The Secret Behind the Ducati Desmosedici: Gigi Dall'Igna's Revelation

Ducati is experiencing a golden era in the MotoGP championship. It has won the last six constructors’ titles and the last four riders’ titles, with Bagnaia, Martin, and Marquez. In 2026 the brand celebrates its centenary and wants to mark it with another victory. General manager Gigi Dall’Igna is ready to face a new challenge before the major regulatory overhaul scheduled for 2027.

The Borgo Panigale manufacturer wants to end the era of 1000cc prototypes on a high note, continuing the winning streak that has lasted for years. The engineers are working on both the Desmosedici GP26 and next year’s bike. The former will not be very different from the GP25 with which Marc Marquez won the latest MotoGP title. But it will also not be too different from the bike that put Pecco Bagnaia in difficulty.

Have Ducati’s technicians understood (and solved) the issues encountered by Bagnaia? “It’s not that there’s a problem,” Dall’Igna told AS. “In reality, when we talk about feeling, we’re talking about a combination of many things that have to come together, and that’s what we hope to find when we go to Sepang. In the Valencia test it seemed to me that Pecco had found a certain feeling, and the lap times were very interesting. So I hope to find the same conditions in Sepang.”

Marc Marquez and Ducati are very close to renewing his contract; according to some, the deal is already done. One of the greatest riders in the history of Grand Prix motorcycle racing will ride the Desmosedici through the end of 2028. He will bring added value to the team in red. “He brings with him his riding style, his way of thinking about victory.”

Even if he hasn’t won over all Italian fans, after what happened in 2015 with Valentino Rossi… “He is one of the most important riders in history, a rider who has done something extraordinary,” emphasizes Gigi Dall’Igna. “For this reason I think he deserves the fans’ admiration.”

An extraordinary rider on a winning and highly competitive prototype. An explosive combination that is leading to a dominant role in the MotoGP class. The competition is making progress, but it’s not enough. “Under certain specific conditions, we have maintained a high level of performance in every race... I believe the real strength lies in the bike’s balance.”