Gigi Dall’Igna, Managing Director of Ducati Corse, commented exclusively to Sky Sport on the decision to bring Marc Marquez to the Ducati factory team from 2025. Dall’Igna described the choice as complex, acknowledging Marquez’s polarizing nature but emphasizing the enhanced chances of winning a World Championship with both Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia competing on the same level.
What made you choose Marquez over Martin and even Bastianini?
“We became aware that he could make a difference riding with our bike. Our bike has reached incredible levels, so the fact that we have two riders like Marquez and Bagnaia increases our chances of winning the World Championship, which is our goal. As Max Biaggi once said, “Motorcycle racing isn’t like a classical music concert”, in the sense that anything can happen in racing, so I think having two riders capable of fighting for the title is the best thing right now”
What does the arrival of Marquez in 2025 represent for you? Is it the achievement of one a goal you had?
“No, it is not an achieved goal. The goal is to win world championships. Having Marc and Pecco allows us to try to achieve this difficult goal, because our rivals are also stronger with riders of our teams from this season, so it will be increasingly complicated to win also next year”
We know that your ideal would have been to keep them both. Marquez had said a month ago that it would be enough for him to have the most updated bike regardless of the colour. It all seemed simple: Marquez at Pramac and Martin with you. Then, last Friday, Marquez seemed change his mind. In short, what happened?
“Our goal was to keep both Martin and Marquez, and we knew from the beginning that it would be very complex. We tried until the very end, until we realized it was no longer possible. The solution was either to bet on Martin or on Marquez. That was also a complicated decision, but in the end we opted for Marc”
Marquez has titles and charisma. He is strong and charismatic. In Honda he directed the bike development. Now you have two world champions who may have different technical needs. How do you think they can be managed? How do you do that?
“From the point of view of bike development, I’m at all not worried. We have our philosophy: we follow more than one rider, and the development he prefers. I believe that keeping all factors into account can be an advantage for everyone. Moreover, this year Marquez was one of those riders who helped us improve. Instead, what really concerns me is the sporting management. There is a wonderful atmosphere inside the Ducati box, and our goal is to make sure it stays that way also next year”