Ducati puts its feet in the dish…

By calling for an increase in the displacement of the twin cylinders to 1200 cc in Mondial Superbike, Ducati calls into question the participation of Japanese manufacturers who are followers of the 4-cylinder. The summer promises to be delicate for Paolo Flammini, manitou of the Mondial SBK…

The fire had been smoldering for a year, the blaze started last week by interposed statements. Ducati is demanding a modification of the Superbike regulations to run its 1098R – in fact an 1198 cc – in 2008. "If not, we will leave the championship"insists the n ° 2 of Bologna, Claudio Dominicali, in charge of the competition.

The response from the Japanese teams was quick, Francis Batta (Suzuki Alstare) in the lead: "no question of seeing an equivalence twins 1200 cc / four cylinder 1000 landed"…

We can understand. Because with his 999, Ducati – titled in 2006 – remains one of the main protagonists in the title race this year. "No one is technically capable of making a 4-cylinder 1000 equivalent to a twin 1200", specifies Francis Batta:"the twin will benefit everywhere. In these conditions, I lower the curtain !"

And we are already talking about Alstare in the Grand Prix and therefore the return of Max Biaggi against Rossi…

To calm things down, Davide Tardozzi, Ducati team manager, invited all the team managers of the official teams to a meeting on Saturday evening in Valencia where everyone was able to express their point of view..

No decision has been taken and another meeting will be held in two weeks in Assen. But we have to move forward very quickly … The 1098R is ready, Lanzi and Bayliss even have to perform the first tests on its handlebars very soon. In addition, other brands, including KTM, are suspended from this decision to arrive in Superbike…

Thus the Austrian factory is ready to enter a twin 1150 cc from 2008. Only, despite the ten titles of Ducati in Superbike and the arrival of KTM, the promoters of the event have no desire to see the Japanese factories desert. a championship in full development and which should see other brands enter within three years: KTM, Aprilia and MV Agusta in 2008, BMW a little later…

No question therefore for the organizer to favor the manufacturers of twins. Everyone has their own little technical recipe to bring this little world together. We are talking again about restrictors (as in 2003), no longer for the 4-cylinders but for the twins this time (the wheel turns), or of weight handicaps according to the displacement (and not according to the number of cylinders). like in MotoGP).

"We need rules that are acceptable to all and easily applicable"Paolo Flammini explained to Valencia. The answer is as urgent as it is difficult to take … But the stakes are high, especially as Flammini is in the midst of negotiations with a big sponsor ready to sign a seven-year contract.

And what is the main condition for signing this important financial agreement? That all Japanese factories undertake to be present throughout the duration of the contract…

A. LAFFUT – Photos DR

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