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Superbike has arrived at Assen and the SBK paddock is once again accompanied by the issues regarding the 5 kg weight ballast applied to Alvaro Bautista's Ducati due to the new regulations. Paul Denning of Yamaha returned to the subject a few weeks ago, who in an interview granted to colleagues of Motorsport-Total called pathetic the behavior of the Spaniard on this matter.
Considerations that did not at all go down well with Serafino Foti. Indeed, the Aruba team manager wanted to take the opportunity to respond, but above all to bring once and for all the issue regarding the bike+rider weight limit as a result of the new regulations to an end.
He did so with us on the eve of the Assen round.
"I think certain declarations are disrespectful to a two-time world champion," he told us, "Alvaro has won two World Championships deservedly. Also, before thinking about others, I think it is better to look at home, because it seems to me that Yamaha has bigger problems than Bautista."
Serafino, we are in the third race of the World Championship, but the subject of ballast continues to hold sway.
"From this point of view I want to be clear, because I am curious to understand how the regulation has been interpreted by others. I want to do this so that we can bring this issue to an end definitively."
After Phillip Island we wrote that the Ducati's weight is 5 kg higher than last season.
"Correct! Today the rider's weight limit is 80 kg dressed and Alvaro weighs 70 kg, so 5 kg is added so the gap is reduced by half. The bike weight limit, on the other hand, is 168 kg, which is the same as last year. The fact is that the way you decide to apply the weight, regardless of whether it is ballast or stronger components on the bike does not change anything. Really the extra 5kg is there, but the way you apply it is up to the team, as you can use a titanium or steel exhaust or titanium or steel hardware or a carbon fairing or a fiber fairing. That's up to the team to decide how to go about it."
Foti further adds.
"Today Bautista's bike weighs 5 kg more than last year. How we applied the weight is another matter, because it is the regulations that allow it. Irrespective of everything, what matters is the weight at the end of the race, which has to be 173 kg. I personally am surprised when I read certain considerations, because it will probably be true that we have 2-3 kg of ballast, but the bike weighs 5 kg more than last year."
Just before Phillip Island, Zambenedetti explained how much it affects the weight, especially in braking and changes of direction.
"Our engineers have done extensive calculations regarding the differences that emerge between static and dynamic weight, based on speeds and many other aspects such as braking. Those who say that nothing changes are saying falsities, first because they do not have our data and second because they cannot substantiate it. I can assure you that the differences are important and they affect Alvaro a lot, especially in the dynamic phase."
In all this, some observers say that Ducati is always in the eye of the storm.
"In recent years we have not made controversy and whenever we lost we always rolled up our sleeves. I would suggest to our opponents to do the same."
