English
Italiano
Defining Ducati's two debut dates in the MotoGP championship as an absolute domination would be underestimated, with both Marquez brothers leading the way in all four races, and a slightly struggling but equally competitive Pecco Bagnaia in pursuit. Following the announcement of Marc Marquez's arrival "todo en rojo" caused some concern last year, in relation to the doubts that had arisen regarding the peaceful coexistence between the two riders.
Those doubts were, however, largely dispelled at the beginning of the year, seeing that the two champions were seemingly at ease with each other during the various pre-season events. But things were different on the asphalt of the circuits. Competition takes over, and the best of allies can turn into the worst of rivals. We had a chance to talk about this and more with Claudio Domenicali, CEO for Ducati, who spoke at the presentation of the Panigale V4S Italia.
A year ago, you declared that Ducati didn't need Marc Marquez, and that's true. You've been winning for years. How did you change your mind?
"If we now have Marc with us, it's because we made a choice that was carefully assessed," Domenicali began. "We did it, also thinking about the overall performance we could achieve. Last year, his performance was a great reference. We made our observations and thought it was a good choice."
Some were convinced from the beginning. Do you think, however, that this choice could create management problems during the season?
"I think Pecco started with two races that weren't among his most favorable. He finished winter practice with some problems that didn't depend on him, so we're not seeing his true potential, yet. I'm convinced we'll see it, starting with the upcoming races, although maybe not in Austin, which is a circuit that's particularly suitable to Marc. But I think we'll see a championship that's different from Qatar."
Is it more satisfying to see such a dominating Desmosedici or the enthusiasm of the fans for this Panigale V4S Italia?
"I've always experienced Ducati as a unicum between the product and the races, so I'd say fifty, fifty. The races are going amazingly well, and I don't think the production bike has ever been as good as it is today, in terms of the combination of beauty, technology, performance, lightness, evolution of the electronics...," Domenicali concluded with satisfaction.
