Ducati WorldSBK riders split on effect of fuel flow rules

Ducati’s WorldSBK riders have offered differing opinions on the effectiveness of the fuel flow regulations in the championship.

Ducati is one of only two World Superbike manufacturers, along with BMW, to have been penalised via the fuel flow rules introduced for this year that sees the maximum fuel flow for over-performing manufacturers reduced at two-round intervals.

Of the 21 races this year, Ducati has won eight, BMW has won 12, and Yamaha has won one. Yamaha’s win came from Andrea Locatelli, BMW’s were all taken by Toprak Razgatlioglu, and Ducati’s have all been secured by Nicolo Bulega.

Bulega and Razgatlioglu, the latter saying on Friday at Donington that he feels Ducati is affected less by the fuel flow rules than BMW, have finished first and second, in some order, in 15 of the 21 races so far this year, and this has remained true as the maximum fuel flow has been reduced for their respective manufacturers.

This, for Bulega, is indicative of the ineffectiveness of the fuel flow regulations.

“For me, this is strange, because every time FIM makes something to us of this fuel, then Toprak [Razgatlioglu] is first and me second every time,” Bulega said after Race 2 at Donington..

“So, I think this [fuel flow] is not the key for balance the championship.”

Bulega’s factory Ducati teammate, Alvaro Bautista, shared a similar opinion.

“Every time FIM tries to equalise the championship, [we have] the same standings,” he said on Sunday at the UK WorldSBK.

“Here, Nicolo [Bulega] and Toprak [Razgatlioglu], but also in the past – every time they tried to equalise the championship, taking [some performance from my bike], we worked and we kept fighting for winning.”

Petrucci “suffering a lot”

Danilo Petrucci didn’t deny the opinion of the two Aruba.it Racing Ducati riders, but he did say that the fuel flow reductions are impacting him more than them.

“I must say that, compared to the beginning of the season, I’m suffering a lot comparing to the two factory Ducatis with the fuel flow reduction,” Petrucci said after Race 2 at Donington.

“For example, I see on the data, but when you are behind – this afternoon I have been [two] laps behind Nicolo [Bulega], and I was, let’s say, stuck in the traffic so I said ‘Maybe I try to go through.’

“But it’s nearly impossible.

“The acceleration is more or less the same, but then on the straight they are a bit faster.

“Alvaro [Bautista] for sure is really fast on the straight.”