Honda rubbishes Pirro's "shameful, inappropriate" allegations
Honda has rubbished allegations made by Ducati test rider Michele Pirro that it was responsible for the ban on wildcard entries in MotoGP this season.
As part of its effort to reduce the cost of competition amid the coronavirus crisis, the Grand Prix Commission has prohibited MotoGP manufacturers from fielding wildcards in 2020, although it has stated that it has “every intention” to reinstate such entries next season.
The ban will prevent Jorge Lorenzo from making his planned grand prix return at Barcelona with Yamaha, and also affect other test riders like Pirro, who contested three races as a wildcard last year and was expected to complete a similar race programme in 2020.
The announcement prompted Pirro to question whether Honda was behind the blanket ban on wildcard entries, the Ducati test rider saying earlier this week that he believes Honda didn’t want its former rider Lorenzo to race for its Japanese rival so soon after their split.
"I'm very disappointed," Pirro told Motosprint. "Making a decision of this magnitude so far in advance is, in my opinion, not right.
"I don't know if it's a way to make someone pay for something, but I don't think it's fair.
"I can understand a decision taken a month before [the season], but we don't know yet when the championship will start and how many races will be held.
"Maybe Honda wants to make Lorenzo pay for going to Yamaha, but I'm not Lorenzo, who has earned a lot of money and can stay at home. I think I still have a lot to give in MotoGP."
Honda MotoGP chief Alberto Puig has moved to strongly refute Pirro’s “hurtful” remarks, saying it was “quite inappropriate” of the Ducati test rider to make such allegations when all manufacturers are reeling from the fallout of the pandemic.
“Pirro’s comments are a shame and quite inappropriate, I do not understand where it comes from," Puig said.
"Honda, like all the manufacturers participating in the MotoGP World Championship have been working extremely hard for weeks to understand the feasibility of this season [due to the coronavirus].
"We have held many meetings during this period to find a consensus with all the manufacturers.
"We, as Honda, have given up many things that we wanted to do in the future in terms of technical evolution and we have done it for the good of this sport, to maintain equality among all the manufacturers.
“It’s not easy, we are all adapting, from the organisation to the teams, the sponsors and of course also the riders – all with the aim of returning to a World Championship as we know it.
"This is why it hurts us that someone who belongs to a factory team makes these type of comments in such a difficult and critical situation for everyone.
"I believe that Pirro should know, at Honda we have respect for Lorenzo. We ended last year with him in a good and respectful way and wish him the best for his future.”
Nicky Hayden: Remembering motorsport's much-loved "one-off"
Martin, Bastianini in contention for 2021 Pramac ride
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
OPINION: The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. This is why.
How in-form Quartararo is evoking Marquez in MotoGP 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success.
Why Marquez's surgery is about more than just chasing on-track success
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Motorsport.com, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock of Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. We analyse what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP's Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How praise for Honda's MotoGP bike has given way to doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022
Why Quartararo's win was vital not only for his title hopes
Fabio Quartararo got his MotoGP title defence off the ground in the Portuguese Grand Prix as a dominant first win of 2022 rocketed him to the top of the standings. While a significant result in terms of his title hopes, it has come at an even more important time in terms of his 2023 contract negotiations