The General Manager of Ducati, Gigi Dall’Igna, is confident that the partnership between Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia will create the strongest team in the history of the team’s endeavors in MotoGP. Recently, Ducati announced that Marquez will transition from the Gresini satellite team to the factory team starting next season. Initially, Ducati planned to promote the current championship leader, Jorge Martin, but Marquez’s clear unwillingness to replace him at Pramac led to a change of plans. Despite Martin’s decision to leave Ducati for Aprilia in 2025, Dall’Igna is satisfied with his dealings and believes that the duo of Marquez and Bagnaia will be formidable. According to Dall’Igna, “We chose Marc to have two champion riders, with him and Pecco in the team, the chances of winning increase… Knowing that Marquez can make a difference with Ducati. Our bike has reached incredible levels, so having two riders like Marquez and Bagnaia in the factory team increases the chances of winning the world championship, which is our goal. Anything can happen in races, so having two riders capable of fighting for the title is the best thing.”
Dall’Igna has no concerns about possible conflicts between the two riders that may affect the development of the bike, as he prioritizes sports management. He stated: “From the point of view of bike development, I’m not worried. We have our philosophy, we don’t focus on just one rider, but take into account all riders for bike development, so Marquez is already helping us this year. On the other hand, I am more concerned with sports management: the environment we currently have in the Ducati team is wonderful, and the goal is to continue having that next year. Bagnaia has already shown what he is capable of, he is doing fantastic things on the bike. He is our standout, we renewed with him before the start of the [2024] championship.”
