by STEFANO OLLANU
A dream Ducati
There Ducati he wins, wins overwhelmingly and doesn’t think of stopping. Over the last two years, the Borgo Panigale company has been reaping success after success in motorsport, from MotoGP to Superbike, up to the supply of MotoE, up to its entry into motorcross. Claudio Domenicaliin a long interview given to Massimo Calandri of Republichas explained: “Ducati’s winning formula is like Coca-Cola’s: secret. In the company, everyone knows only part of the recipe. But no one knows all the ingredients.”
Ducati aims high
The Ducati CEO explained how the climate within the MotoGP team is fantastic and that they will try to raise the bar further, after 17 victories and 17 pole positions in the 20 GPs of the 2023 world championship: “It seems impossible. But let’s try. Our opponents have asked to change the rules from next year, otherwise we are too strong for them. The organizer satisfied them. No problem, on the contrary: for us it is the best marketing campaign”but rejects the idea of a truncated show given by a sort of Ducati flagship store: “It just happened, but didn’t you enjoy Bagnaia and Martin’s show? On the eve of the last race they were separated by 14 lengths. In F1, Verstappen won with more than double the points of second. Try to imagine if there were 8 Red Bulls, and their drivers competing on equal terms“.
And in 2024 there is Marquez
Not a day goes by in which fans and professionals do not express an opinion on the big market movement of the next championship: the sensational move of Marc Marquez to the Gresini team. In order to get on a Ducati, the Spanish champion will settle for a GP23. Domenicali’s thoughts: “Marc will make us grow further: the other 7 of our champions have begun to study the way he rides. It will be a stimulus, an example. They will all become better. We will have greater internal competition, our opponents’ race for the World Cup will become more complicated. This year Martin learned a lot from Bagnaia, Pecco will do the same with Marquez. We will continue to raise the level, have you seen Di Giannantonio? Six out of 8 Ducatisti have won at least one GP.”
But between Bagnaia and Marquez, the manager has no doubts: “I choose Pecco: he is Italian, he races in the official team and there is a particular empathy with him. However Marc he is a great champion, if he is good enough to deserve the title we will be happy. He will certainly fight until the end for the World Championship. Why do I think this? We did almost scientific simulations, comparing his performance with that of his brother Alex, who raced in his current team. But I will not reveal the results even under torture.”
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