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FEATURE<br />
“I think it’s clear that the window of<br />
setup for the Ducati is very narrow and<br />
we see that with Chaz, one of the top riders,<br />
dialing the bike in through the year.<br />
In those early rounds they looked had<br />
the bike in the window and the engine is<br />
so strong that he didn’t need to be last<br />
on the brakes or he didn’t need to put<br />
the bike under too much stress. He was<br />
already gaining tenths of a second on the<br />
acceleration areas. The yo-yo effect was<br />
clearest to see in Thailand. He would be<br />
long gone into the braking zone for turn<br />
three but we would have a chance because<br />
I could release the brake and have<br />
a go at him because of the strength of<br />
our bike.<br />
“It’s been a crazy year but I stand by<br />
what I said at the start of the year [about<br />
taking a knife to a gunfight in races]. It<br />
was frustration that made me voice my<br />
opinion really early when I should have<br />
maybe stayed calm but the difference<br />
in speed is crazy. I’d need to really look<br />
hard to see how many times he passed<br />
someone in the braking area but generally<br />
it’s been down the straight passing<br />
one and two guys at the same time.<br />
“I’ve had it in the past where we’ve lost<br />
1400rpm in a season when they change<br />
regulations for this year Ducati lost<br />
250rpm is absolute peanuts. The people<br />
that are on the defensive are guys inside<br />
Ducati, but if you speak with knowledgeable<br />
people inside the paddock,<br />
they know. They know what we’re racing<br />
against. The other riders, the other<br />
manufacturers they all know what we’ve<br />
seen this year. The Ducati is very strong<br />
in that area but it’s not the complete<br />
package.<br />
“I feel like as a real package we have top<br />
package. We just missed the speed they<br />
have. I’m sure if you give us whatever the<br />
horsepower difference is, we would run<br />
into our own problems. I’m just calling it<br />
as I see it, but it’s just very demoralizing<br />
throwing the kitchen sink at it and just<br />
losing free time on the straights.”<br />
While a season like this has left Rea with<br />
an unexpected world title it’s also one<br />
that he knows is just a stepping stone.<br />
In racing if you’re at the front of the field<br />
you’ll always have people gunning for<br />
you. You’ll always have to work harder<br />
to stay at the top than you do to get to<br />
the top. To win races is hard in this class
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