The manager ofAndrea Dovizioso had already confirmed thata discussion had taken place with KTM in the spring, at a time when the Italian rider was evaluating the options that could be offered to him as his relationship with Ducati stretched. The contact had certainly been established, however this option had been quickly ruled out and the Austrian manufacturer had hastily confirmed his three remaining drivers after the departure of Pol Espargaró, while recruiting Danilo Petrucci.
Two months later, we bite our fingers on both sides … “It hurts a bit to see this situation”, Pit Beirer admitted to Sky Italia’s microphone, referring to the fact that the vice-world champion is now without handlebars. “Dovizioso is an amazing rider, and also a friend. We spoke two months ago. Everyone would like to see him [en MotoGP], but on the one hand there is the manager’s request and on the other the concrete possibilities of the company. We must not forget that there is also the pressure linked to the Covid. You have to find the right deal. “
If he refuses to reveal the behind the scenes of the divorce of his driver with Ducati, Simone Battistella concedes that a mistake was made by not taking the negotiations further with the Austrian manufacturer. He recalls, however, that if the situation was poorly assessed at the time, it was in a tense and uncertain economic context.
“I think Pit correctly expressed it as it turned out. Looking back we could have been a bit more flexible and I think that was wrong, but on both sides,” underlines the manager. “At that time, nobody knew how it was going to end with the Covid, if we were going to start running again or if we were going to be stationary all year round. And companies had to deal with all this uncertainty, So there was no flexibility on either side and we just didn’t find an agreement. As Pit said, it hurts, because in hindsight we could have struck an agreement. But it happens. , the context was different from today. “
Ducati had already revealed that the economic question had been at the heart of discussions in the spring, when the manufacturer wanted to renegotiate the agreement for the 2020 season, considering that the reduction in the number of races justified it. While it wasn’t clear why the 2021 talks got stuck, the pilot’s manager maintains that salary was not as predominant as one might think.
“From an economic point of view, Andrea ran in very variable conditions. For Andrea, the most important thing is the project. It is clear that the money is important, but in all our negotiations it does there has never been a firm position saying that it was like that or nothing “, he assures.
“Afterwards, it is obvious that we reason according to the situation and we assess things on the basis of the information we have. I repeat, during the Covid period the uncertainty was very great. KTM made some immediate choices at the end of our negotiations for which, with hindsight, they could have waited “, adds Simone Battistella, denying any tension that could have arisen from these contacts that each of the two parties has made with other entities.
“In a year of contract renewals, it is normal for riders and teams to talk to others. So there is no reason why there has been tension in this regard at home. Ducati made proposals and negotiated with many riders, and we were absolutely free, without feeling guilty, to speak with a manufacturer like KTM “, he assures.
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