It’s either this time or it’s another one of those ‘the wolf is coming’.
The ingredients are perfect: an asphalt with little grip, a route with long fast corners where the bike pulls like a tractor, bigger braking problems than usual for Ducati… Mandalika and the conditions where they ride today, Friday at two. The first sessions of the Indonesian GP, suggest that this weekend is destined to be one of those GGPPs where Aprilia is one step ahead of the competition. It happened at Silverstone, where Aleix Espargaró won, and it happened at Montmeló, where the Espargaró/Viñales couple starred in a perfect weekend for the Noale brand. And since we mentioned Viñales, if everything evolves in the same line seen today, on Sunday the Roses rider will have a new chance to achieve the long-awaited first victory with Aprilia. A success that has repeatedly eluded him for many reasons. Will it be this time?
Advantages and disadvantages of the Ducati policy.
At Ducati, they assume that one of the keys to their success is their ‘open door’ policy regarding each of their riders’ access to their brand colleagues’ data. A strategy that allows slow drivers to compare themselves to faster ones. That is, in what part of the circuit it does best, how it uses the brakes, how it manages the power, at what point it starts a curve… And with eight motorcycles on the track, the amount of information is incredible. Having eight motorcycles on the track also allowed the Italian engineers to distribute the work of motorcycle tuning. While on Friday one group works on the set-up – read the dimensions, height, electronics configuration and other parameters – the others have to go through the tires available for the GP. On Friday after practice, the engineers check each other’s data, and as we’ve seen many times this season, as if by magic on Saturday those who reported problems the day before . An infallible rule when you’re behind, but not so much when you’re the boss everyone is copying… keep reading.
Jorge Martín, Pecco Bagnaia’s apprentice.
As we explained, this ‘open door’ policy when it comes to sharing data allowed Jorge Martín to take the step he was missing to ‘look Pecco Bagnaia in the eye’. It’s never been made a secret that what sets Bagnaia apart from other riders is his mastery when it comes to stopping the bike. This has been explained repeatedly by other Ducati riders and also by Pecco himself. “We know what’s better to do, but I just can’t do what he’s doing,” was the unison. Well, having this information later in every session of every GP is a kind of guide for Martín. It is clear that at some point, someone as determined as Martín will be there. Johann Zarco, Jorge’s partner, explains it perfectly. ”Braking is Ducati’s strong point, so when you use it to the fullest, you can destroy everything, as Bagnaia and Bezzecchi did before. Jorge has reached it now.” That is, Martín matched his rivals in what was his weak point, but neither Bagnaia nor Bezzecchi were able to match the Spanish driver’s superior cornering. Maybe he embedded the word ‘still’ here, right?
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
