MotoGP French GP: GasGas Team Principal Poncharal Slams Bagnaia's 'Factory, Satellite' Remark as 'Nonsense'

A very unexpected plot twist has begun during MotoGP's three-week spring break between the French and Italian Grands Prix. When Francesco Bagnaia of the Ducati Lenovo Team said that there should be a "bigger gap" between factory and Independent Team motorcycles, IRTA President Herve Poncharal spoke out in French media to refute the comments. Francesco Bagnaia, a factory rider for Ducati, made a comment after Sunday's race that all the bikes on the grid are currently competitive, which is a problem for MotoGP safety. This is because the technical rules are more balanced than ever before, allowing satellite teams to compete for victory. But Poncharal (who also serves as the head of the teams' association IRTA) promptly and aggressively knocked down the world champion's remarks, calling his views "bullshit" in an angry interview after the race at Le Mans. 

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Rage against Francesco Bagnaia

Since then, MotoGP has further exacerbated the issue by putting Paddock GP's interview on its website and by uploading video footage from Bagnaia's Italian-language media debrief, which cameras are typically not permitted to film. Bagnaia has become the target of a growing tide of public wrath as a direct consequence. Even while the Ducati rider's original argument was essentially about safety, it is evident that his statements have been taken at least somewhat out of context to build something of a mountain out of a molehill.

Response to Bagnaia’s comment

“What I think about it is that often on Sunday evening when I go home before going to bed, I have not lived enough MotoGP, so I read everything that is written on all the national and international websites, and I came across an Italian website where there was an interview with Pecco Bagnaia who was talking a little bit about his problem with Maverick Viñales,” said Poncharal, who also heads up GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 in MotoGP and Red Bull KTM Tech3 in Moto3.

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“And then I was reading like that and I was very surprised by the reigning World Champion, from someone who is respectable, I have a lot of respect and admiration for him, and he is always quite calm in his comments, to read an enormous thing, I could even say huge bullshit, because Pecco Bagnaia, like any rider, comes from Moto3, he went through Moto2, he arrived in MotoGP in an Independent Team that you can call private or satellite.”

Despite the fact that no independent rider has ever won a MotoGP championship, Bezzecchi is one of four satellite riders presently within the early top six in the world championship standings. In the teams' world championship, VR46 and Pramac Ducati are first and second, respectively, despite using Ducati gear that is a year old.