Honda hit back at Ducati in concessions row: “Created in the past, for others”
Team manage🍒rs throughout the paddoꦰck have their say on new MotoGP concessions rules
Honda have delivered a f💙orthright reminder to Ducati that the MotoGP concessions system previously helped them back frꦿom the wilderness.
T💟he tweaked concessions rules will this season give a helping hand to Honda and Yamaha, but Ducati have complained about some of the newer details.
Honda have struck back by insisting that Ducati’s cur🍌rent status aඣs MotoGP’s top manufacturer was aided by concessions in past years.
Repsol Honda team manager Alberto Puig s𒁃aid: “It’s a clear help. This system was not created now, for us.
“It was created in the past, for others!
“Sಌo now, we are getting a benefit from it. Of course, we will try to use it as much as possible.
“It’s there, it’s in the regulations. We’ll try to use it with the adv🐲antages, or let’s say the po🍨ssibilities, that the regulations give.”
Ducati’s Davide Tardozzi said: “Having the two Japanese factories with these kind of concessi♍ons? It will help them, a lot, back to the top of the grid.
“We have to underline tᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚhat they ღwere on the podium last year.
“We accept this situation. But we have to complain a bit that to help the others, you don’t have to take something f🌱rom 🌳those who are leading the championship…
“We have to think about our testing t🌺his year. Having 70 tyres less ♕for testing is a big step down.
“We accept it. We have to show that we wi🍷ll be c🐽ompetitive anyway.”
Ya💝maha’s Massimo Meregalli said: “They will, for sure, help us to speed up the procedure of improving the bike.
“We already 🀅started. We did two days testing in Sepang [at the shakedown].
“We will try to prepare for races in advance where it’s fe💝asible. Like Mug🐓ello, Misano, maybe Jerez.
“We ꧋will try to exploit the concessions as mꦑuch as we can.
“The pl𓃲an is to introduce two steps of engines during the season.
“This is an extra advant🌠age that the concessions ar𝔍e giving us.
“In this moment I can see only positive t꧃hings. The only bad point is the꧅ extra work!”
KTM and Aprilia currently find themselves in the🍸 middle of three brackets wit🌳hin the new concessions rules. They have more benefits than Ducati, but less than Honda and Yamaha.
KTM’s Francesco Guidotti sa♔id: “For us, it changes a lot. We have only a few more tyres available compared to last year.
“They have big, big, big help. For sure, they will use it𝔍 in the pro🍎per way.
“We have to focus on our job, not to look aroun𒁃d and what they do or don’t do. We have to focus on our job daily.”
Aprilia’s Paolo Bonora said: “For sure, the new concessions system will help the man෴ufacturers that have to recover a tech🧸nical gap.
“There are many new rules that will help them.
“But also it will help the show. Becau🐟se having many bikes of a close𒅌r technical level will help the show.
“We hope that the fans at home will enjoy.”
James was a spor🃏ts journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, t𒉰o football, to F1.
