For several seasons, Ducati has surpassed all competition in MotoGP. Incredible performances which underline the superiority of the Italian manufacturer. For this 2024 campaign alone, the Reds have won everything in their path: nineteen victories out of twenty Grand Prix, with the icing on the cake, sixteen successes in sprints and qualifying. These feats were achieved in the majority of cases by Francesco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin, the two protagonists of this completely crazy year of twists and turns.
At the end of the final in Barcelona last weekend, it was the Madrilenian who showed himself the strongest by seizing the title of world champion. A real success for Ducati between the crowned rider and manufacturer. But for Pecco Bagnaia, the pill had more difficulty passing. During the modern era of the premier category, the Turinese was the only one to win more than ten victories without a world crown at the end of the season. A sad record which breaks the Italian's series of two titles.
A successful year for Pecco Bagnaia
In an interview with the press, Luigi Dall'Igna spoke about the performances achieved by Francesco Bagnaia at the end of this season. The boss of the Ducati program remembered two things: its speed and its consistency.
“How can you be sad after a season like this? I think there are a lot of people who have more problems than the Ducati guys in this paddock. It was still an incredible season and the red team was the one that fought until the end for the last four championships and won two of them. So what should I say? The regularity is there. Victory is important for people, it is important for me, for Pecco and for the people around him, but for the brand and our sponsors, I believe that what is most important is to remain competitive and protagonists in time and I think we do that well. I think the hardest thing for a driver to find is speed. However, Pecco demonstrated that he had the speed because he won 11 Grands Prix.
It's true, he made a few mistakes during the season, but if I think about it a little, these are all things that can be resolved in my opinion. I therefore believe that Pecco can look towards 2025 with peace of mind. A champion must also know how to lose and Pecco has already amply demonstrated that he is a champion. What to say? In life, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. The important thing is to have been a protagonist and a driver who wins 11 races is obviously a protagonist in this championship. He did wonderful things and I believe he brought emotions to all our fans. It was of course different compared to when it was Pecco who won, especially because the one who won was a driver who, the next day, was going to take a different path. I believe that the feeling of experiencing something different was mainly dictated by this.”
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In Brief
For the first time in the history of the modern era of MotoGP, a rider does not win the championship title with more than ten victories. This sad record goes to Francesco Bagnaia, vice champion of this 2024 season. The boss of the Ducati program, Luigi Dall'Igna remembers only one thing, the speed of the Italian.
