Ducati factory duo, Francesco Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini, both agree that it won’t be long before someone wins a MotoGP race with last season’s GP23 bike. Despite the significant development of the GP24 compared to the previous season, with Bagnaia and Jorge Martin each winning three races in the first seven rounds of 2024, the GP22 still proved competitive on certain tracks. Ducati Gresini rider, Marc Marquez, on board the GP22, has achieved eight podium finishes and currently occupies third place in the championship. Meanwhile, Fabio Di Giannantonio from VR45, also riding a GP22, is the closest rider to Marquez in the standings, consistently finishing in the top ten. Therefore, both Bagnaia and Bastianini believe that it is still possible for a rider with last season’s bike to secure a victory, although they acknowledge that the current specification is easier to ride.
Bagnaia expressed, “We are adapting well. Last year’s bike required more time to adapt, but it was a very capable machine. It showed strong competitiveness on certain tracks, while on others it was less competitive. In Mugello and Barcelona, the ’23 bike was fantastic. So, it’s hard to understand why it wasn’t as fast this time. In the Jerez test, they introduced a new exhaust for the ’23, which helped a lot in solving the issues faced last year. Now, the ’23 and GP24 are quite similar. I believe a victory with the ’23 bike will come soon. However, the level of competition is very high at the moment, especially with the new tires. We are doing an exceptional job and we are not just ordinary riders.”
Bastianini shared a similar feeling, stating: “I agree with Pecco. I remember that last year it was important to spend some time and make modifications to the bike, which was different compared to the ’21 bike I rode with Gresini in 2022. But in my opinion, the ’23 bike is not significantly different from the ’24. As you mentioned, Pecco, the ’23 bike can win in the future. However, the problem lies in the high level of the GP24 riders. We are very close, and for now, Marc is much faster on the ’23 bike. But personally, I don’t see a big difference.”
On the other hand, the current championship leader, Jorge Martin, who rides a GP24 with the Pramac team, believes that certain aspects of the GP23 are better than the current bike. He explained: “For me, the big change in the ’24 is the braking. That’s what I noticed. That’s why we ended up choosing the ’24. However, I thought that here in Mugello, the ’23 would have been more competitive because last year, I was stronger in direction changes. This year, I had more difficulties with the ’24. It’s hard to say now, but they are quite similar.”
© 2024
