Qatar GP, Bagnaia with the old Ducati engine? Tardozzi clarifies

According to certain indiscretions that emerged during the course of the first day of world championship practice, Pecco Bagnaia apparently asked Ducati to return to the 2021 engine, rejecting the development carried out by the Bolognese engineers in preparation for this season. The news, if true, would have come as more than a surprise. Although the bike did not shine particularly bright during winter testing, Ducati bosses have continued to express confidence and highlight how the 2022 GP is better than the previous version, in all respects. Particularly in terms of the new engine, one of the most drastically different technical components compared to last season.

Tardozzi’s anger: "Pecco didn’t ask to go back to the 2021 engine"

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Interviewed by MotoGP.com during first practice, the Italian manager clarified the situation: "I don’t know why people are always talking about Ducati, making accusations and criticising. Pecco has not said that the 2022 engine is wrong or that he wants to use the 2021 version. This is rubbish, we are giving Pecco a different specification, we have the possibility to manage the engine, orienting it to a rider’s particular style and this engine is close to the style of both Pecco and Jack. The other riders were happy with a different specification, that’s what happened. We know of one manufacturer that brought three different specifications to Sepang. Why’s no one asking them the same thing?"

The situation seems clear then, and the engine used by the Italian is the 2022 version but with a different specification so as to adapt it to his riding style, while other Ducati riders are using the engine seen during the Mandalika test. Tardozzi then explained the reason why the flying lap times fell a little below expectation during the winter tests: "I think we completed a different kind of winter test this year. We didn’t start out to set lap times. With only five days of testing, we focused on development. We’ll see in Qatar whether we did the right kind of work or not".

Translated by Heather Watson

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