Rinaldi, Bautista on rpm cut: “I felt a big difference, limiter arrives sooner”

Prior to the Imola WorldSBK round, Ducati were docked another 250 revs, which was the second time this season that they were given a 250 reduction. 

Like the first occasion which was before Misano, Ducati’s outright performance was not affected as Bautista won Race 1 and was competitive en route to second, before crashing out of Race 2. 

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Axel Bassani then took over the role of leading Ducati and fought for victory before claiming second behind Toprak Razgatlioglu.

To the naked eye Ducati’s performance has appeared to be the same, however, those aboard Panigale V4 R machinery have felt a difference. 

"The first time they cut us 250rpm, I didn’t feel the same but today, I felt a big difference," said Rinaldi. "Especially when I change gears in fourth, fifth and sixth. 

"The bike stays the same, it doesn’t pull. I asked the engineers why and they replied, saying: ‘the bike should work really good in the torque range’. 

"So, there is one range that the bike works good and if you stay there, OK it’s not bad. When you go down there, it’s like there’s more than just 250rpm. 

"So, they can’t do anything but we’re lucky here at Imola, because the straights are with a bit of leaning so if I put sixth gear and stay straight, the bike goes low with the RPM, but if I do a trick and go with lean angle, the drop of the RPM is not that big! 

"We can work with it here, but we have to do everything we can. This time, we really feel the difference."

Bautista, who won the first race directly after Ducati were docked 250 revs, said this about the situation at Imola.

"In the end, it’s 500rpm less from the beginning of the season, so it feels like I have to shift a bit before. The limiter arrives a bit sooner but I don’t think it’s a super-big problem."

Rinaldi wants opportunity to win with next WorldSBK move

Away from the rev limit debate that’s been a hot topic of conversation in recent months, Rinaldi is unlikely to remain at Aruba.it Ducati next season.

WorldSSP rider Nicolo Bulega is the favourite to get that ride, which means a change of manufacturer looks very likely for Rinaldi. 

Wanting to find joy after a tough few rounds, Rinaldi said: "I want to be happy when I ride the bike. That’s what I’m looking for. 

"I want to win again, or at least fight for podiums. I want to find the joy I had when I was dreaming of being a professional motorcycle racer.

"I can’t be happy at the moment because I made too many mistakes this season. Also, some things have happened. 

"But it is what it is. I have to deal with it and get back into the best shape possible."