Intriguing footage reveals Ducati planning for wet French MotoGP race
Ducati strategy for wet French GP revealed in new video
A new behind-the-scenes video from Ducati has revealed the intense discussions that took place surrounding strategy for last weekend’s rain-affected French Grand Prix.
The grand prix at Le Mans was the first test of MotoGP’s revised starting rules for changeable conditions, brought in after Marc Marquez triggered chaos prior to lights out at the Americas Grand Prix.
The start at Le Mans was aborted at the end of the warm-up lap as the entire field, who’d set off on slick tyres, came in to change to their wet bikes due to worsening rain.
Prior to this, Ducati revealed there was a great deal of uncertainty in weather predictions: “The forecast says it won’t rain, but the radars say it will,” one mechanic says.
Discussing what might happen at the start, Marc Marquez noted to his crew chief: “For me, it’s interesting because the track is dry.
“If it rains more, they’ll delay the start and we’ll go back to the pits.”
That’s ultimately what happened, though the track dried up in the moments following which led to a split in strategy for the restart.
Marc Marquez would come in at the end of the sighting lap for his dry bike, along with 12 others, while Ducati team-mate Pecco Bagnaia remained on wet tyres.
The latter strategy ultimately won the grand prix, with LCR Honda’s Johann Zarco making this work in his favour to get to the chequered flag almost 20 seconds clear of the field.
Marquez and the 12 riders who switched to slicks were given double long lap penalties under the new rules in place for race starts in changeable conditions for changing bikes before the warm-up lap.
He would serve these, return to the pits for wet tyres, and go on to finish second in the grand prix.
Bagnaia’s strategy was the correct one, but he was taken down at Turn 3 on the opening lap and came home a lapped 16th.
Marc Marquez now leads the championship by 22 points after nearest rival Alex Marquez also crashed out of the race.
A separate behind-the-scenes video overhears Zarco telling his team in parc ferme after the race that he was “really worried” about the pace of Marc Marquez on his first laps on wet tyres.
However, Marquez lated admitted that he wasn’t taking enough out of Zarco’s lap times to warrant an attack for victory and elected to play it safe.
