In a bid to permit Yamaha and Honda to enhance their aggressive kind after tough 2023 campaigns, MotoGP has launched a brand new concessions system for 2024.
Yamaha and Honda profit probably the most from this, by issues reminiscent of limitless testing and unrestricted engine and aerodynamic improvement.
Ducati suffers probably the most underneath this new ruleset, with the world champion marque restricted on take a look at tyres, personal testing, engine improvement and unable to subject wildcards.
Whereas Bagnaia agrees with the concessions, he feels nothing wanted to alter for Ducati outdoors of the present guidelines it already operated underneath – which noticed it unable to check in-season with race riders, not allowed to develop its engine through the season and restricted to 1 aero replace per 12 months – given the benefit others now achieve.
“For certain, having extra checks… they’ll [Yamaha and Honda] begin in Malaysia with three extra days,” Bagnaia mentioned at Ducati’s 2024 launch occasion on Monday. “Then they’ll do checks all over the place. So, I believe will probably be a giant step for them.
“It’s true that they want it, however I believe that from my perspective the concessions for Ducati didn’t have to alter. For me, for Ducati, it needed to be the identical and never cut back days of testing or the variety of tyres, or the wildcards.
Picture by: Ducati Corse
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Workforce
“So, I didn’t perceive it as a result of the concessions for others are big, if we contemplate Honda and Yamaha. I believe it’s good for them as a result of they’ll do extra issues.
“Yamaha proper now has Massimo Bartolini, who has come to them [from Ducati], and for certain this shall be a giant step in entrance for them. So, they’ll have a giant benefit from my perspective.”
On Saturday, Gresini Racing unveiled the livery for its 2024 MotoGP bike, which shall be raced by Marc Marquez following the eight-time world champion’s swap from Honda on the finish of final 12 months.
Having made an on the spot impression on the Ducati within the post-season Valencia take a look at final November, wherein he was simply 0.171s off the tempo in fourth, Marquez is broadly anticipated to shake up the aggressive order throughout the Italian marque’s ranks.
However Bagnaia moved to downplay the specter of Marquez, saying: “I believe that numerous riders are very aggressive for this season.
“The 2023 bike he’ll use is a successful bike and for certain higher than the one he was utilizing final season. So, let’s see.”
