Both Ducati MotoGP rider Jack Miller and team boss Paolo Ciabatti have stressed that there will be no formal team orders issued for Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, even as Miller’s team-mate Pecco Bagnaia attempts what may well be his final roll of the dice in his championship battle against Fabio Quartararo.
Instead Ducati is happy to rely on its riders using “common sense”.
Bagnaia, who starts the Misano race from pole position with Miller next to him, is at a significant championship disadvantage to Quartararo – whose 52-point lead means only a complete disaster would deny him the 2021 crown.
But with the championship still mathematically possible, Bagnaia can at least take the fight to the next round at Portimao in two weeks’ time as long as he outscores Quartararo by three points or more at Misano.
And that certainly seems possible given that the Yamaha rider has struggled in the rain and will start from 15th.
That has led to assumptions that Miller would have team orders issued by Ducati to ensure he helps his team-mate as much as possible.
But rather than issue a formal order to the Australian, team boss Ciabatti says that he’s more than prepared to leave it to his two riders to do what’s best, knowing that he can trust both of them implicitly.
“We don’t give any team orders,” he insisted exclusively to The Race after qualifying.
“Everyone knows that Pecco is fast and that he has a chance still, a small one, to fight for the championship and this is important for everyone at Ducati.
“If he can win, he can win, he can go his own way.
“We just don’t want them to do any stupid things, to be an obstacle if Pecco is faster.
“Every manufacturer would do the same: tell the riders that they know what is important and what is their job.”
And recalling a weekend when that wasn’t the case with a past Ducati line-up, Ciabatti added: “We don’t want the situation in Argentina. We want to avoid that because we’ll look stupid if that happens.”
That’s a reference to the infamous last-corner battle for second between Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone at Termas de Rio Hondo in 2016 that ended with them crashing out together.
Ciabatti feels the close nature of MotoGP makes it too hard to plan for specific race situations, especially on this weekend where very limited dry track time looks set to create an entertaining if unpredictable race.
Miller raced against and passed Bagnaia in the last grand prix at Austin before falling behind again.
Ciabatti said that was an example of the common sense approach he’s trusting his riders to adopt rather than the Australian either breaking or following an order.
“People questioned his [Miller’s] behaviour in Austin, but these people don’t understand,” he said.
“If there were team orders, Jack would have let Pecco past and followed him, but he finished eighth.
“He didn’t have the pace and he realised there was no sense in keeping Pecco behind when he didn’t have the pace.
“I don’t think that people understand that it’s quite impossible to foresee how the race will develop.
“The only thing you can tell your rider is that if you are faster than any other rider, go and win. Full stop.
“You can’t be sure by slowing down that it will be your team-mate in front of you and not someone else.
“Don’t do anything silly, respect your team-mate, and although you know what is important for Ducati, do your own race. If you are faster, go and win.
“They respect each other and I can trust their judgement. There is nothing more to it than that.”
For his part, Miller is also in no hurry to do anything to jeopardise a potential Ducati triple crown of rider, teams’ and constructors’ championships with any rash actions.
Considerably more mature than the sometimes-reckless kid who wiped himself and LCR Honda team-mate Cal Crutchlow out when they were in podium contention at Crutchlow’s home race at Silverstone in Miller’s rookie season in 2015, he knows without being told by Ducati what he needs to do.
“Nobody has said anything to me about team orders,” insisted Miller.
“It’s just up to me as a rider and having common sense.
“We all want to see Ducati win, and right now Pecco is our biggest chance.
“That doesn’t change anything for me and I’m there to do the best I can, and we’ll see what happens in the race.
“Pecco’s speed isn’t doubted so I don’t think that’ll change my race; I’ll just try and tag along to the back of him.
“But if it works out like in America, where I can be faster than him, then sure I’ll try and get past him and tow him – but it’s not like I’m going to be divebombing him every three corners and trying to send both of us off the track.”
