Constructors’ World Championship: KTM and Aprilia take on Ducati / MotoGP

Regarding the competition between producers, the trends have increased significantly in the current season. Looking at the course of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship, the slogan was “Ducati against the rest of the world”. Positions were constantly changed within the world of Ducati Desmosedici over the long season, but the quality of the brand from Bologna was never discussed. The Italians won the constructors’ championship in a big way. With 700 to 373 points (KTM won the constructors’ vice championship), one can talk about separation.

The fact that the impressive streak of the winner of the MotoGP race from Bologna ended in the USA – Maverick Vinales prevented a full dozen Ducati – says a lot about the increased competition now between the factories. Despite its continued strong presence, Ducati was only the third force in the Texas GP field. Already in the opening weekend in the desert it was clear how close things are to the top when it comes to performance. KTM RC16 pilot Brad Binder confirmed with two second places and a short distance to the top that the reign of the red is over. In Portimao and Austin it was Vinales who proved that the three brands were capable of winning.

While Vinales was in seventh heaven, the fastest Ducati riders were surprised again by speaking on GP24. Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia reported to their technicians that the driving behavior was borderline between the turning point and the peak of the curve. As hard as the vibration is, it seems that the 2024 Desmosedici offers so much mechanical grip in this driving mode that the gain turns negative above a certain grip point. While Japanese motorcycles in particular can’t build enough grip and confidence towards the top, GP24 riders have plenty of grip depending on the tire wear.

The World Cup position proves that the machines of Bagnaia, Bastianini, Martin and Morbidelli are not bad designs. Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini as World Cup leaders write that the basis is correct, but the full voting window is smaller than in the past. If just one little thing goes wrong, then Ducati’s glory is over. Example: In the race in Austin, the world champion finished eighth and lost almost 10 seconds.
There are a few ups and downs on the 2023 Ducati from VR46 and Gresini, but the base bike is also a tenth slower. Another way: The fully modified Desmosedici from last year has the same, and under good conditions, higher top speed than the Ducati GP24 we are talking about. Marc Márquez and Fabio Di Giannantonio are the names of the evidence. However, that was no different in the past either. We remember Marco Bezzecchi, who was at the top several times 12 months ago on last year’s Desmo products.

The arrival of Pedro Acosta in the GASGAS Tech3 team is a gift to the championship in several ways, because when Hervè Poncharal’s team last year and then rookie Augusto Fernandez and Pol Espargaro who was injured for a long time did not support KTM in the pursuit of points. able to deliver the manufacturer’s title, the rookie now contributes generously to the manufacturer’s coffers.
The status of KTM is still unknown. Although Pedro Acosta achieved a very comparable performance with a high trend in all three doctors with the same official setting, the Red Bull KTM riders also had a significant change in their results. This is especially true of Brad Binder. Still celebrated in Qatar as a hot contender for the World Cup, the USA GP was enough to send the South African back to sixth place in the World Cup.

But it’s not perfect for Aprilia either. Aleix Espargaro – clearly the stronger of the two RS-GP drivers in Qatar – had nothing to say against “Top Gun” Vinales in Portugal or the United States. As with Bagnaia, if you feel it at all, you’ll only find yourself in the top 10 instead of on the podium.

The paragraph about Japanese representatives is short. To a greater extent as the three European factories have moved closer to winglets, Yamaha and Honda have lost touch with the area of ​​success. As long as the measures introduced are not found, the six athletes from Asia will not play any role in the game under normal circumstances for the rest of the season.

Back up with Ducati, KTM/GASGAS and Aprilia. All machines differ in their performance. But in any case, the top three manufacturers are equally fast at the start of the season when viewed in isolation in terms of best lap times. Which promises a more interesting season.

Standings in the MotoGP World Constructors’ Championship after 3 out of 21 races:

1. Ducati 96 Points
2. KTM 76
3. April 72
4. Yamaha 19
5. Honda 8