Pedrosa suspects Ducati of ‘hiding’ system to keep rear wheel on the ground

Dani Pedrosa, a name synonymous with precision and skill in the world of MotoGP, has recently raised eyebrows with his observations. Five years post his retirement, Pedrosa returned to the racetrack, not just as a wild card for KTM in the San Marino Grand Prix but also as a television commentator. His dual role has been met with immense appreciation, especially given his keen eye for detail and his ability to provide insights that few can match.

During a recent practice session for the MotoGP Grand Prix in India, Pedrosa’s attention was drawn to Francesco “Pecco” Bagnaia’s Desmosedici GP23. He pointed out an unusual bounce in the rear wheel of the Ducati bike, something he had also noticed when he trailed Bagnaia in Misano. Pedrosa commented, “That bounce that the Ducati has on the wheel, I don’t know if you’ve been able to see it, but I saw it a lot when I followed him in Misano. That’s very strange; that wheel with that kind of bounce is not natural. There’s some mechanism there; they must have something done that we haven’t fully analyzed.”

He speculated that the peculiar bounce might be related to a mechanism housed in the large box located at the rear of the Ducati bikes. This mechanism, he believes, might be assisting the wheel in maintaining contact with the ground, especially during instances when the bike’s front tends to lift.

Pedrosa’s observations are reminiscent of the time when Ducati first introduced the moving height regulation system (not the launch system) during the 2020 Malaysian GP on Jack Miller’s bike, who was then racing with Pramac. Alex Rins of Suzuki was the first to notice something unusual about that bike. Initially, not much heed was paid to Rins’ observations, but eventually, Ducati’s height regulation system was confirmed to be real and played a significant role in shaping modern MotoGP.

In recent times, it’s been common to see prototypes lifting their rear wheels several centimeters during certain braking maneuvers, causing instability. Pedrosa’s observations suggest that Gigi Dall’Igna, known for his expertise in aerodynamics and MotoGP innovations, might have found a solution to this issue. If such a system exists and is purely mechanical without any electronically driven hydraulic components, it would comply with the current MotoGP regulations.