were secured by such teams. He emphasised the importance of a wide-open title race and the ability of independent teams to attract sponsors based on their performance and potential for winning races and championships.

Poncharal also termed Bagnaia's comments as unsportsmanlike, noting that respect and fairness are fundamental values in sports. He viewed Bagnaia's suggestion as a lack of respect for his colleagues, particularly those associated with VR46.

“I thought that [as a] reigning world champion, you were told and taught that you had to turn your tongue seven times in your mouth before saying something stupid. And there, he said such huge nonsense! It shocked me a lot personally because it is unsportsmanlike. One of the basic values ​​of sport is respect and fairness. And that is somehow a lack of respect to, once again, not castrate but penalise. In addition, he gave amounts of the penalty [we should face], '6 or 7 tenths': In his great leniency, he did not say 1 second! And what is sport in these cases? Because what we want to see are motorcycles fighting, but also men fighting! It is a lack of respect also for his colleagues at VR46! It would be nice if he talked to Bezzecchi about it… ”

It is worth noting that an independent rider has yet to win a title in the MotoGP era. However, Bezzecchi, who rides for a private team, is currently among the top six in the world championship standings, along with three other satellite riders. The VR46 team, which utilises year-old Ducati machinery, and Pramac Ducati currently hold the first and second positions in the teams' world championship, showcasing the competitiveness and potential of independent teams in the sport.

Yashraj Singh