P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Even an older-spec Ducati has been a turly championship-calibre MotoGP bike these past couple of years – but could that change in 2024?
“It is interesting to evaluate the MotoGP championship if Ducati’s factory-spec bikes and older bikes were treated as two separate manufacturers, as Ducati had more riders on the grid than its competitors. The newer GP23s, ridden by the factory team and Pramac, performed better than the older GP22s, but even the GP22s campaigned by VR46 and Gresini were superior to other manufacturers’ bikes. The alternative 2023 manufacturers’ championship would place Ducati GP23 in first, followed by GP22, KTM, Aprilia, Yamaha, and Honda. The success of the older-spec Ducati bikes has generated excitement around Marc Marquez potentially riding one, as riders of his caliber have shown success on them in previous seasons. The GP22 bikes improved throughout the year and remained competitive in the final rounds. Ducati’s technical director, Gigi Dall’Igna, expects the gap between the factory bikes and previous year’s bikes to increase in 2024. However, Bagnaia’s feedback on the GP24 prototype engine was positive, indicating a strong start for the upcoming season.”
