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If Bautista wins WSBK, then he is a major problem for Ducati, with 2 other riders currently in the running for an extended contract at Ducati (Petrucci and Miller) adding him in will cause a lot of anger I think.
Personally I rate Bautista higher than Miller or Petrucci and would love to see him given a chance on a factory ride.
Personally I rate Bautista higher than Miller or Petrucci and would love to see him given a chance on a factory ride.
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why not give him a wild card on a factory Ducati and see how he does?
If Miller continues to outperform Petrucci, then he will get the factory seat. So there will be an opening on the Pramac team, which could be a factory bike if Bagnaia remains on a used bike.
If Miller continues to outperform Petrucci, then he will get the factory seat. So there will be an opening on the Pramac team, which could be a factory bike if Bagnaia remains on a used bike.
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Miller is behind Petrucci on points, so hows he out performing him?
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The seat that came undone in gutter left Miller behind Petrucci
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Miller has out qualified Petrucci in every round so far, he's had better pace in testing and practice. If not for loosing the seat which resulted in a DNF, Miller would be 10 points clear of Petrucci.
Yes, a seat coming unglued is hardly a rider error/a result of rider impetuosity. Miller is clearly faster than Petrucci despite not having full factory backing. I also suspect Gigi at least was not best pleased by Petrucci’s comments about the ‘cooling’ device given that the main criterion for legality of said device seemed to be that it be called a cooling device.
If Miller is hanging at about 3rd or 4th which seems to be where his pace is currently I highly doubt he goes for Bautista or indeed most other riders. However Petrucci only has a 1 year sink or swim contract.
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Which one of them was on a factory bike that season ?.
I am a fan of Bautista’s btw, and I think Stoner could have had a similar career if he hadn’t got that factory Ducati ride, which was rather flukey and intended to be a 1 year rental only. We shall see with Jack, but at the moment he is out riding Petrucci, whom I admittedly don’t like because he pulled over for Rossi at Valencia 2015, and riding a factory bike for a satellite team is still probably not quite the same as a full factory ride.
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I dont think any of the current Moto2 crop of riders are ready to move up... Ducati did sign Bagnaia so they have their young talent for now.
here is the scenario:
Petrucci is out, Miller is promoted to the factory team, Bautista gets a one year deal on the Pramac machine.
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He sure is bringing WSBK to a whole new level but I doubt he'll be given a shot on a factory bike in MotoGP...mainly due to his age (he's 34).
Also it's probably more stimulating to him to stay in SBK, making real good money (not common in that very championship, but that's the case for him and a couple others) and trying to beat records rather than going back to GPs on a non-factory machine, not really knowing where he could place himself.
Also it's probably more stimulating to him to stay in SBK, making real good money (not common in that very championship, but that's the case for him and a couple others) and trying to beat records rather than going back to GPs on a non-factory machine, not really knowing where he could place himself.
I can remember Stoner being called Crashey Stoner.
Jack is obviously fast, the question is whether he is a natural born crasher or a rider who has crashed over-riding non-competitive bikes as Stoner did in his early premier class career. The satellite Honda he was on was very definitely not a competitive bike. Ducati presumably know how the satellite Ducatis he has previously ridden stacked up against the factory bikes and have seen fit to give him a factory bike this year, and Petrucci a one year only contract. Maybe he is keeping the seat warm for Bagnaia rather than Miller, we shall see I guess, but being around the top 4 on the grid or better for pace can hardly be doing Miller’s prospects much harm.
Agree 3 races don’t make a season, and events will reveal if he can sustain this when the “real” season starts in Europe. Austin where he finished 3rd is hardly a Ducati track though.
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I think it is early to say Petrucci won’t be re-signed, but as I recall he more or less insisted that Ducati give him a factory team ride or nothing, I think they have given him a year to prove he warrants that status, and I am sure Miller needs to put a whole season together as well even to keep his current factory bike on a satellite team ride. Miller is looking more competitive than Petrucci so far in my likely biased opinion, but it is early season with no European rounds contested yet as has been said. Perhaps Holypuck is more informed about matters Italian, but I don’t think the Ducati satellite seat is hard to fill at the moment, the factory bike is competitive, Ducati back their main satellite team as well as any manufacturer does, and there is no second rider on the factory team looking like a stayer, with Dovi not getting any younger either.
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With the WSBK title potentially not being decided until late October, unless Bautista wraps it up really early, Ducati would have to delay contract renewals well beyond their usual times.
I can’t see this happening and them risking riders going elsewhere in fear of not getting seats for 2020.
The only thing I can see happening, (highly unlikely though) is that Ducati provides a fourth factory bike for a one off season for Bautista, probably in the Pramac team.
I can’t see this happening and them risking riders going elsewhere in fear of not getting seats for 2020.
The only thing I can see happening, (highly unlikely though) is that Ducati provides a fourth factory bike for a one off season for Bautista, probably in the Pramac team.
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Riders will get signed by late summer... if miller moves up then there will be an open ride on a Pramac bike, only one of those is a factory ride, but that does not necessarily mean Bagnaia gets it.
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That’s just one permutation though buddy. Too many things can happen for Ducati to promise an ageing Bautista a year on a factory bike. They must have a plan in place already to make such a promise. I don’t think they’d risk losing talented younger riders.
