Ducati MotoGP programme general manager Gigi Dall’Igna says telling Jorge Lorenzo to give up his position to Andrea Dovizioso during the Valencia finale was the team’s “misunderstanding”.
Lorenzo was running ahead of title-chasing team-mate Dovizioso in fourth during the Valencia decider and was given the coded message ‘Suggested Mapping 8’ but declined to move aside.
Both riders subsequently crashed out, and Lorenzo later said he deliberately ignored Ducati’s message because he thought he was quicker and could help Dovizioso stay in touch with the leaders.
Dall’Igna conceded that Ducati misjudged the situation because it thought Dovizioso was quicker.
“This was a suggestion, not an order,” he said. “I think it was our misunderstanding watching the TV.
“This year we had some races that you can win if you are fast and some races that you can’t win if you are unable to control and not destroy above all the rear tyre at the end of the race.
“[Sunday’s] race was the second one, so you had to be in the final part of the race real close to the first rider and with the best possible rear tyre, because the wear of the rear tyre was a problem.
“Our suggestion was that the faster rider has to stay in front to stay in contact with the first riders with the possibility for Dovi to win the race and this was our goal during the race.
“Our opinion watching the TV was that Dovi was the fastest rider and so we would like that he was in front of Lorenzo. The riders had a different opinion.
“Lorenzo, when he saw our signal on the dashboard, tried to be a little bit faster so that Dovi cannot catch him, and so he thought that he was the fastest rider and he continued in the front.”
Dall’Igna is confident Lorenzo would have given up his position if he felt Dovizioso had a shot at the title.
Dovizioso needed to win the race with rival Marc Marquez lower than 11th to win the championship.
“In the end, the rider and the bike for sure have more information than us sitting in the chair and watching the TV, apart from when it is absolutely logical,” Dall’Igna added.
“I know [Lorenzo] very well and for sure if he has to let Dovi in front because Dovi can win the championship, he would have done this. I am quite confident and sure about that.”