Gigi Dall'Igna: "Marquez is different from other champions

In Spain and in the motorcycling world, celebrations continue for Marc Marquez’s victory in the MotoGP championship. In an episode of the docuseries “Marc Marquez: Volver,” airing on Dazn, the protagonist is general manager Gigi Dall’Igna. The Venetian engineer is credited with strongly believing in the Desmosedici project and convincing the Spanish superstar to switch to Red.

A story that borders on the fabulous. A multiple champion leaving the official Honda team to go all-in with a satellite squad, Gresini Racing. The only way to aim for the most competitive MotoGP prototype of the moment: the Ducati Desmosedici. “I’ve always thought that a champion who doesn’t know how to win gets used to losing and, therefore, stops being a champion. In Marc’s case, that’s not true.”

The hardships of previous years did not dull the Catalan rider’s hunger for victory. Neither injuries, nor surgeries, nor mediocre results managed to weaken his predatory instinct. Certain vicissitudes would have knocked out many other riders. “I’ve known him since he won his first title,” says Luigi Dall'Igna. “His determination is extraordinary and hard to find, even among champions... The time it took him to come back was certainly long, and that gives you pause.”

Before achieving the 2025 MotoGP title, he spent years marred by crashes, surgeries, setbacks, episodes of diplopia, and a Honda that was regressing in its development. A dark period that sowed doubts, even making him consider ending his career. The 2024 season was the definitive proof that Marquez had not lost the makings of a phenomenon. “With an inferior bike, he managed to do things that no one else could have done.”

Hence the choice to promote Marc to the Ducati factory team, even against the opinion of many. In reality, 2024 served not so much to show that he was back, but that he had never stopped being a one-of-a-kind talent. What changed was not Marc Marquez, but only the bike with which he won the MotoGP title.