One of the hot topics of this MotoGP season is the difference between the Ducatis. No one doubts that the Borgo Panigale manufacturer is the great dominator of the World Championship, to the point that there are even those who use the name “Ducati Cup” to refer to the current situation of the championship. But something has changed this year and it is the differences between the various specifications of the Desmosedici.
Last year, the GP22s, which were a year older at the time, were able to fight with the then-new GP23s, so much so that Marco Bezzecchi was in the title fight until the final races. But in 2024, the gap between the GP24 and the GP23 seems to be wider. Only Marc Marquez has been able to get the most out of the old Ducati, although he has yet to score a win with the Italian brand.
The eight-time world champion managed to keep up with Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin in the first third of the year, but more or less from Le Mans he has struggled and the gap to the top has widened. His role as third wheel has passed to another rider, Enea Bastianini, who however already has a GP24 and has managed to win this year, with a double at Silverstone. The rider from Romagna has also overtaken the Gresini standard bearer to take third place in the World Championship.
Bagnaia and Martin, leader and second in the championship respectively, continue to maintain that the 2024 and 2023 Ducatis are not too different, in Austria the Piedmontese stated that the GP23 had received more updates than the new one. However, Gigi Dall’Igna stressed that there is a difference, even if it is less noticeable on some tracks than on others. The same thing is said by the riders who have the GP23, such as Bezzecchi or Fabio Di Giannantonio. Their team boss, Pablo Nieto, also joined this line of thought.
The Pertamina Enduro VR46 team manager spoke to Dazn Spain about the topic of the moment right at the Red Bull Ring, underlining that the difference exists above all because the GP24 is a “simpler” bike than the GP23. But he also explained that the gap depends on the difference in riding styles of each rider, something that the official riders have sometimes commented on.
When Nieto was asked if the difference between the two Ducatis is really that big, the Spaniard replied: “A little, yes. I definitely think it goes in cycles. Last year, the difference between one bike and the other (the GP22 and the GP23, ed.) wasn’t that big. This year they’ve made a step forward. More than the difference, I think it’s the way you ride the bike. The GP24 is much simpler, softer. On the GP23, the peak power of the engine is much more aggressive. This, like it or not, makes the bike ride worse,” he continued, explaining the differences.
Next year, Valentino Rossi’s team will have a GP25, the Borgo Panigale brand’s updated model, and a GP24, which the two factory riders and the two Pramacs now have. Everything suggests that the official bike will be for Di Giannantonio, who went from being without a MotoGP seat in 2023 to being directly under contract with the factory.
Angel Nieto’s son analyzed the path of the Roman rider: “We have seen on a thousand occasions that there are riders who do not have a place and, suddenly, they start to go strong and get results. Di Giannantonio is doing a spectacular job, he is almost always the second best GP23, I think it is very important, knowing that Marc is always there. From now until the end of the year I think we can also fight for a podium, which I think is the main objective this year”.
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