In recent seasons the Ducati it has always needed a break-in period to fine-tune the new bike, and then unleash all its dominant potential in the second half of the year.
This time the GP24 conceived by the working group directed by Gigi Dall'Igna she seemed to light up the scene from her very first spins. More than usual, very fast, 'Pecco' Bagnaia, it was enough to observe the smile of Enea Bastianini, who had never found the right feeling with the GP23.
A new, more powerful engine, a new hull, new solutions destined once again to lead the way. And in Qatar, at the first time attack on new tyres, Bagnaia beat the pole and track record by eight tenths last November. With Bastianini close behind, at 12 cents.
Such an optimistic 'Pecco' had never been heard at the beginning of the year: “I had incredible sensations. The GP24 is better than the GP23 in every area. It's a mix of the good things of the GP22 and GP23 and at the moment it works perfectly.”
He still sees some ghosts Jorge Martin, dealing with vibrations that slowed him down in Lusail: “The first time I thought it was the tyres, the second time it was the bike. In any case, to fight for victory we must solve this problem“, but he also admits: “This Ducati is a second faster than last year“. In fact, it's not enough “The best Aprilia I've ever ridden” – words of Aleix Espargarò – to keep up with her, given that in the attack at the time she stopped at three tenths.
The KTMs are stuttering, with Binder and Miller who however seem to have confidence in the progress made and Acosta who is continuing his apprenticeship. He dispersed them Yamahawith a not too radiant Quartararo: “It takes time, there is still much to do” and courted by Aprilia for 2025. Lots of work on the agenda for Honda too, as Mir laconically explained: “We have the same problems as last yearwith better lap times.”
And Marquez? Fly low, with a GP23 technically destined to pay the price in the long run: “We are missing those 2-3 tenths that are harder to lower. At the moment we are between fourth and sixth place“. But in his third test he improved the pole set by Marini three months ago by four tenths.
It's tough to compare with the Desmosedici GP24 and with the “Adrian Newey of two wheels”, Gigi Dall'Igna. An angry, overbearing, muscular reaction to the poorly digested concessions and the assault on his key men. In fact, we must not forget the farewells of Gigi's right-hand man, Fabiano Sterlacchini, of the crew chiefs Alberto Giribuola and Cristhian Pupulin – who went to KTM -, of the electronic engineer Filippo Tosi – now in Honda -, of the aerodynamicist Marco Nicotra and of the engineer dedicated to performance Max Bartolini – glided in Yamaha.
The most important gem, Dall'Igna, however, remained in Borgo Panigale. To invent the future, even more ruthless than before.
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