Argentinian GP – The Ducati racing department says it is calm on the eve of the judgment on its contested victory in Qatar –

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Ducati racing department says it is calm on the eve of the judgment on its contested victory in Qatar

Argentinian GP - The Ducati racing department says it is calm on the eve of the judgment on its contested victory in Qatar -

Luigi Dall’Igna, general manager of the Ducati racing department, says he is convinced that the appeal court of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) will reject the appeal procedure launched by Aprilia, Honda, KTM and Suzuki over the deflector installed in front of the rear wheel of Desmosedici MotoGP in Qatar… Explanations.

Big day in perspective this Friday for the Court of Appeal of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM): the federal body will have to decide on "" and the use of this famous appendage fixed on the swingarm of the Desmosedici GP19 that Aprilia , Honda, KTM and Suzuki deem non-regulatory…

  • MNC of March 21, 2019 :
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The four manufacturers who initiated this procedure will initially be received by the FIM, which will listen to their arguments regarding this deflector accused of generating aerodynamic downforce … and not of cooling the tire as Ducati maintains. In Qatar, these accusations had been brushed aside by the college of FIM commissaires.

But the case is hot because if the court of appeal ruled in favor of Aprilia, Honda, KTM and Suzuki, Andrea Dovizioso’s victory at the Qatar GP could be contested … Nobody seems to want to get there, however. including the boss of Aprilia Racing, Massimo Rivola, yet one of the most virulent accusers.

"We do not want retroactive effect, Dovizioso must retain its victory in Qatar", he assured our colleagues from Motosprint. For this former Formula 1 leader at Ferrari, the solution is simple: the FIM must first clarify the rules and prohibit Ducati from using its deflector – circled in yellow below – from the next race scheduled for March 31 in Argentina.

Argentinian GP - The Ducati racing department says it is calm on the eve of the judgment on its contested victory in Qatar -

"We preserve this victory and then we start to discuss a new rule on this part", specifies the new head of the Aprilia racing department who must however suspect that things will not stop there: if Ducati is recognized guilty of a form of cheating, the sanction seems inevitable for the unfortunate "Dovi"…

The Bologna Reds fiercely maintain their point of view, which suggests that Ducati will not so easily accept an unfavorable decision from the court of appeal: the brand threatens to take its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS ), the highest body in the sports world.

A real Far West !

If this were the case, relations between the manufacturers would deteriorate as quickly as Dovizioso’s motorcycle swallows the straights! This aspect saddens Luigi Dall’Igna, general manager of the Ducati racing department (below in a red sweatshirt alongside the Ducati boss and his pilots), who regrets the turn of events.

Argentinian GP - The Ducati racing department says it is calm on the eve of the judgment on its contested victory in Qatar -

"I have to admit, we were a bit confused as to how it all turned out," said the brilliant engineer. “Until now, all the disputes encountered – and there have been! – were settled within the MSMA (the association of manufacturers in MotoGP, Editor’s note) with the technical director (Danny Aldridge, Editor’s note). the first time that some teams decide to make a complaint against another team on the basis of a technical doubt "…

"Times change and in this case, not necessarily for the good," he continues, insisting that the part used by Ducati had received Aldridge’s endorsement. "The technical director is normally the only one who can decide whether a part fitted to the bike is compliant or not. At this rate, it risks becoming a real Wild West: imagine if there is a recourse in every race. ! "

However, "Gigi" remains calm in the face of these accusations that he considers neither elegant nor sporty: "we are convinced that our work is perfectly in accordance with the technical regulations. We therefore have no doubt that this call will be rejected".

Argentinian GP - The Ducati racing department says it is calm on the eve of the judgment on its contested victory in Qatar -

"These four manufacturers have decided to change their approach," laments the Italian leader who fears future tensions within the MSMA. “It surprises us a bit from Honda, knowing that with Yamaha we are a bit the ‘pillars’ of this championship. They have been there since the beginning of the MotoGP era and they decided to change the rules, defying thus the FIM ".

Regarding Aprilia and KTM, Dall’Igna does not hide a certain annoyance in front of their position even though the RS-GP and RC16 are far from the level of the Ducati … additional support or not! "I admit having difficulty understanding, because they are not necessarily our direct opponents in the championship".

The threat of recourse to CAS

Asked about the possibility of bringing an appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if the FIM ruled in favor of his accusers, Dall’Igna kicked in by arguing that he was "within his rights: we do not see how the court of appeal would agree with them ".

"Within the FIM, the court of appeal is the last possible resort," he explains, anticipating what will happen if the FIM finds Ducati guilty. "If you appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (within the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Editor’s note), you leave the perimeter of the FIM and I don’t even want to think about it. If that happens, we will think about it, but at the right time ".

To be continued on MNC: stay connected !

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