Ducati has been the dominant force in MotoGP in recent years. It is the natural benchmark and example to follow, and its test rider, Michele Pirro, believes that competitors will be there to fight – in a year where there is a new concessions system that severely limits Borgo Panigale’s development of the bike.
The Italian rider told GPOne.com: ‘There will be more guerrilla warfare to try to beat Ducati. It’s something I noticed last year when the Japanese appeared in the tests with many people. There is a desire to beat Ducati, which as an athlete is satisfying because we have become the reference; it took us several years to reach this level’.
Pirro then emphasized Ducati will have strong opponents: ‘However, there is no shortage of opposition. KTM has made strides, and Yamaha is also working on the engine, and we have seen significant speeds both in Malaysia and Qatar, something that had never been seen from Yamaha before; the arrival of [Massimo] Bartolini will bring them that knowledge. Honda is starting from scratch, but they have many concessions, so they have a chance to recover. It’s a championship with many ideas, and it’s obvious that there will be the unknown factor of [Marc] Márquez, who returns to a competitive bike. I hope he returns to the level of the past, and he will certainly be in the mix’.