Ducati CEO asked about signing Marc Marquez - and won’t fully close the door
The future of the Repsol Honda star is u🎀p for debate - there are many moving parts including his big-money contract, his injury history, and the riders at other teams.
Ducati, currently MotoGP’s dominant team, have eight bikes o🦂n the grid but seemingly have the least need to acq♎uire Marquez.
🐠Yet when asked, Domenicali’s response to was: "It would be very complex and difficult, in any situation."
Marquez is tied to Honda until the end of 2024.
Domenicali said ab꧒out Marquez’s awful year🧜: “At the first race of the year he was on pole after a complicated winter.
“Then Marc went too far with certain behaviours, but compared𓃲 🐈to his teammates it made the difference.
“At the Sachsenring, on a friendly track💖, he had high expectationsꦉ. Instead he had to deal with an unforeseen situation, he fell five times.
“Heꦇ has had a breakdown, he must 🐼be understood and respected. I hope to find him soon as an opponent.”
Domenicali is spearheading Ducati’s current erꦰa of brilliance.
“Passi﷽on, performance and family,” he said of the Italian manufacturer who crowned Francesco Ba𒁃gnaia as their first MotoGP champion since 2007 last year.
“Beca🥃use in here they feel like they are part of a family.”
He did not expect to be outperforming riders from Honda and Yamaha so cඣonclusively.
“No. We knew we ha🎐d a strong factory squaꦿd,” he said.
“As are our customer teams. We took 👍a step forward, but the others were 🅺missing.
“I thought Marquez and Fabio Quartararo would be our rivals, but instead they weren't even able to go as fast as last♛ y𓃲ear.
“Even Apriliaཧ performed less th💞an what it had shown in the tests. Only KTM has a great season.”
MotoGP are considering amending the c꧙oncessions rules to aid Honda and Yamaha.
"Mixed sensations,” was Domenicali’s reactiꩵon.
“We too are interested in ♛a competitive championship with many manufacturers present.
“There is no closure in♍ principle in re-evaluating the concession system.&n🦋bsp;
“The important thing is to do it with balance, otherwise it would be too easy.&nbsܫp;
“In s🌌ome ways it is also a recognition of the extraordinary work of Ducati. We are in favour of a spectacular championship that generates int🥂erest.”
Bagnaia currently leads t🎐he MotoGP standings - and could tie up a second consecutive title.
“It is a continuous process of impඣrovement, it is not a step from one year to another,” Domenicali said.
“Go from mistakes and lessons. Pecco proved it at the Sachsenring, ‘settling’ for secon𓆏d place.
“He is al🌟ways generous but h﷽e is more aware, and he has a team behind him capable of supporting him.”
Enea Bastianini’s first year as a factory Ducati rider has been ruined by injury and the intense competition for the best bike on the grid has resulted in speculat💎ion that his team could look elsew𒈔here for 2024.
Domenicali backed Bastianini: “Full trust in Enea and in his performance. Last year he won four races. It's hard to stay out ﷺand immediately find the same level as before. No change in sight."
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade coveri🍨ng everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
