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 ord♑ers are yet to be 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 c😼ase.

A mapping 8 message was 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 2017.

But the meaning was different when Gr💜esini sent that to Di 𒉰Giannantonio’s dash, leaving Ciabatti surprised. 

“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, especially if he’s faster. Fabio was faster than everybody else.”

Ciabatti also spoke about the title fight 𒆙from Jorge Martin’s perspec𒆙tive, after the Pramac rider suffered a shock result on Sunday.

After winning the sprint and looking like a favourite to repeat that in t🉐he main race, Martin 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 str🥃uggling because he could not find the same pace as Friday a𝓰nd Saturday morning, but today he was able to pull away. 

“Emot🅰ional in a way because Di Giannantonio is in a strange situation at the moment and his maiden win in this manner was well deserved. 

“Pecco secon🥃d and Marini third; another three Italians on the podium [together] happened some time ago. 

“It was a shame for Jorge becausꦛe 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 championship becaus꧟e Marco is third.”

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