Let's talk MotoGP: Ducati (maybe) made a big mistake

Did Ducati lose or win this MotoGP championship? This is a tricky question. On the one hand, the brand won everything, achieving, without doubt, the best season for a manufacturer in the modern era. On the other hand, the factory team, which represents the brand in Grands Prix, lost the driver's title, the most important for communication around a sporting commitment. So how do we answer the question posed by this introduction?

The end of conspiracies?

I already had this debate in comments recently.
Many told me that it was undeniably a Ducati victory, because it was the brand that supplied the equipment to Jorge Martin. Besides, I take the opportunity to talk about it now, but this title of the satellite pilot, which many low-level conspirators thought impossible, shows that they were wrong, even more than those who predicted Bagnaia the winner by conviction. At least they will stop polluting public spaces… waiting to find another conspiracy.

The Borgo Panigale firm also won the manufacturers' championship, won all races of the year except four (counting the Sprints), Ducati Corse took the teams' title… yes, Ducati, in the broad sense, won. But nevertheless, in my opinion, it is a defeat. I will try to explain why.

Bagnaia is not the only one to have lost big. Photo: Michelin Motorsport

A victory that resonates less

First of all, for the general public and communication (the best weapon in a capitalist society like ours),
a driver's title is infinitely more important than a manufacturer's title, in all motor sports. People don't really care which brand did better over the course of a year. All that interests the public, and rightly so, is to know which rider wins, and, secondly, which motorcycle he was riding, which is a memory all the more vivid when it is a motorcycle of 'factory. Did you know that in 2020 Ducati won the manufacturers' title ? However, everyone will remember Joan Mir and Suzuki, who were talked about a lot more that year. In 1993, everyone remembers Kevin Schwantz and his Suzuki, but not Yamaha which had triumphed over other brands. I'm not even talking about the team title, which is even less important from a commercial point of view.

Ducati is represented by its factory team, and it was not a red motorcycle that won the pilot's title. As a result, Ducati lost in 2024. They will not be able to communicate on No. 1, and, moreover, on an Italian rider who wins over an Italian, a very important parameter.

A passionate approach

This does not mean that we should not congratulate Ducati, because at least they gave the same chances to the two protagonists of this season. In my opinion, it was very risky, because Martin had already almost won the title in 2023. I then expected that a sort of separation would take place between Pramac Racing and the parent team, especially since Campinoti announced the departure of his troops to Yamaha in the middle of the season. Ducati would have had every right to stop its support for Pramac, to largely favor Bagnaia. I go even further: this is undoubtedly what any F1 team and any Japanese factory team in MotoGP would have done.

Managing the Bastianini case was quite perilous, because Martin was more than legitimate to replace him. Photo: Michelin Motorsport

At least it gave us a spectacle, a battle between two riders when MotoGP has never been so crushed by a manufacturer. It's commendable, but it doesn't take away from the defeat. It bothers her to see Martin celebrating on the Barcelona track, with no “Ducati” stickers present on the objects used during the party. It bothers her to see her in-house driver beaten by a customer who is going to an opposing brand. If you go to the Pramac Racing website, there is no mention of Ducati in the press releases discussing Martin's victory in 2024. Go for it, it's almost surreal. In factthe brand which made this title possible, because nothing would have been possible without it, sees itself completely erased from this victory, it does not belong to it. When, in fifteen years, we look at the list of champions,
we will see Jorge Martin, and then, anecdotally, Ducati.

Conclusion

In my opinion, Ducati, in 2024, has lost, because the team that represents the brand – and there is only one –
lost. Ducati, it's red, it's Italy, it's Tardozzi, it's Bagnaiaet
everyone was on the losing side. Okay, the company won everything, but it got caught in its own trap. This is the height of the modern manufacturer, who wants to establish himself en masse with his customers. In this sense, I think Ducati even made a mistake. To take another example, Ferrari never let one of its drivers approach Schumacher, everything was done to put him in the best conditions because his legend served the brand. Today, everyone has forgotten that it was outrageously dominant, we even talk about it with nostalgia, and this has contributed to making Ferrari a myth.
Ducati had the opportunity to endorse the legend of Bagnaia like Honda and Yamaha did with Valentino Rossi and they failed because of their excess of passion. A sweet paradox, in short.

All this gives even more weight to the victory of Jorge Martinwho will try to write his own story with another manufacturer.

What do you think? Tell me in the comments!

As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial staff.