Not much talk here about Bautista’s devastating and brutal dominance in WSBK. He’s like mm and just playing with everyone. Arguably would have been better to have given him the second Ducati motogp seat. If Our Jack doesn’t get it next year I can see him going to WSBK. Him or Petrucci.
WSBK Ducati.
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Assen was supposed to be the track that bought Alvaro back to the pack and Rea thought to be an odds on winner.
Alvaro did have luck with the red flag in Superpole.
He just ground out two more wins, race 2 giving him some racing practice until he cleared out.
I think Ducati will want to keep him in SBK, the other three Ducatis are not doing much.
Does he have a 1 or 2 year contract?
If its a 2 year contract he'll be free when a lot of riders in Motogp are off contract.
Aprilia and KTM will be looking and if Lorenzo doesn't improve I'm tipping Bautista for Repsol Honda 2021-22.
You heard it here first:grin2:
Alvaro did have luck with the red flag in Superpole.
He just ground out two more wins, race 2 giving him some racing practice until he cleared out.
I think Ducati will want to keep him in SBK, the other three Ducatis are not doing much.
Does he have a 1 or 2 year contract?
If its a 2 year contract he'll be free when a lot of riders in Motogp are off contract.
Aprilia and KTM will be looking and if Lorenzo doesn't improve I'm tipping Bautista for Repsol Honda 2021-22.
You heard it here first:grin2:
Ducati has been dying to be on top in WSBK ever since the 1198 went out and the stiff “framed” Panigale came in which never saw a championship in its 2-cyl configuration. If the V4 continues to work in the hands of AB it will continue to drive the demand for the new Panigale like it is now. It’s not only winning comparison tests in the moto rags but it’s winning on track.
2004 Ducati ST4s ABS “Senna”
2002 Yamaha FZ1
1998 Ducati ST2 apocalypse edition
2004 Ducati ST4s ABS “Senna”
2002 Yamaha FZ1
1998 Ducati ST2 apocalypse edition
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I'd bet money (not a lot) that Alvaro will stay in WSBK until he retires. He had plenty of chances in MotoGP, including with Ducati last year. For whatever reason, he was never able to come to terms with being fast over the course of a season- or, even over the course of a race. He spent his entire MotoGP career without a win, and only 3 podiums. And, he did have plenty of chances with a few different factories, having ridden for Suzuki, Honda, Aprilia, and Ducati.
I'd also guess that he is finally getting a real paycheck, as opposed to whatever else he had going on in prior years. He also just had a child last year, and will likely try to make good money while he is able. I think it would be a good thing for everyone if he stays in WSBK.
1. He makes good money
2. He has a competitive ride for the rest of his career
3. He elevates the game of the rest of the WSBK riders
4. He becomes a SBK legend- assuming he continues to beat up the field
5. He isnt getting any younger
The MotoGP stovepipe is very full with new riders, waiting their chance at the big leagues. I'd be surprised if they went back to Alvaro for anything other than a one-off ride from here on.
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Gigi really likes Bautista, and there was a point last season where a lot of people had him as the 2nd best Ducati rider in the GP paddock (right behind Dovi). Ducati has 6 bikes, but only Dovi, Bagnaia, and Abraham have contracts for 2020, so there could be an opening, maybe even on a GP20.
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There was no one in the GP paddock last year who felt that Alvaro was the best candidate for a works Ducati, nor did any of those people think that Alvaro was the 2nd best Ducati rider in the paddock.
Really. Most of the paddock were stunned that he was able to finish 4th at PI, but as most will say, PI is rather peculiar and often times gives us interesting and unexpected results.
Also, Alvaro will be 35 next year. It would be quite odd for a 35 year old guy, who over an 8 year career never managed a win and only 3 podiums, to get a factory Ducati GP20, instead of Jack Miller, or any of the other young guys.
It might be plausible that Alvaro goes back to paying for rides with whomever has the GP19's, but it's unlikely in the extreme.
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That changes everything. Didn't know he was 35. Not much chance of getting back to motoGP at that age, he'll finish his career with Ducati SBK.
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As he should. He is kicking major ass, and Ducati has had a long drought of championships.
Also- the most important factor here- he is actually 'getting paid' to ride now...instead of paying for a ride.
Why on Earth would he leave?
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This time last year many people were discussing who was Ducatis #2, and while I will admit at the time (as well as now) I think Jack Miller is, a lot of the people I spoke with at GPs and online, Alvaro's name was constantly being brought up. and looking at the rider line up they had, Lorenzo just was not a good fit, Petrucci has always lacked consistency (and he was on a factory bike), Tito and Karel were even worse in that department.
Personally I think they should promote Miller to the Factory team, and give serious consideration to Alvaro for the open spot on the Pramac team.
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If you had conversations with people within Ducati or the MotoGP paddock who felt that Alvaro would have been a good choice for a better ride, they were in direct opposition to everyone I speak with. The feeling last year was that with the arrival of Alvaro's baby, he had lost a bit of motivation to go fast. You can see that in the results, with a best of 9th as of the 8th round of the series.
Lorenzo was not a good fit, thats for sure. That relationship was done when JLo felt disrespected in the same way that Stoner felt disrespected during the lactose debacle.
Petrucci was not on a factory bike. The Pramac bikes are a step- or two- behind the factory bikes. That gap is a little closer this year, but it is still a gap. Miller has a very similar bike to the official bikes, but then he is also getting paid directly from Ducati. Jack has a future with Ducati Corse as a MotoGP rider for sure. So does Petrucci.
No one has ever felt that Tito or Karel was anything other than a paying customer for Ducati Corse. That is true today, as it was when Karel and Alvaro shared a garage last year when it was Pull & Bear. Alvaro was on a 2017 spec bike, and Karel on a 2016. Alvaro had 3 top 5's from 19 races, with most of his results outside of the top 10. Again, I dont know how anyone could look at that season and think that he was a future factory rider, especially after 8 years in MotoGP without a win, a new baby, and about to turn 34.
Remember, Ducati uses the Marlboro money to go racing, and further finances it with customer bikes that are a few steps behind. This year, the Avintia bikes are 2018 spec, and could very likely finish top 5-6 with the right rider on the right day. Also remember that the Avintia rides are 'pay to play'. These guys are paying for bikes and support. Ducati does not care who is riding them, so long as the checks dont bounce. (This is certainly the case with Karel, and very likely with Tito)
As an aside, both Karel and Tito are top notch, world class motorbike racers. These guys are fast beyond description, so my comments are not meant as a knock on them, but rather are simply showing the reality of the situation as I understand it.
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Here is a picture of Tito's workspace from this weekend.
Attachments
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I don't know what you mean by a "good fit", but there is no question Lorenzo was kicking ass once he got a few items sorted. I think he would have gone on to contend for the championship.
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So far this season Miller has had two fourth places and one third place with two dnf's
Petrucci has three sixth places, one fifth and one third.
One of Millers dnf's was when his seat pad detached from the seat.
So Millers average placing in races finished is 3.66
Petrucci's is 5.2
Petrucci has three sixth places, one fifth and one third.
One of Millers dnf's was when his seat pad detached from the seat.
So Millers average placing in races finished is 3.66
Petrucci's is 5.2
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If Bautista delivers the WSBK title his clout with the Ducati will be huge. He will be the first choice over Pirro for any factory wild card/substitute rides and they will probably pay him extra to stay in WSBK and keep winning. I would not be surprised to see Petrucci get pushed towards WSBK if Davies can't start winning in WSBK and they need to make room on the factory MotoGP team for a "hot prospect" to be named later. Also of note, Scott Redding (Be wiser Ducati) dominated the BSB races at Donnington this weekend and has the points lead in that series. He might fancy a try in WSBK if things keep going well for him. Bottom line: The V4 Superbike has been a huge step in the right direction.
Gota disagree here. Bautista is the only one winning. Davies doing no better than last year. Bautista would be winning on the old pani or a Kawasaki. In this case I believe it’s the rider more than the bike.
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The V-twin Pani was at the end of it's development. If you don't think that matters, check the out how the "New" Honda team is doing (The R1 is starting to show it's age too). I agree that Bautista is the difference maker, but the bike is brand new and is winning right out of the box (Wins in BSB also). You could also argue that Rea is the only one winning on a Kawi.
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