Luigi Dall’Igna acknowledges the problems raised by Francesco Bagnaia – The Ducati Corse boss believes the entire team has a duty to find solutions
Francesco Bagnaia has only scored four World Championship points in the last two race weekends. After his latest crash and retirement at Silverstone, the two-time MotoGP world champion had some words of warning.
“We are currently in a kind of limbo and trying to understand the problem – but it is difficult to find the cause,” said Bagnaia. “We need a step forward, we need an improvement. We need to feel something.”
“I think Gigi and the other engineers are trying to understand what is going on. Because the bike feels very similar to last year’s model – but it doesn’t work in the same way anymore. And maybe they don’t know why themselves.”
Bagnaia has had no feeling for the front wheel since the start of the season and can no longer play to his strength – the braking phase. His words have reached the Ducati engineers. Because Luigi “Gigi” Dall’Igna also knows that something needs to be done.
“We now have a whole range of data, processes, and situations that we need to analyze in detail—that’s not just a cliché. Starting with Pecco’s difficult phase, who has had another disappointing and rather unfortunate Sunday.”
“That cannot be an excuse,” emphasizes the Ducati Corse boss. ‘Everyone must do their part and feel fully responsible: working together on solutions, improving, and acting as a real team—aware of our strengths and with our usual modesty.’
“We are currently in a kind of limbo and trying to understand the problem – but it is difficult to find the cause,” said Bagnaia. “We need a step forward, we need an improvement. We need to feel something.”
“I think Gigi and the other engineers are trying to understand what is going on. Because the bike feels very similar to last year’s model – but it doesn’t work in the same way anymore. And maybe they don’t know why themselves.”
Bagnaia has had no feeling for the front wheel since the start of the season and can no longer play to his strength – the braking phase. His words have reached the Ducati engineers. Because Luigi “Gigi” Dall’Igna also knows that something needs to be done.
“We now have a whole range of data, processes, and situations that we need to analyze in detail—that’s not just a cliché. Starting with Pecco’s difficult phase, who has had another disappointing and rather unfortunate Sunday.”
“That cannot be an excuse,” emphasizes the Ducati Corse boss. ‘Everyone must do their part and feel fully responsible: working together on solutions, improving, and acting as a real team—aware of our strengths and with our usual modesty.’
With his podium finish, Marc Marquez extended his World Championship lead to 24 points. “It was a remarkable performance by Marc,” praised Dall’Igna, “who struggled but was still able to turn the tide and finish in a strong third place with a comeback.”
“That’s particularly valuable in this case, considering that he was able to benefit from the restart after his initial crash. In any case, it was a remarkable comeback, by no means a foregone conclusion and anything but easy.”
At the end of April, Ducati celebrated its 22nd consecutive Grand Prix victory in Jerez, equaling Honda’s record from the 1990s. But since then, they have failed to win twice in a row. The last time Ducati went two races in a row without a win was in 2022.
Nevertheless, Dall’Igna says of the resurgent competition: “I am convinced that it is ultimately positive for us to be challenged—against opponents who are competitive again and now rightly becoming protagonists.”
However, there is no danger in the manufacturers’ standings, as Ducati has a 135-point lead over Honda in second place after seven race weekends.
