grid but, while Gresini's machinery is assured until the end of 2025, Ducati’s existing deals with Pramac and VR46 expire this season.
“Dorna cannot stop an Independent team from choosing whichever bikes they want, if a manufacturer is willing to supply them. It’s a free market,” Herve Poncharal, who owns the GASGAS Tech3 team, told Crash.net last year. “It was not original strategy I think , but they said ‘yes’ when they were approached by the teams, they’ve managed the situation and nobody has a bad bike. It’s a huge investment in terms of logistics, manpower and money."While Dorna’s unfulfilled goal was to have each of the six previous manufacturers supporting one satellite team, some factories dragged their feet despite the ‘carrot’ of extra financial support from the commercial rights holder.
"But some manufacturers play the game better than others. Also, you have to respect the manufacturers if they don't want to have a satellite operation." “Now, finally, more and more manufacturers understand that having a satellite operation is not a weight or a handicap, as was said sometimes in the past," continued Poncharal, during the 2023 interview.
“This is what you have to consider when you talk to a manufacturer. When I left Yamaha to go to KTM and Pierer Mobility, for sure I was leaving a bike that at that moment had a higher level of performance. “Now the Independent teams are in a much more comfortable position than in the past. Almost every Independent team rider is signed directly to their factory and most also have spec bikes.