Why the 2023 MotoGP title battle has already begun

Ducati is living one of the most important moments in its history: everything seems ready for Francesco Bagnaia to win the second MotoGP title in the history of the company - 15 years after Casey Stoner won his first championship in 2007 - in Valencia on Sunday. The achievement of Bagnaia would be historic, and even more so if we take into account that to achieve it he cut a gap of 91 points over Fabio Quartararo, who held onto the championship lead from Portugal to Australia, to head into the finale in Valencia 23 points clear of the Yamaha rider.

However, in the midst of a scenario of such magnitude for the Italian brand, a discordant element has crept in that has triggered comments on the alleged aid received by Bagnaia to achieve the title in the form of factory orders - a situation that is not sitting well at Ducati.

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After Bagnaia's last victory in Malaysia two weeks ago, where he won by just three tenths of a second over Enea Bastianini, there were those who insinuated that the Gresini rider could have won the race, and that he did not do it so that his future team-mate could increase his margin over Quartararo. If true, Bastianini would have deliberately gone against his own interests, given that at that moment he still had a mathematical chance, however small, of becoming champion. With the title out of the question, 'the Beast' now competes with Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro for the runner-up position, even though the gap in favour of the Yamaha rider (23 points over the Spaniard and 24 over Bastianini) hands the Frenchman the role of favourite.

In Ducati they cannot control external speculation, but what rankles within the team is that the instability comes from theoretically friendly trenches.

"In a normal situation, Enea would have tried to overtake on the last lap and win the race," said Carlo Pernat, the rider's manager, when the flag fell in Malaysia. "Who knows if he would have caused a disaster, that we will not know, but he made the decision not to take that risk," added the controversial agent, implying that his client followed the orders from the factory, and that's why he did not compete for the victory.

At Borgo Panigale, these statements were a disaster. "From what the rider said at the end of the race, and from the data we collected, we know that Enea could not win in Malaysia," a Ducati source told Autosport. "Pernat also knows this, but now he wants to make a profit by sowing doubt."

With more than half a century in the paddock, the man who looks after Bastianini's interests is one of the best-known managers in MotoGP, especially because he is more lavish than any other in the media. At Ducati, most executives agree in the suspicion that 'Carleto' is looking for his client to receive the agreed bonus for finishing third, even if it is Espargaro who finally achieves it.

Enea Bastianini, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

"He's playing his cards wrong, he's not going to get anything, he will only receive the relevant economic compensation if he achieves the objective stated in the contract," added our Ducati source.

The base salary that Ducati pays Bastianini is around €100,000. With the four victories achieved so far, bonuses mean that he has already tripled that amount, but if he manages to finish the world championship on the podium, the figure will reach half a million euros.

"Now it's all about money. The factory should guarantee us the prize for third place, because the difference if we finish fourth is considerable, and it's not just about the contract with Ducati, it's also about the sponsors. If we don't finish third because Enea was considerate with Pecco in Malaysia, we are going to lose a lot of money," insists Pernat.

Pernat's manoeuvring have not placated Ducati at all, and the team will act accordingly. But the executives consider that the 'worst' will come next season, when the #23 lands in the official garage as Bagnaia's team-mate. The relationship between the two riders is better than people imagine, but we will see how things evolve when they compete to become the main bet of the structure to fight for a new championship.

The scenario at Ducati in 2023 has certain similarities with the one experienced by Yamaha in 2008, when Lorenzo landed in the garage then run at will by Valentino Rossi, and which made rivers of ink flow

The clearest indicator in that sense was experienced at Aragon. There, Bagnaia led 22 of the 23 scheduled laps, but in the last one, Bastianini overtook him and beat him by 0.042s.

"If there were really team orders and willingness to help, with the five points from Aragon Pecco would already be champion today [in Malaysia]," a Ducati source pointed out to Autosport.

In Bologna there is some concern. Since 2018, when it was decided not to renew three-time MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo, the sporting management took two clear decisions to change the course: to reduce the salary destined to the riders to focus resources on the development of the prototypes, and to restore peace to a box that, first with Andrea Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso, and then with Dovizioso and Lorenzo, went through a prolonged period of turbulence.

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The arrival of Danilo Petrucci calmed tempers, and the two years of coexistence between Bagnaia and Jack Miller has undoubtedly contributed to the team going through such a sweet moment.

"Enea is a very fast rider and next season he will be a clear contender for the title," Ducati manager Davide Tardozzi admitted on Sepang Sunday, making it clear that the team will give freedom to its two riders to fight for the championship.

For months, Bagnaia put pressure on Ducati to renew Miller, who will finally lose his bike to Bastianini, the only top Italian rider not part of VR46. "Enea will have to learn to work in an official team, as I had to do," warned Bagnaia.

The scenario at Ducati in 2023 has certain similarities with the one experienced by Yamaha in 2008, when Lorenzo landed in the garage then run at will by Valentino Rossi, and which made rivers of ink flow.

"I didn't deserve a team-mate as fast as Lorenzo after everything I had done for Yamaha," recalled the #46 on his retirement, 15 years later.

Bagnaia will almost certainly be world champion in Valencia. If he wins it, he will become the first Italian to be crowned on an Italian bike since Giacomo Agostini did it with MV Agusta in 1972. The great dream of Bagnaia is to take over from the great Italian champions, Agostini and Rossi. What has happened is that Bastianini has set himself the same goal, and the boy from Rimini knows that the battle to be the leader of Ducati in 2023 has already begun.

Enea Bastianini, Gresini Racing Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images