Gigi Dal Igna, father of the current Ducati Desmosedici and general director of Ducati Corse, appeared before the press this morning an hour before Marc Marquez’s Ducati GP23 debut. And he said, they never thought of having him in their ranks, they didn’t want him, and now that they have him he’s very interested. He claimed that he had done so.

“Ducati’s position was definitely that they didn’t want Marquez,” Dall’Igna insisted. “The honor and what I love is that a champion like him has chosen our bike and stepped down to ride our bike. I’m really proud of that. “The fact that it’s 2019 makes sense in a way. “Drivers in satellite teams often don’t have very long contracts. That’s part of the game, that’s the reality. I’m going to focus on providing the best performance possible.”

And he was excited about the comments the eight-time world champion would make about him. “What I have now is a huge curiosity of what he’s going to say to me when he gets off the bike, because he’s definitely one of the guys who’s going to be next in line for a motorcycle.” The most important rider in history and therefore it is an honor that he wants to race on our motorcycles,” explained the 57-year-old Italian engineer from Veneto.

“Certainly, Marc is an unpleasant rider. He is one of the most important riders in the history of the World Championship and we need to manage the relationship well with all the teams and all the people who work at Ducati. There will be. I think one of our strengths is the harmony that exists within the team,” he explained.

“I listen to all riders exactly the same. I never listen to just one rider. I think he’s wrong because what’s important is to improve the bike. There’s a problem with the bike. In case, even if there is a problem, I am sure that “If I solve it, the official driver will also be faster on the circuit. I have always listened to everyone’s opinions. We have listened, and we will continue to do so.”

The same plan will continue in 2024 with a total of eight bikes: four GP24s and four GP23s. Marc’s bike is “the same as the other privateers and the same bike that Zarco used to race in the World Championship. We have introduced the latest advances in the Bastianini, Bagnaia and Martin bikes, which improve reliability and performance. “We believe these evolutions are less usable for private teams, so in some cases we prefer not to add certain things.”

He said: “Almost every rider who has ridden this has won on our bike, so I think their style will work. In any case, we adapted the bike to their advice. “You’ll know how to approach their style.” ”

And he does not believe that Marc Marquez’s arrival at Borgo Panigale will change Pecco Bagnaia, who is currently the company’s No. 1 and holds the championship: “I don’t think it will change him. .He is a two-time MotoGP champion and will continue to be so.” He is also one of the