A crucial aspect of the negotiation caused the separation
Just like the relationship between driver and race engineer in F1, in MotoGP the affinity between the rider and the chief mechanic is fundamental for the success of the duo in question and consequently of the team. In the four-wheel Circus, race engineers come to the forefront because they are protagonists of the team radio along with the drivers, in MotoGP the technical backs are more like ‘unsung heroes’ who go rather unnoticed, but their value is testified by the fact that often riders, when changing teams, are accompanied by the chief mechanics in their new adventure.
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The most striking example is the duo Valentino Rossi-Jeremy Burgess. The Australian technician, in fact, followed The Doctor from Honda to Yamaha. Marc Marquez at Honda built an extremely trusting relationship with Santi Hernandez, but the latter did not follow Marquez to Ducati and the reason emerged.
The magazine motorsport.com, in fact, revealed that Hernandez could not follow Marquez to Ducati due to a ‘condition’ not accepted by Marquez. Ducati, in fact, had immediately offered a multi-year contract to the now former Honda rider, but Marquez refused. The rider evidently wanted a one-year contract, he simply wanted to bet on himself and see if he could still aim to win in MotoGP.
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Ducati wanted to ‘protect itself’ through the signing of a multi-year contract, a viewpoint that is understandable, just as Marquez’s is understandable. In the end Marquez signed a one-year contract and was then promoted to the official team in the following two years. Marquez could not bring Santi Hernandez with him. At Gresini he worked with Frankie Carchedi and since last year in the official Ducati team he has been entrusted to the care of Marco Rigamonti.
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