Only one garage in the modern era of motorcycling, that of Yamaha in 2016 with Valentino Rossi (9) and Jorge Lorenzo (5), has had more World Championship crowns (14) combined than the Ducati garage will have in 2025, which will sum those of Marc Marquez (8) and Pecco Bagnaia (3), who now have 11 between them, with the distinct possibility that, when the union occurs, this figure will have reached a dozen titles.
Bringing together two drivers of this level undoubtedly has a huge impact for the championship at all levels, sporting and media, but it also means the clash of figures with enormous egos. Even more so when it is the veteran and most successful one who arrives “at the home” of the younger rider, a reverse path to that experienced at Yamaha with the arrival of Lorenzo in Valentino’s garage, and what it entailed: the construction of walls, the disappointing move to Ducati, the return to Yamaha and a career finale with more clashes off the track than on the track.
The person who will have to manage the daily atmosphere in the Red garage is none other than the team manager, the former driver Davide Tardozzi, very popular among the fans for his gesticulating in the garage during the races.
“With Valentino we got the timing wrong, with Marc it’s a completely different bet, both from a technical and management point of view. Marc knows very well that he will enter Bagnaia’s garden, he will enter on tiptoe”, predicts Tardozzi in an interview granted to GPOne.
Even if Marquez’s arrival in Ducati has been put on the same level as that of Valentino in 2011 or Jorge Lorenzo in 2017, Tardozzi doesn’t think so.
Davide Tardozzi, Ducati team manager
Photo de: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“It’s a completely different bet, due to the preparation we have today as a manufacturer, as a bike, as a management and as a technical direction. This was the real mistake when we brought Valentino to Ducati, we weren’t prepared. Ducati wasn’t ready to manage Valentino Rossi, today we are more than ready”, believes the former rider.
For Tardozzi one of the keys is the fact that Marc will have to carefully evaluate the fact of arriving in a garage where there is Pecco Bagnaia, two-time MotoGP champion and who, next year, could also become three-time champion.
“I also remember that we have the two-time world champion. When Bagnaia is managed, I don’t see why Marquez can’t also be managed. It’s not that Pecco is any less.”
Tardozzi defends Pecco’s style and tries to draw a line on what he wants in terms of behavior.
“Bagnaia is a driver who is demonstrating that he wants to win, then he does it in the most elegant way possible and I’m referring to what happens off the track”, says the Italian for those who want to understand. “Pecco knows his worth, he believes in himself, he is extremely confident with the bike and also with the team. You just need to watch some of his races to understand this.”
Fear of ruining the good atmosphere in the pits
With six years of experience in Ducati, the first two in Pramac, Bagnaia has become one of the most important riders in the history of the Bolognese manufacturer, as well as the one who has won the most world crowns (two so far). In a certain sense, it is Marquez who enters Pecco’s kingdom.
“Marc is entering Pecco Bagnaia’s garden. He has made flattering statements towards Pecco and not just to make himself look good. When Marc speaks, he always knows exactly what he is saying, he never speaks out of turn. When he makes a statement, it is the truth and often these statements also have a specific purpose. He is therefore a very intelligent man and will be very careful when he addresses us. I am sure he will move with caution and try to understand how we work in the garage, not Ducati the pilots,” he warns.
“Pecco has often repeated that he hopes to maintain harmony in the garage, so his concern is that there are no situations that could damage the good atmosphere in the garage,” explained Tardozzi 10 days ago, when the hiring of Marquez.
“This is also our priority. We don’t think that Marc’s presence could create problems within the Ducati garage. We believe we are capable of managing two champions like Marc and Pecco.” This is the line they want to convey from the Bolognese brand, which places Bagnaia as Ducati’s priority above all else.
“Of course, Marc is the rider with the most titles on the grid, but this does not distract us from the world champion. Pecco has our full trust, he has given the guidelines for the development of the bike in recent years, so Pecco is our priority , comes before anyone else. So we thought we would give him the best teammate possible,” he said of choosing the Catalan over the other options.
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