If anyone in the paddock was asked which was the best bike in MotoGP in 2021, there were few who had doubts and almost all of them answered Ducati. Starting from this assumption, it will not be easy for the men of Borgo Panigale to take a further step with the Desmosedici GP22, a bike that was presented this afternoon after making its debut in the Sepang collective tests last week, and which will have the arduous task of improve a 2021 in which the Constructors and Teams title arrived, missing only the icing of the Drivers’ World Championship.
The two-day Malaysian race also made it clear that the GP21 is an absolute reference point, with Enea Bastianini setting the new track record on the Gresini Racing one. The new prototype, however, was not far behind, because Jorge Martin and Pecco Bagnaia finished off just over a tenth.
Today’s presentation was an excellent opportunity to take stock of the situation with the general manager of Ducati Corse, Gigi Dall’Igna, who started with an assessment of the Asian trip, in which, however, he preferred not to go too far into the technical innovations. introduced compared to last season.
Detail of the Ducati 2022
Photo by: Ducati Corse
“It is the first test of the year, in which many things had to be chosen, a lot of material. So the focus was not on performance, but on the work that the riders had to do. On Saturday we started development of the new bike and I am quite happy. Things could be better, but even worse. There are some areas we need to work a little more on, but on Sunday we found some positive solutions. I think the pace is good enough already, but the next test will be crucial, because it will be the last of the pre-season before the start of the season “. Dall’Igna said.
After the domination of the last races of 2021, didn’t you have any doubts that the bike was so competitive and that it was better not to touch anything?
“As I said at the end of last year, I would have liked to freeze Pecco and take him out for the start of the World Cup, because in the final part of 2021 he was in an incredible form. Jokes aside, I think that freezing things is always a mistake, because all our competitors will have certainly made important steps forward, maybe some more than others, so staying still is never the best way to try to bring home your goals. You must always try to do your own better and to stimulate all the people involved in the project to do the same to reach a target that is certainly difficult, which is to win “.
At the end of 2021 you already had a very competitive bike. What were the goals you set yourself to try to improve it?
“We were certainly satisfied with the general behavior of the 2021 bike, even if there were some shortcomings in terms of performance and in some areas, and they could be noticed by looking at the races. For example, in Assen it was clear that we had something to fix in the corners. high speed, especially in insertion, and this is one of the areas in which we have tried to develop the new bike “.
Jack Miller, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Ducati is now synonymous with speed in MotoGP, but what do you think could be the next technological battlefield? Aerodynamics, electronics or lowering devices for example?
“I don’t think there is a more important area than others. We need to develop the bike in every aspect, from the frame to the aerodynamics, to get to the lowering device, which has become an important element for the performance of the bike. But also the engine. and electronics. In the end, the fundamental thing is to find a good compromise between all these areas, balancing all aspects of the bike well. I believe this is the real goal of the designers and engineers who work on the design of MotoGP bikes. “
Would you say that the GP21 is the best compromise you have found since you have worked at Ducati?
“Absolutely, although I hope that in 2022 we will be able to improve it”.
From this weekend’s pictures, it looks like you have made an interesting evolution of the lowering device. Can you tell us something about it?
“It is difficult to talk about the technical aspects today. This is an important area, on which I believe that all the brands have worked hard over the winter to find an improvement. But I cannot explain what we have done on our bike, at least until we see similar solutions on the other bikes “.
Some drivers argue that having too many devices to manage while driving can be dangerous. What do you think about it?
“Clearly all the riders have to be focused, but I think there is room to manage things like this, because Formula 1 drivers do a lot more. Sure, riding a bike is not the same thing, but honestly our riders don’t detect any. problem in the management of the various systems. Also because it is not compulsory to use them, clearly losing performance, but the bike continues to work just the same “.
Is there something in particular that you have brought to the 2022 bike that makes you proud? And what is the aspect on which you still see a lot of room for improvement?
“The first aspect I would avoid. What we have to work on instead is a bit of the whole part of the bike’s controls, on the side of the engine management. I think we still have the margin there to do a little better than how we got there. here in Sepang “.
Detail of the Ducati 2022
Photo by: Ducati Corse
This year you will have eight bikes on the track, how will you manage this large amount of work?
“Ducati has already had eight bikes on the grid in the past, so it’s just a matter of organization. And I think we have the resources to do it. It’s not a problem, on the contrary, it’s important from a technical point of view, because we would have a lots of data available, as well as feedback from several riders. Not only to develop the bike, but also to get information on the set-up level during the race weekends. The satellite teams seemed quite happy to me during the first two days of testing , both in terms of the bikes and the support received from Ducati. That’s why I think it’s a good thing for us and not a problem. “
In the second half of last year we saw Bagnaia as the top man, with Miller willing to help him. Will it start from scratch or with this dynamic?
“At the beginning of the year I don’t think it makes sense to focus on one driver or another. I think it’s important to put them all on the same level and then see what happens. A season can be different from the previous one for many reasons. A team like Ducati cannot afford to make any differences between its riders before the season begins. But even during the year it has to give support to all its riders. “
Bastianini said that his goal is to finish the World Championship in the top five: is it possible with the GP21?
“I think he can finish the World Championship in the top five and he is showing it. Both in the November tests in Jerez and in the Sepang tests he rode very well, and not just on the flying lap, because his race pace was very interesting. We keep in mind that his problems for the whole of last year were the qualification and the first laps of the race. On the flying lap it seems to me that he has already made a big step forward compared to 2021. The first laps of the race we will find out in about a month or so , but the goal he has set is certainly within his reach. But we will try to help all Ducati riders to go fast. “
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team
Photo by: Ducati Corse
From a technical point of view, what kind of developments will it be possible to give to Aeneas?
“There will certainly be some limitations. For example, the developments we will make on the engine will not be able to be mounted on his bike. But many other things that we are developing on the 2022 bike could also be mounted on Enea’s. It will depend on many things, but we will try to give it all the development it deserves “.
You have also started working on the MotoE project: is this having an impact on the MotoGP one?
“Most of the people who work on the MotoE project are dedicated to that, so it is a development that goes on autonomously. It is also clear that certain other parts require skills or in any case help from the people who work in MotoGP, but the two projects manage to evolve almost autonomously. I’m happy with the first test we carried out with Pirro last month, so at the moment everything is under control. “
How much time can you dedicate to him personally?
“Let’s say that I like to dedicate some time to it, because it is a project that I think is interesting, both from the technological point of view and from the imagination that a designer can put in to develop something completely new like an electric motorcycle. I’ll try to put something of my own into it too” .
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