Ducati will have "difficulty making progress" with its GP25

In 2024, Ducati once again broke numerous records of domination in MotoGP, so much so that the Borgo Panigale firm crushed the world championship. Of the twenty rounds contested, the Italian manufacturer won nineteen. Only in Austin, during the third stage of this campaign, did Ducati show itself to be a little weaker. Aprilia and Maverick Vinales took advantage of this to secure the only non-Ducati success of the season.

A success that Ducati owes in large part to Pecco Bagnaia, who won eleven of the twenty rounds of this season with the factory team. The director of the latter was also invited to talk about the exploits mentioned above, as well as the many others signed by Ducati during the year. So many achievements that fill him with pride, although he is more focused on the errors to be corrected for the future.

“It was a fantastic year, begins Davide Tardozzi on MotoGP.com. The most successful for Ducati, but also, I think, for any manufacturer that has evolved in MotoGP. With Pecco, we think about his mistakes during the Sprint races. Firstly, because we want to understand if there are technical problems between the Saturday race and the Sunday race. 

He went very far on this issue with Gigi [Dall'Igna], He continues. Finally, I think it's not really Pecco's attitude, to be in a hurry. Enea suffered a lot from his crashes last year, and he took a year to recover. He finally showed that he can fight for the best positions. Fighting with Marc Marquez, for third position, is not a bad result.

Gigi Dall'Igna at the Barcelona Test ©Michelin

Improving the GP24 is no easy task

Jorge Martin, Pecco Bagnaia, Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini have finished their season with four top places in the MotoGP world championship in that order, linked by the fact that they all compete under the Ducati banner, either in the official team or in the brand's satellite teams.

Next year, however, two of them will strengthen the ranks of the competition. Ducati will therefore have some efforts to make to maintain its status as the undisputed leader. This will start by finding areas for improvement on a bike that does not seem to have any weaknesses.

"I think the top four in the championship are fantastic riders. We will have work to do over the winter to find improvements to make, adds Davide Tardozzi. The 2024 bike was very competitive, and it will be difficult to take another step forward. 

We know that our competitors are very strong, and that they will have very good drivers next year, continues the Italian. First the two Aprilia riders, with Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi. But also Maverick Vinales and Enea Bastianini, who will improve the KTM rider squad. In a way we are happy, but we have the right antennas.

©Michelin

Ducati and its explosive 'dream team'

Ducati Lenovo's team manager is nevertheless confident that his men can still bring titles to Ducati, and is particularly counting on an ideal duo of riders, who will share the official garage in 2025. Above all, it will be necessary to take care of the evolution of the relationship between the latter. Marquez and Bagnaia have never been great friends.

“We’re going to give very good riders to other brands. But I think we’ll have a dream team. Pecco and Marc are two incredible riders. I think we’ll manage things to have a good collaboration between the two riders. We’ll be the team to beat next year. I know other brands will improve thanks to their new line-up, and the new assets in their technical team. I still think that the Ducati bike, and the factory team, will be very strong next year.” concludes Tardozzi.