Why has Ducati reverted its factory MotoGP riders to mostly 2024 spec bikes and
what are the Bologna brand’s rivals doing to try and close the gap?
Factory riders Marc Marquez, Pecco Bagnaia,
and VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio
(who also gets 2025 machinery) went into
pre-season testing with all-new machinery but
soon reverted to 2024 engine specs, chassis and
aero, so their current bikes are almost, but not
quite, the same as the GP24s raced by Gresini
riders Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer and
Di Giannantonio’s VR46 teammate Franky Morbidelli.
While Marc Marquez’s magic talent has had
him top the podium regularly, Bagnaia and Fabio
Di Giannantonio have had some torrid weekends.
Bagnaia complains of poor feedback from
the front end when he enters corners, so he can’t
feel the limit. He’s tried everything with set-up,
so now he’s trying to adapt his riding technique.
“I feel mad that my greatest point—braking
and entry—is no longer good with this bike,” says
2022-2023 World Champion Bagnaia. “Marc is
very good at riding everything, but I can’t do it, I
need to have a good feeling with the front.”
At recent races it’s become apparent that
the GP24 is a better motorcycle than the GP25,
or the GP24.5 or GP24.9, which its riders sometimes
call it. Alex Marquez adores the GP24, as
does rookie teammate Aldeguer.
Which begs the question: Why doesn’t Bagnaia
revert to his actual 2024 Desmosedici, with
which he won 11 Grand Prix races last year?
“MotoGP Analysis: Ducati Still On Top,” by Mat Oxley
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