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General Gigi won another battle, although with the troop he may not have expected, Bagnaia emerged defeated from the fight against Martin. Dall'Igna knows he has dominated the season (just think of Ducati's 19 wins out of the 20 GPs), but he also knows he has lost the world champion, who will wear the number 1 on the Aprilia. Yesterday was a different Sunday from the ones that had concluded the past two seasons. "It was definitely a different day than when Pecco won, more so because a rider who was going to go another way the next day won. The feeling of diversity I think is dictated mostly by that."
Were you more sad or cheerful yesterday?
"How can one be sad after a season like this? If one were, one should be locked up (laughs). I think there are a lot of people in this paddock who have more thoughts and worries than the men from Ducati."
Didn't you care that it was a rider from your team who lost?
"It was still a great season, and the red team is the one that fought for the last four World Championships to the end, winning two of them. The consistency is there, winning is important for people, for me, for Pecco, for the men around him, but for the brands and sponsors. I think staying competitive and leading over time is the most important thing. This we are doing well."
Is there regret for not keeping Martin?
"When we made the choice, obviously we thought about the possibility that at the end of the year the world champion could have been Martin. There are no regrets because we had considered this situation and we knew we would have to accept it. As I always said, my goal was to keep three riders, thus including Martin. Simply, when I realized that the boundary posts that the system had put in place were too many and it was impossible to succeed, I had to make a choice and I still stand by my decision."
What are you referring to when you talk about the system?
"In the sense that everyone wanted us to lose a team. I am referring to all the constraints that were put in place not by Ducati."
How do you comment on the tendency towards errors that compromised Bagnaia's season?
"I think the hardest thing for a rider to find is speed, and Pecco has shown he has it because he has won 11 GPs. He made a few mistakes, but they are all things that can be put right by reasoning a little bit about it. I think Pecco can look forward to 2025 serenely."
Were you surprised by how Bagnaia reacted to defeat?
"A champion must also know how to lose, and Pecco is a champion. In life sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, the important thing is to be a protagonist and a rider who has won 11 races is one. He has done wonderful things and I think he has excited all our fans."
Many thought Ducati would not let one of its satellite teams win a World Championship.
"This should be the norm. Motorcycle racing is a sport and we have to be sporting, give all our riders a chance to win and that's what we did. We have always kept our word."
Did you expect this difference between the GP23 and the GP24?
"I had already said it at the beginning of the year that the numbers on paper spoke of a major step forward and that we would risk more with the new model because I expected that the other manufacturers, especially those who had the concessions, during the season would have the opportunity to make major steps forward. The GP23, during the year, had upgrades for all the riders, but minor ones."
Will there be the same difference between the GP24 and GP25?
"No, to date I expect a somewhat smaller step forward. The current bike level is very high and I don't think we need to take too many risks. I think we need to improve top speed in the straights, and I would like to do the same with corner center speed."
Going back to the GP23, how did Marquez make that difference compared to the other riders riding it?
"It's not hard to explain, I just can't explain it (laughs). I have to be honest."
What will Marquez find in the pit box tomorrow?
"Marc will find the same climate that the riders before him found. We have a draft work schedule that could change. He will mainly have the GP23 and the GP25, or rather the embryo of the GP25 because it is a bike that could have different developments. For now we don't plan to let him try the GP24, but depending on the needs we might change our program."
As an engineer, what do you expect from him?
"We have been working with Marc for a year, we know each other, and I don't expect to have any major problems in tomorrow's testing."
Will having two fewer bikes next year affect performance?
"I think not, but mostly I think the other manufacturers will have better riders. Aprilia has doubled the number of its bikes in the recent past, but the results have been more or less the same. Having 6 riders instead of 8 will not be a real problem for us, it will be that Martin and Enea will ride for other manufacturers."
Why did you decide to decrease the number of official bikes from 4 to 3?
"Because it is the best solution from an economic point of view, and from a technical point of view there is no advantage having one more."
What can you tell us about the new bike for 2027?
"We are working on it, we have some new ideas. It's hard to say when we will see it on the track, definitely during next year."
