Straightforward, direct and without beating around the bush. During the Most round we shared a long chat with Gregorio Lavilla. The Superbike director wanted to take stock of the situation at a key moment in the Championship between regulations, super concessions, ballast and calendar.
At the halfway point of the season, Toprak’s BMW seems to have an extra gear while Bautista is called to chase with a 6 kg ballast. The analysis by the former Spanish rider, now in charge of the World Championship, started precisely from the discussion regarding the weight limit for the bike + rider.
“The thing that surprises me is that last year all the manufacturers voted unanimously for the current regulation,” he began, “so it was decided to return the laps taken away from Ducati and to apply a bike+rider weight limit. We at Dorna did not want to get into the merits of the discussion and we did not want to judge, offering maximum openness. Once we received the proposal, we approved what was decided. Personally, I did not know if the new regulation was better or worse than the previous one, but today I think everyone has their own opinion.”
Bautista just can’t stand this weight limit for the bike and rider. Should we backtrack?
“The rules must be discussed and approved in a group. If a manufacturer wants to propose a change to the regulation, it is enough to present it to Dorna and FIM. Obviously there is a procedure to follow and it must be respected, furthermore I would be curious to know what the other Ducati riders think about it. However, this is an internal decision that is up to the manufacturers, the same ones that had approved the regulation unanimously and Alvaro knows it. However, there is another thing that bothers me”.
Which?
“The fact that you decide something and then you immediately want to backtrack. It’s like deciding to get married and then immediately changing your mind the next day. In my opinion, it’s not very fair. I really don’t understand this thing: initially everyone agrees and then it’s no longer right. These are the established rules of the game and no one is forced to participate. The problem is that this whole situation is creating a negative atmosphere for the Championship and I don’t think it’s the right path”.
Chapter superconcessions. BMW with Toprak is flying and few are happy.
“Superconcessions have been around for quite some time now and it is easy to point the finger at this new method. In my opinion, it is right to help those who are in difficulty without exaggerating. As we all know, there are manufacturers with different philosophies in the Championship and we are talking about production bikes, not prototypes. Therefore, sometimes it happens that some of them are in difficulty and it is right to help them. Here too, however, I would like to make a point”.
Which?
“In the past there was the algorithm and everyone criticized it, but that worked, in fact every 3 races there was a report and we intervened by removing laps or adding them based on the potential expressed on the track by all the bikes of a manufacturer. However, the manufacturers no longer wanted it, in fact they made a different proposal, based only on the results of the factory riders. They called me a manipulator and now what is the situation? I think that after this race we will understand something more, given that as Dorna I have asked for an investigation into the Championship. One thing is certain: we will have to talk to the various manufacturers to analyze the concept regarding how to level the performance of the various bikes on the track. With the new regulation the measurement system has changed. However, the values still seem the same to me”.
Gregorio, this week the news of the Misano-Cremona coincidence arrived. How did it come to this situation?
“Last Monday Ezpeleta called me and told me he had chosen Misano because there were no other better options to replace the Kazakh. Nobody likes this for sure. What I want to say is that there was a huge effort to find an alternative, but unfortunately it was not possible to achieve. However, I want to point out one thing: Dorna is the same one that in 2020, during COVID, saved jobs without leaving anyone at home. I understand the disappointment, but unfortunately there were no alternatives. If there had been, you can be sure that we would have moved”.
Calendar 2025. What can you tell us? Will it be just Australia or some other rounds outside Europe?
“If the calendar were to be like this year’s I would have no problems. There are many investors in this Championship and if it were possible to go beyond the European continent it would be important, in fact we are moving. If we were not to succeed, it would not be a drama. Our job is to find other races, but then the other problem comes in”.
Which?
The problem is that when you go outside Europe you find yourself with a reduced grid because not everyone can manage the costs for an intercontinental trip. In addition, the teams ask Dorna for an economic effort. It’s as if a friend of mine and I decided to buy a Ferrari together, but then I have to pay for the service every time”.
