Ducati not 'one of the favourites' but Miller, Bagnaia confident

The Sachsenring has been a tough venue for Ducati in the past, but the GP21 has finished first or second in all but one MotoGP race so far this season.
Francesco Bagnaia , Catalunya MotoGP. 5 June 2021
Francesco Bagnaia , Catalunya MotoGP. 5 June 2021
© Gold and Goose Photography

Is the Ducati Desmosedici the most 'complete' bike on the 2021 MotoGP grid?

While Fabio Quartararo leads the world championship for Yamaha, Ducati riders are queued up behind him in second (Johann Zarco), third (Jack Miller) and fourth (Francesco Bagnaia).

With the unlikely exception of Mugello (fourth), a Ducati rider has finished first or second in every race so far and although Miller is the factory's only race winner, all four riders on the latest GP21 - including rookie Jorge Martin - have featured on the podium.

But if any circuit can underline the completeness of the GP21 package it's the Sachsenring, venue for this weekend's German MotoGP.

While Ducati's main strengths are in a straight line - acceleration, top speed and hard braking - the Sachsenring is the slowest track (for maximum speed) on the calendar, the bike is barely upright for the twisty opening half of the lap and there are only two major braking points.

As such, Ducati has just a single MotoGP win at the Sachsenring, by Casey Stoner in 2008, and only one podium in the last ten years, a third by Andrea Dovizioso in 2016.

Can the likes of Miller and Bagnaia end that rostrum drought this weekend and continue to show that the Desmosedici is a force to be reckoned with at all circuits?

"Ducati isn't one of the favourites at this circuit, but this year we've managed to be competitive even on tracks that should have been difficult for us," said Miller.

"My feeling with the Desmosedici GP continues to be very good, so I'm confident that I can fight for another good result at this Grand Prix."

"We're at the penultimate race before the summer break. It's a crucial moment for the Championship, and it will be crucial to get a good result this weekend," added Bagnaia.

"Sachsenring is definitely not one of the best tracks for our bike's specifications, but I am confident that we can do well this year.

"As always, it will be important to be competitive right from the start of the weekend! I can't wait to get right back to work with my team”.

Remote video URL

Read More