Dorna's WorldSBK bosses can hardly believe their luck. Not that they can show anything other than concern that the spat between Jonathan Rea and Chaz Davies has become a bigger story than the racing itself, but the media and social media exposure it created was vast and just what they needed.
This weekend's round of the World Superbike Championship at Imola usually attracts a big attendance, although well short of those heady days when Foggy and Chili exchanged more than just insults.
Now, following the handbags-at-dawn confrontation between the two title contenders, amid accusations of 'dirty riding', another ten thousand will pour through the gates of the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit to see a real battle - and not just for championship points.
Both riders are favourites with Italian fans but you can bet the biggest cheers are for Davies. Why? He is now the clear underdog in the championship, many will see - rightly or wrongly - that he is the victim, but perhaps most importantly he is on a Ducati.
Italian free-to-air TV station Mediaset has a whopping audience and will be making the most of what has become hugely personal between the two top riders in WorldSBK. It smacks of the spat between Rossi and Marquez a couple of years ago which ignited the world's media and introduced MotoGP to a whole new audience.
Of course, neither Dorna nor the FIM could possibly approve of the invective, mostly it has to be said, from Davies and have no doubt been 'tut tutting' as to the language used because it runs the risk of bringing a so-clean sport into disrepute.
Actually they had been concerned that WorldSBK did not have enough confrontation, was too friendly to the point of being dull and required spicing up. Their own efforts to provide more entertainment had enjoyed a degree of success but this is, surely, like manna.
The incident itself has been well chronicled. Davies alleged that Rea deliberately slowed down to thwart him from obtaining a faster qualifying lap. He was sufficiently irritated to give Rea a slap as he whizzed past and then publicly lambasted him on returning to parc ferme where there was a more-than-robust exchange of views.
He did not, however, make an official complaint - race control was by then looking at the incident - but Rea denied it. He later apologised but apparently not soon enough or with sufficient sincerity for the Welshman. The Ulsterman was found guilty by race control of "irresponsible riding causing danger to you and other riders" and "behaviour prejudicial to the interest of Sport”.
It all sounds serious stuff. His penalty from jury was three grid positions, i.e. starting on the second row rather than the first. So not exactly a hanging offence you might deduce.
The question which fascinates is not why, if the offence was so serious was the penalty a mere slap on the wrist, but why do two grown men, among the mildest in the paddock, explode with incredibly insulting language and threats of violence.
There's probably a bit of history but one can only conclude that winning a world title is everything, especially to Davies, and against the well-oiled works Kawasaki team of Rea and Sykes he needs all the help he can get.
One non-finish and one third place was all he took home from Assen. A double win is required at Imola and with the fanatical Ducatisti behind him he might just do it.
