Ducati MotoGP Team Manager Livio Suppo is featured in this Soup Interview. image: thanks, ducati press

This interview was conducted last Saturday at Indianapolis, just before Ducati re-signed Nick Hayden to another year on his contract.

A Casey's getting better. He had a visit to a specialist a couple of days ago, in Sydney. We expect the result next week. The doctor tried to understand why he has this low level of several things in his body. At the moment, the rest is doing well. I mean, he's feeling better and better. But the doctor wants to understand why he came to this point, why his body has been kind of ... consumption. Anyway, sure the rest is positive, and we are confident he'll be back at Estoril.

Q What do you think of the two most prominent rumors - one, that he doesn't want to ride; two, that he has some issue with the new bike and doesn't want to ride?

A I mean, there's so many rumors in this moment in the paddock, is ridiculous, and don't need or want to lose time about it. We know Casey. We know he loves riding, he loves Ducati, loves the team, and if he's not here because he's sick, he's sick. It's not because there's anything else.

Q What do you think the chances are that he's going to make a full recovery?

A (One) Hundred per cent.

Q Regarding the bike itself. In the beginning of the carbon fiber chassis era, in one of the early season press releases, you said it was sort of an experiment, and you would see. What do you think so far? You've got almost a season on it.

A Is working properly. There's some advantage comparing to the traditional one. Riders never complain about it. We are still working, but what we are looking more at the moment is find more traction. We are still working the rear swingarm, and now everybody's using the carbon fiber swingarm. Casey was still using both, still not sure what was the best. But as always there's plus and minus in everything, so we are exploring again these kind of things. Filippo and the guys are working also on the electronics. I think the biggest step we have done is the new traction control we introduced in Barcelona. From that point on, if you look at the results of Nicky, has been much more constant, and the gap with the leaders is smaller and smaller.

So I think that's, again, an area in which we have to work, for sure. For sure electronics nowadays are one of the key point of these bikes, and we have to work right. Because everybody thought that Casey is so fast on our bike because he trusts the electronic. Finally, when you have a rider like Nick that is an honest guy and speak with the press open, I mean, without a lot of excuses like other rider does, I see him telling "trust me, is the way he open the throttle. He's so smooth. He's unbelievable." So probably everybody think that Casey would end up being able to ride a 500, probably on a 500 would have been unbeatable. So Casey was - is - able to ride with or without the help of the traction control. Other riders need traction control that works properly, to be fast constantly.

Q On the subject of Nick Hayden, do you think it's possible for someone other than Casey Stoner to become competitive on the Ducati in just a few races, or in a season?

A It depends what you mean "competitive," because at the end -

Q Podium.

A Okay. At the end of the day, in the last two season, there's four guys that makes another sport. Two are riding a Yamaha, one is riding a Honda, and one is riding a Ducati. If you take away Dani from Honda, is difficult for them to finish on the podium. Almost impossible to win races. Because in normal circumstances, Honda has never won since 2007 without Dani. Because Dovi won in Donington, but that's - is like Vermeulen won in France, or Loris won in Japan 2007. So in the last seasons, more than one, if you don't have one of these top four guys, you don't win races. And because now there are four of these guys, if you don't have one of these four guys, is difficult to finish on the podium. So with all respect for all the other guys, these four kids make another sport. If you look today, Dovi is constantly this weekend more than one second slower than Dani. Do you think that Honda is happy? Then suddenly, DeAngelis this weekend is very fast. Is such a complicated game. So if you ask me if there's chance to have another competitive rider on the bike, there is. Nicky's fast. If Nicky's out of the top guys, the top four guys, he's close to them. And since Barcelona, the gap - if you check the best lap time in the race of Colin and Nicky, and you compare with the lap time of Casey or Jorge and Vale, is very, very similar. So the gap between Jorge and Vale and Colin is very similar to the gap there is between Casey and Nicky.

Q Does that translate into a new contract?

A We would like to keep him in Ducati family. He's been proven to be not only fast, but constant and very positive, never-give-up attitude, that was we like. So. Of course, we spoke with Dani, we spoke with Jorge, because as I said before, these four guys make another sport. So if two of these four guys are available, I think you have to do it. You have to try. But still, we never said, "Nicky, we don't want you any more." We have four bikes, five bikes on tracks.

Q You and I were in World Superbike together when Ducati decided to move Ben Bostrom off the factory team to NCR. And his results improved, because there was less pressure.

A Look at Kallio. Mika was doing better in Pramac than here. It's easy to speak. It's much more difficult to do things, for us, and for the rider especially. I think the move of Kallio and the factory thing was the most reasonable one, because Kallio so far was show to be good enough, and for some reason, since he's with us, he's a little bit slower and does more mistakes. If you look at Kallio, seems a very relaxed guy, but probably feels the pressure. And that's normal. Can imagine that he came here thinking, "Wow, now maybe have the chance to get the place, the factory team next year." And this create a pressure. Their mind makes such a huge difference. Look at Niccolo. On Monday in Brno was very fast. Maybe it was because there was Pasini close to him and he was worried. You know. These bike are so difficult, that to be fast, you need to be 100% focused and believe. This is a problem we have. These bike are too difficult. In other classes, is difficult to see a top guy going down. Usually, if you are fast, you are fast. Here, apart from the top four guys, the others are, almost everybody's up and down. And if you take away Dani from Honda this year, would have been a disaster season for them. So everybody say, "Ducati without Casey is a disaster," I would say, "Honda without Dani would be a disaster. And Yamaha without Valentino and Jorge would be a disaster." The riders make such a huge difference. Of course, then we have to work on the bike. We need to develop the bike. But sure to develop the bike you need guys like Nicky that never give up, and try to help, not people that give up and "just the bike doesn't work."

Q But that's a prevailing attitude in the paddock, don't you think, that the Ducati is too hard to ride? Simoncelli and others have -

A You know, I'm around since enough to understand it. Especially last year, Melandri's experience was very bad for us, for our brand, because is really difficult to explain why Marco was such a disaster. And if you watch from outside, looks like his performance now are better on the Kawasaki. In reality, you should look at the gap between Casey and Marco was smaller last year. But because was on the same bike, then the bike was a disaster, then the motivation went down, and is gone. If you check the lap time of Qatar this year and last year, the gap was smaller last year. So. But he was more happy now, because he was riding a bike that nobody else has, and everybody thinks is a piece of crap. That bike is not that bad. Plus, the riders make the difference.

Q The whole Melandri situation for you, on a personal level, must have been excruciatingly bad. This is a guy that you knew since he was 11 years old. You worked with him. He was your close friend, and someone you came into Grand Prix with, when he was a little kid. It must have been difficult to work with him in that situation, where that was the end result.

A Yeah, sure, was not easy. But both Marco and his manager, we knew each other since a very long time. I know his manager since 1987. Have a lot of respect for him. And we were able to manage a situation that could have been very embarrassing in a normal way. At the end of the day, nothing happened, and we took together the decision to quit, because was sure better for both of us. So. It's pity, but sometimes you succeed, sometimes not.

Q Do you still have a close relationship with him, or is it strained?

A With - ?

Q With Marco.

A With Marco. Well. You know. Eh, when they work in another team, you don't spend so much time together. That's normal for everybody. Still, I - I mean - I know Marco so well, you - you know - nothing changed.

Q Yesterday, you made some interesting comments about current ideas on how to make GP racing less expensive by leasing engines. I thought it was very profound that you said that none of these meetings are ever about how to increase the revenues, how to increase the marketing of the sport. Could you expand on that?

A Well, as I said yesterday, we speak about technical issue always, but there's no one commission that's tried to understand how to help each other and try to find more money. And at the end of the day, we can save half a million per rider, still you need millions to race. So we cannot go racing for nothing. There will be always a cost. And seems to me that in this world, nobody's really focused on how to increase the revenues, apart from our team that we have a marketing department. Of course we have a strong brand, because Ducati's a stronger brand than the Japanese. And we are doing a reasonably good job, I think. But is not easy. As far as we not have a more international grade, MotoGP want grow up in several countries. We are very, very strong in Italy, strong in Spain, growing in UK thanks to BBC. But still, we are struggling in Germany, France, that are key countries for sponsors. If you live in Italy, you think MotoGP is one of the most popular sports in the world. And then if you move to other countries, you realize is not.

Formula One is very famous everywhere. That's the biggest difference. Is not easy, because of course Formula One is Formula One and is the car industries behind them, and blah, blah, blah. And also, if you think about from marketing point of view, it's easier for a Formula One race to show almost everybody, because is longer, and usually is more boring, so they have time also to follow not the leaders, while a MotoGP race is shorter, and thanks God there is usually more action, so they don't have the time and the opportunity to show everybody. But this is a problem we have, and it will remain. So we need to increase .... Without the local hero, is difficult that a country become crazy about the sport. I mean, when I was a kid, there was Panatta playing tennis, and he was one of the top guy in the world, and everybody spoke about tennis in Italy. Nowadays, we don't have anybody strong, and tennis in Italy is nothing. Skiing, when we have Alberto Tomba winning, everybody was skiers in Italy. Now, nobody speak about it. People loves where they have one hero. Federica Pellegrini's doing a good job, now, in the swimming pool, and everybody loves it. America's Cup was nothing in Italy as far as Mr. Gardini invest a lot of money many years ago and did the Moro di Venezia. So you need to find a national hero. The problem is that to find a national hero, you need to grow up them since they are young. And of course, it's easier in countries like Italy and Spain, where we have a lot of tradition about it. And Dorna is doing a great job doing the Rookies' Cup and bringing, trying to bring English guys in the Spanish championship, much more competitive. But they cannot do it alone.

So I think the Moto 2 idea is a good one, because we need to put back in the national championship this kind of machine, otherwise nowaday they have 125 and then they have to jump on a Superstock machine, which is not the best way to grow up for GP ride.

In the past, there was 250 and 500 championship, national level. So this is something we have to think about. And I think Moto 2 is a good idea, because then you can have a kind of prototype machine for a very reasonable price. So could be possible also to run that kind of bike in the national championship. But I think, as manufacturers, we are leave this, everything on the hands of Dorna. We are not doing, as manufacturers, anything about it.

Because at the end of the day, is our interest and not only Dorna interest that this championship grow.

Q It's interesting that some people think it's going to be some sort of a revelation that if they lease engines to a team that somehow, this is going to make a successful team. This is nothing new, because Team Roberts leased an engine from Honda, and ran it for, what, two or three seasons, and they're gone.

A Again, is better than nothing. We have to do something. Has some positive things. But first of all, depends a lot on the price of the engine. And at the end of the day, the bike, the most expensive part of the bike is the engine itself. So we will see.

Q And if it doesn't get any cheaper? If it's just more teams chasing the same limited amount of money?

A You know, Dean, is a difficult time. Is not only for MotoGP, for everybody. And first of all, we have to hope the economy grow up again. That's not only for MotoGP. And if this will happen, few years ago was not impossible to put together the money to build up a good team in MotoGP. The show is good. The TV coverage can be improved, but is still very good. So, try to be positive and hope that the economy will start again, and this will help everybody.

Q How is it going to affect Ducati, to have to make engines last, next season? Six engines per rider, for the entire season?

A This should be a question to ask more to Filippo, because thank God, is not my problem. [Laughing] I'm not the technician. Sure, has been - again, an investment, to reduce the cost for the future. But this season, we are spending money to try to build up an engine that lasts three races. So, still is good, is one of the few way you have to reduce the running cost, especially for the satellite team, but also for the factory team, is a positive thing.

Q Another subject you touched on yesterday was the arbitrary technical rules. Looking at these rules again could also could be a way to reduce development costs, reduce running costs -

A You know, I think, as I said yesterday, I think at the end of the day, sometimes, we are too much focused on technical things. And I think if you need to build up a good show, we should learn from Americans. I think NASCAR, you must have a carbureted engine, right? If I'm not wrong. And what does it mean? That at the end of the day, you can attract thousands of people, have a lot of sponsors, without such a big technical involvement. Of course, this is the American way. You care much more about the show, more than the technical things. In Europe, we have more this tradition of being the pinnacle of technical, blah, blah, blah, blah, like Formula One is an airplane with four wheels. And I think we should think a little bit more about these kind of things, that at the end of the day, people don't care too much about how much fuel we have on the bike, or how much is the capacity of the engine. As I said yesterday, nobody - not nobody, but few people, knows how much is the capacity of a Formula One engine, but the MotoGP, everybody speak about the 800. Why? At the end of the day, who cares?

And especially because we wanted to do the 800 immediately after the 1000, everybody didn't want to lose too much speed, and then there is the Superbike. We cannot be slower than a Superbike, and this and that. So at the end of the day, I think that sometimes we should stop thinking too much about technical things and be a little bit more open, and think what the people want. The people want show. And like it or not, is because of the evolution of the tire, because of the 800, because of the electronic, because I don't know what, but at the end of the day, we need fight. We need, for the fans, is good if any riders can have a chance. And at the moment, as I told you before, without that four guys, you have no chance to finish on the podium. And if you have no chance to finish on the podium, you can have a half a million [euro] bike to run, still would be difficult to find sponsors. So I don't know how to solve it, but sure we should spend more time in thinking about these kind of things.

Q Last question. Your opinion. Was the move to 800 cc a mistake?

A Yes.

Q Can you elaborate?

A Yes, because we spend a lot of money to do totally new engine. If the goal was to reduce the performance, it should have been easier to put a limiter to the 1000, a restrictor or whatever; again, I'm not a technician, but sure there are way to reduce the performance of an engine. On top of this, we show that the danger - I mean, the dangerous crash - that most of the dangerous crash happen - not most, all the crash happens in braking and in exit the corner. In that two time, in that two - in both of these action, the power is not involved. So is not that decreasing the power, you decrease the dangers of this sport. You decrease the dangers of this sport doing a proper job on the circuit, and doing the proper job that a company like Alpinestars doing with the back protector, the helmets, the boots and everything, because the back protector is something that we should have always on a bike, even on a scooter in the city, because is such a big invention. I mean, Nicky did a couple of big crash on the back this year. Without a back protector, probably would have been seriously injured. And people - again, we don't speak about it. It's crazy. But as a company, we should. Ducati did a campaign, and I think, buy a Ducati, you had a back protector, right? So we need to do something like that. Anyway, the 800 move was, I think, at the end of the day, was a mistake. Was a mistake and would have been easier to stay with the 1000.