Qatar MotoGP: Ducati dismiss idea of using team orders ‘especially if a rider is faster’

Paolo Ciabatti claims Ducati don’t want team orders to be a factor in the 2023 MotoGP title fight.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati MotoGP Lusail 2023
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati MotoGP Lusail 2023

Team orders are yet to b🍎e used by Ducati so far this season, although the Qatar MotoGP produced one of the first situations where it appeared as though that was the case.

A mapping 8 message wa🐟s sent to Fabio Di Giannantonio, which in the past has been used by the factory team to tell Jorge Lorenzo not to attack Andrea Dovizioso, in 201𒐪7.

But the meaning was different when Gresini sent that to Di Giannantonio’s dash, leaving Ciabatti ♍sur🍬prised. 

“Actually I didn’t know and I don’t know how it came out,” said the Italian when speaking to MotoGP.com. “Anyway, we always said that we never want a rider with a chance to win to renounce winning, especiallyᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ if he’s faster. Fabio was faster than everybod🦄y else.”

Ciabatti also spoke about the title fight from Jorge Martin’s perspective, after the Pramac rider suffered a shoc༺k result on Sunday.

After winning the sprint and looking like a favourite to repeat that in the main race, Mꦿartin never got anywhere close to the front, instead dropping down to tenth come the end of the race.

Ciabatti added: “It was an incredible weekend of racing. On Saturday Jorge ⭕🀅did a fantastic race and Pecco was struggling because he could not find the same pace as Friday and Saturday morning, but today he was able to pull away. 

“Emotional in a way because Di Giann🐭antonio is in a strange situation at the moment and his maiden win in this manner was well deserved. 

“Pecco second and Mari🐼ni third; another three Italians on the podium [together] happened some time ago꧟. 

“It was a shame for Jorge because he had some trouble and could not do the race he🅠 was expecting to do. 

“Now we go to Valencia knowing it will be a Ducati1-2-3 in the c𒁃hampionship becau♓se Marco is third.”

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