Ducati’s Sporting Director, Gigi Dall’Igna, has addressed concerns about the potential challenges posed by the arrival of Marc Marquez to the Gresini team, which uses Ducati machinery. Dall’Igna emphasized that Marquez’s presence should not be viewed as a problem for Ducati, and he is welcome to compete and potentially win the championship with the older Ducati bike.
Despite initial considerations by Ducati insiders about the implications of Marquez joining Gresini, Dall’Igna dismisses any notion that the six-time premier class champion could create friction within Ducati. He highlighted that having a champion like Marquez choose Ducati is not a disadvantage but rather aligns with Ducati’s objective of securing competitive riders for their bikes.
Ducati, coming off a highly successful 2023 season, aims to maintain its momentum in 2024. Francesco Bagnaia secured the riders’ crown, and Ducati claimed the constructors’ title while setting records for the number of victories in a season. Dall’Igna expressed confidence that Marquez’s potential success with the older Ducati prototype would not undermine the team’s technical progress with the new bike.
He stressed that winning the championship with a previous year’s prototype is not a concern for him, citing examples from his past experiences where riders achieved championship victories with older machinery. Dall’Igna’s primary objective remains winning, and he sees Marquez’s arrival as an opportunity rather than a problem.
The statement reinforces Ducati’s commitment to performance and competitiveness, prioritizing the collaboration with riders who demonstrate the capability to succeed on Ducati machinery.