Ducati race boss Gigi Dall’Igna sees no problem if Marc Marquez and not a factory rider wins the world championship on the Desmosedici in 2024
It’s no secret that Ducati race boss Gigi Dall’Igna was one of the key figures in the Gresini team’s recruitment of Marc Marquez. Even though the Italian manufacturer repeatedly emphasized that it had no influence, the switch would not have happened without his “OK.”
When the rumors picked up speed that the six-time MotoGP World Champion could leave Honda and switch to a Desmosedici in 2024, Dall’Igna kept quiet.
He let his colleagues speak. At the time, they indicated that they saw the hypothetical arrival of Marquez in the Ducati squad as problematic. It was only later, when Marquez’s contract with Gresini was almost signed, that Dall’Igna spoke up.
“He expressed the pride it meant for him and the brand that a rider of Marquez’s caliber was leaving Honda to have a Ducati – even if, like Gresini, it wasn’t a current factory bike.
In the meantime, the General Director of Ducati Corse emphasizes: “To be honest, I don’t see why Marc should be a problem for Ducati. Is it counterproductive if a champion wants to ride his own bike? We are looking for competitive riders who want to ride our bike, that’s our goal.”
In 2024, he managed to defend the title with Francesco Bagnaia, who fought to the end against brand colleague Jorge Martin for the world championship crown. At the time, Ducati emphasized that an overall victory for the factory rider would be important for sponsorship reasons alone, but that it would also not be a problem if a satellite rider won.
A similar scenario could repeat itself with Marquez. Many assume that the Spaniard will quickly find his feet on the Ducati. Asked about this, Dall’Igna said: “If Marc wins the next championship, it will be because he was the best and deserved it. The equation is very simple.”
“I don’t see how it can damage Ducati’s image. I have never thought about whether the rider or the bike counts more. It’s the combination that wins.”
“It was never a problem for me if someone won the world championship with a prototype from the previous year,” emphasizes the experienced engineer and recalls: “This has happened before with motorcycles that I have looked after.”
“Gabor Talmacsi won the 125cc title on an Aprilia that was a year older than that of Hector Faubel, who was his direct rival. Marco Simoncelli won the 250cc title after starting the year on the previous year’s bike and winning races. In the end, he got the new bike.”
Dall’Igna emphasizes: “My goal is to win and I have to use all the means at my disposal to achieve this. After all, it can happen that the new prototype does not improve the performance of the old one. What’s the problem then? “
