Davide Tardozzi says Ducati trusted its riders in a Sepang battle which threatened to cost Francesco Bagnaia the MotoGP championship lead if either he or Enea Bastianini made an error.

Bagnaia would win the Malaysian Grand Prix and extend his margin over Monster Energy Yamaha’s Fabio Quartararo to 23 points with just one race to go, but he was made to work hard for it by his future team-mate.

Bastianini passed future team-mate ‘Pecco’ on Lap 11 around the Sepang International Circuit and held the lead for three laps before the championship leader hit back.

Even then, ‘La Bestia’ pushed Bagnaia all the way, and just 0.270s separated them at the chequered flag after an ultra-tense, high-stakes battle.

Much has been made of Ducati’s ‘team’ orders, noting that it also holds the contracts for the Pramac riders and Gresini’s Bastianini.

According to Pramac’s Johann Zarco, who opted not to attack Bagnaia for a podium two races earlier at Buriram, they are in fact free to go for wins and podiums.

Tardozzi, the factory Ducati Lenovo Team manager, admitted to nerves but said that Bastianini did the right thing at Sepang.

He told Britain’s MotoGP broadcaster, BT Sport, “I anticipate the question: ‘Did you say something to Enea?’

“Yes, ‘Don’t be too hard with other Ducati riders.’ That’s it.

“I think the proof is that when Enea overtook Pecco, he was three or four tenths slower. They understand that, when staying behind, it is easier to follow.

“In front you could still go with the same times, but he didn’t.

“We were nervous because we were thinking: ‘Do we trust our riders?’ The answer was yes.

“Obviously we were nervous because we still have [the 2016 Argentina race when Andrea Iannone took out Ducati team-mate Andrea Dovizioso while battling for second] in front of our eyes and we don’t want it again.

“That was a bad, bad thing.

“We didn’t give orders. They knew what to do.”

Given the victory was Bagnaia’s seventh of the year, and Quartararo only has three, the former just needs two points, and hence a 14th position, in Valencia since the first countback is clearly in his favour.

According to Tardozzi, the same instructions apply to the likes of Bastianini and Bagnaia’s current team-mate, Jack Miller, at Valencia on November 6 (local time).

“Never say never,” he remarked.

“Two points are two points. If Quartararo wins, Pecco just needs to finish the race.

“We keep our feet on the ground.

“Knowing we need only two points to win the championship, all the Ducatis will be free.

“The orders will be the same: ‘Don’t overtake other Ducatis if it is very dangerous.’”

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