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MotoGP – Ducati will “struggle to make progress” on the bike

In 2024, Ducati has once again broken numerous records of domination in MotoGP, as the Borgo Panigale firm crushed the world championship. Of the twenty rounds contested, the Italian manufacturer won nineteen. It was only in Austin, during the third stage of this campaign, that Ducati showed itself a little weaker. Aprilia and Maverick Vinales took advantage of this to achieve the only non-Ducati success of the season.

A success that Ducati owes in large part to Pecco Bagnaia, who won eleven of the twenty rounds this season with the factory team. The director of the latter was also invited to discuss the exploits cited above, as well as the many others signed by Ducati during the year. So many accomplishments that fill him with pride, although he focuses more on the mistakes to be corrected in the future.

“It was a fantastic year, begins Davide Tardozzi on MotoGP.com. The one with the most success for Ducati, but also, I think, for any manufacturer that has evolved in MotoGP. With Pecco, we think of his mistakes during the Sprint races. Firstly, because we want to understand if there are technical problems between the race on Saturday and that on Sunday.

He went very far on this issue with Gigi [Dall’Igna], he continues. Ultimately, I think it's not really Pecco's attitude, to be in a hurry. Enea suffered a lot from his falls last year, and it took him a year to recover. He finally showed he could fight for the top positions. Fighting with Marc Marquez for third position is not a bad result. »

Gigi Dall'Igna at the Barcelona Test ©Michelin

Improving the GP24, not an easy task

Jorge Martin, Pecco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini completed their season as the first four places in the MotoGP world championship in that order, linked by the fact that they all compete under the Ducati banner, whether in the official team, or in the brand's satellite teams.

Next year, however, two of them will strengthen the ranks of the competition. Ducati will therefore have to make efforts to maintain its status as an undisputed leader. This will start by finding areas for improvement on a bike that doesn't seem to have any weaknesses.

“I think the top four in the championship are fantastic drivers. We will have work to do during the winter to find progress to make, adds Davide Tardozzi. The 2024 bike was very competitive, and it will be difficult to take another step forward.

We know that our competitors are very strong, and that they will have very good drivers next year, continues the Italian. First the two Aprilia riders, with Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi. But also Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini, who will improve the KTM rider line-up. In a sense we are happy, but our antennae are upright. »

©Michelin

Ducati et sa ‘dream team’ explosive

The Ducati Lenovo team manager nevertheless says he is confident that his men can still bring back titles to Ducati, and is particularly counting on an ideal duo of riders, who will share the official garage in 2025. Above all, we will have to take care of the evolution of the relationship between them. Marquez and Bagnaia have never been great friends.

“We are going to give very good drivers to other brands. But I think we will have a dream team. Pecco and Marc are two incredible drivers. I think we will manage things to have good collaboration between the two drivers. We will be the team to beat next year. I know that other brands will progress thanks to their new line-up, and the new assets in their technical team. Despite everything, I think that the Ducati bike, and the factory team, will be very strong next year” concludes Tardozzi.

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