Dall'Igna: Ducati has an unresolved issue with Bagnaia

Ducati has enjoyed a happy five-year stretch in MotoGP. In 2021 the world title ended up in the hands of Fabio Quartararo, but that second place by Pecco Bagnaia was the sign of a glorious beginning for Borgo Panigale. In the four following years they won the World Championship—twice with the Italian, once with Jorge Martin, and finally with Marc Marquez. A triumph that seems set to continue in 2026 as well, and it bears the signature of Gigi Dall’Igna.

The general manager and guru of Ducati has turned the red bikes into the benchmark of MotoGP. The engineer from Veneto certainly has reasons to be proud, both personally and for his team. "Without a doubt, it was a marvelous year. I’d say the last few years have all been beautiful years... All our riders in 2025 managed to get on the podium and four of them won a race. It was definitely a marvelous year."

Last year left a bitter taste for Pecco Bagnaia. The Piedmont native finished with a mediocre fifth place in the overall standings and only two wins (Austin and Motegi). It’s hard to pinpoint a precise responsibility. "We didn’t manage to put Pecco in the conditions to give his best as he could have," Dall’Igna continued to La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Sometimes things don’t go the way you want, but the way they want to go. No one is always at their absolute best. But in the end, the balance is absolutely positive."

Even in the next MotoGP season Ducati will not have concessions. "Surely the fact that we can’t test and have fewer tires available makes development much more difficult. In 2025 we took few risks. The bike was very similar to the 2024 one, then we developed it during the year. But having concessions allows you to develop more and give your riders the maximum. We were forced to do some testing during races, but it’s not the best way to test. There’s never enough time available to conduct proper tests," concluded Gigi Dall’Igna.