Ducati boss identifies the key attribute which will decide MotoGP championship

Francesco Bagnaia is top of the MotoGP standings, 27 points ahead of Jorge Martin and 73 points ahead of Marco Bezzecchi.

All three have shone - and have made mistakes - at various points this season but the decisive attribute which will decide the championship has been identified by Davide Tardozzi.

The factory Ducati team manager said: “Pecco did a fantastic job this year but obviously it’s not enough, because Jorge is there. Marco still has the possibility to win the championship.

“It will be very important to maintain a ‘brain’ attitude. The mental attitude will be the key point until the end of the championship.”

Last year Bagnaia was trailing Fabio Quartararo until the final round, where he pinched a historic title, Ducati’s first in 15 years.

“He was in a different position last year, behind Fabio,” said Tardozzi. “It helps to have the experience of last year. 

“He proved that by managing the past two races, he was in trouble on Friday and Saturday but performed very well on Sunday.

“It’s true that he’s made some mistakes. He knows why. He made four, because one was not his fault, in France. 

“He has more consideration of himself, he trusts himself and his capability. 

“His relationship with his race engineer is close, it’s a key point on what he shows from Saturday to Sunday. 

“He proved that he can change mentality and attitude and speed from one day to the other, and that’s something that only belongs to champions.”

Tardozzi agreed with Bagnaia’s claim that Martin benefits from an equal-spec bike but less pressure because it’s not an official machine: “It’s something well known, that when you’re in the factory seat, your only goal is to win the championship. 

“I think Jorge is fast, he has a direct contract with Ducati. 

“It’s true that he has less pressure but it’s not his attitude to be second. It’s true what Pecco said, that in the factory team there is more pressure. But he’s able to handle it.”

Tardozzi warned that the battle will go until the last day: “Yes, it will be decided in Valencia. The three guys are very fast."

Martin 'has something more for fighting'

Pramac team manager Gino Borsoi said: “We are ready for fighting. 

“We need to improve small things which can help us. The rider is there, the bike is there, we receive help from Ducati.”

He reacted to the incorrect tyre decision which cost Martin in Australia: “I cannot say it was a wrong decision. It was our decision. 

“The decision was the soft tyre to make a gap and go away from the group. When you’re fighting for the race and you’re in the group, sometimes you lose your chance. It was unlucky, we lost the race with eight corners to go.”

Borsoi claimed that Martin is motivated by being overlooked last year for a factory Ducati seat.

“For sure,” he said. “Now he has something more for fighting. He’s not on the factory team but he has an incredible team. 

“We don’t miss anything. The motivation is there, even more than last season. We want to show that the rider is fast and the team is good enough.”

Pablo Nieto, VR46 team manager, knows Bezzecchi is an outsider for the title: “You never know. There’s still eight races, we have to fight. Then we will see.

“We’re fighting against two factory teams. This is important for us.

“Our first year in MotoGP, we won rookie of the year with Marco. We had a podium and a pole position.

“It’s hard to fight factory bikes and teams. But we’re not missing anything. We have a good bike. We are improving a lot.”