P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Ducati turning point identified after Valentino Rossi “failure”
Francesco Bagnaia won Ducati’s first MotoGP championship in 2022, ending a 15-year drought since Casey Stoner’s victory in 2007. During those years, Valentino Rossi’s partnership with Ducati was highly anticipated but ultimately unsuccessful. Paolo Ciabatti, sporting director, joined Ducati after Audi’s acquisition and the disappointing Rossi era. Ducati engineers struggled to adapt the bike to Rossi’s riding style and the pressure to perform was immense. Rossi managed only three podiums before returning to Yamaha. Gigi Dall’Igna’s arrival in 2014 marked a turning point for Ducati, as they designed a new bike, the GP15, which showed great potential. However, it was Rossi who denied them victory in their first race with the new bike. Andrea Dovizioso finished as a championship runner-up three years in a row, but it was Bagnaia who finally brought the title home for Ducati in 2022. Now, three contenders, including Bagnaia, are fighting for the 2023 championship with Dall’Igna’s Desmosedici.
Source: Crash
