Ducati Team Manager Defends Ride Height Devices Amid Controversy at Aragon Grand Prix

Ducati's MotoGP team leader stands by launch control systems despite Bagnaia facing troubles at the Aragon race

Davide Tardozzi insists Bagnaia's starting difficulties at Aragon weren't caused by the launch mechanisms

Ducati's team leader, Davide Tardozzi, has supported the use of ride height mechanisms in MotoGP amidst ongoing discussions about their safety following starting problems at the Aragon Grand Prix.

During both the sprint race and the grand prix, Francesco Bagnaia experienced significant wheelspin as he attempted to start from third position on the grid.

During the quick race, he fortunately avoided being struck by Gresini's Alex Marquez (though they ended up crashing into each other towards the end of the main race), while many others, especially Aleix Espargaro, encountered similar problems.

Following the sprint, criticism arose from the riders regarding the condition of the newly resurfaced Aragon circuit, alongside complaints about what they perceived as inadequate cleaning efforts.

The circuit was cleaned on Saturday night, but rain during the night deposited soil on the track again for the grand prix.

Experts at TNT Sport have attributed Bagnaia's struggles specifically to the use of ride height devices, suggesting these are to blame.

"Tardozzi started by saying, "I believe the device is beneficial."

"Yesterday's sprint faced different challenges, primarily due to sand on the track. The race officials took all possible measures to clean the start positions and the race track itself."

"Unfortunately, sand showers occurred, making the area excessively sandy. In spots where the riders hadn't traversed during practice, it was entirely covered in dirt."

"MotoGP represents the pinnacle of technological advancement."

"You need to move forward. If someone desires bicycles from a decade or two ago, that's not the perspective we hold."

"We are excited about acquiring more items, advancing technologically, and embracing what's to come."

Tardozzi consistently contended that the rear ride height mechanism plays a key role in diminishing back wheel spin.

Comparisons were made between the difficulties Bagnaia faced at the beginning of the race and an earlier incident involving Marc Marquez in Austria. Marquez struggled to reactivate his bike's front start mechanism, which nearly led to a collision with Franco Morbidelli right after the race commenced.

Tardozzi countered these claims, stating that the problem Marquez experienced was due to his own error, as he inadvertently deactivated his front device while attempting to warm up his front tire.

"Tardozzi mentioned that Marc is facing an issue due to an incident involving the front tire," he explained, pointing out that Marquez's difficulties originated from the necessity to mount the tyres on a new rim owing to a valve failure that occurred 30 minutes prior to the Austrian GP.

"At that moment, he realized he needed to engage the front mechanism just before the critical point, aiming to navigate the turn at the highest speed achievable. His strategy was to progressively increase the temperature of the front tire for optimal performance."

"This is the reason for his error. Marc committed an error while in Austria."

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