We’ve kept repeating that Monza isn’t a track for twin cylinders because of its high speeds, but that isn’t exactly true, because a certain Troy Bayliss on a Ducati won there several times in the past, because the Italian manufacturer used to invest a lot in World Superbikes, while other manufacturers seemed less interested.
When Ducati officially pulled out their factory team turning over their effort first to Althea and then to Alstare, Francis Batta knew that he would have a difficult first year because the 1199 Panigale is still green behind the fairings, putting faith in the Italian manufacturer, however he was expecting to be more involved in the development of the Panigale and his ideas listened to.
In an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport, the outspoken manager who never minces words, decided to blast Ducati and especially Ducati Corse’s General Manager Bernhard Gobmeier, to get the attention he believes he’s lacking.
“We can’t get along this way – I don’t see Gobmeier very involved in the Superbike project, he came to Australia by chance – I have no relationship with him and I don’t have any idea on what he decides.
My team can’t decide anything.
If he’s counting on the Alstare to be just a ‘caterer’ and bring the bike to the track and provide eight “slaves” to work on the machine, he’s barking up the wrong tree,” were some of the phrases that Batta used in the interview.
It was Batta who wanted Biaggi to become a Ducati test rider, but Gobmeier apparently denied any knowledge of the Belgium manager’s pressing request.
Batta retorted, “If he wants I can publish the e-mails that we exchanged in German on Facebook” and then hit out even harder against Ducati’s new General Manager, “Gobmeier has a lot of experience, he was with BMW for two years and with a budget of 15 million euros a year, he wasn’t able to win the championship”.
Batta’s public outcry obtained the desired effect, because the two managers sat down for a pow-wow and cleared the air.
Now the two words that they are now using is ‘total synergy’ and “will work closer together,” infact the team with Ayrton Badovini (Checa is still recovering from his shoulder issues) will take part in Ducati’s next development tests at the Mugello circuit this Tuesday and Wednesday.
