Ducati’s Strategic Shift for MotoGP 2025
Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi has announced a significant decision that will impact the upcoming MotoGP season: all six Ducati bikes will be equipped with the 2024 engine. This sudden change, made over the last 15 days, marks a departure from the original plan laid out during the winter. Both Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia, key riders for the team, highlighted the challenges they faced with the full GP25, particularly in braking, compared to the highly successful 2024 bike that dominated the field with 16 wins out of 20 grands prix. The team’s decision reflects a blend of pragmatism and a desire to maintain the competitive edge that the GP24 has demonstrated. Tardozzi, a former racer, acknowledges the difficulties of the more compact pre-season testing and the mandatory homologation of the engine for the next two seasons (2025-26), which have collectively pushed the team towards a more conservative approach.
The Tight Production Schedule
With MotoGP set to depart Buriram on 13 February after the conclusion of pre-season testing, manufacturers are required to homologate and seal their engines before the first practice session of the season at the same venue on 28 February. This leaves Ducati with a very tight window of just eight or nine days to complete the necessary modifications, a task that would typically take around three weeks. Tardozzi is candid about the challenge: "The engine will be the 2024 one for all Ducati riders. Will we get it in time? Well, all that has to happen in about eight or nine days, when the usual calendar would give us about three weeks." The pressure is immense, but the team is pooling its resources to ensure that all six bikes are race-ready and compliant with the regulations.
A Winter of Humbling Realizations
The winter has been particularly tough for Ducati, as the team grappled with the decision to abandon new elements they had invested heavily in, such as the 2025 engine and chassis. Tardozzi, known for his straightforward and pragmatic approach, does not dwell on pride or ego. Instead, he emphasizes the reality of the situation: "It is not just a question of humility, but of reality. At Ducati, we are realistic, and we have seen that things did not work as we wanted. We have had to accept that we have not managed to improve what we had." This candid admission underscores the team’s commitment to making hard but necessary choices to stay competitive.
The Exceptional GP24
Despite the challenges, Tardozzi is quick to highlight the strengths of the GP24, which he describes as an "exceptional" bike. While he stops short of calling it perfect, he acknowledges that the bike’s performance across all areas made it a formidable contender in the 2024 season. "The GP24 is an exceptional bike. It will be difficult to improve it, although we will try to do so starting from the test after Jerez," he said. The team’s focus will now shift to fine-tuning and optimizing the GP24 to ensure it continues to deliver top results. This strategy leverages the proven track record of the 2024 bike, aiming to build on its strengths rather than risk introducing untested elements.
Testing and Data Collection
During the recent pre-season testing in Thailand, Ducati’s garage was a hive of activity. Marquez and Bagnaia had four bikes at their disposal at all times, two for each rider, all equipped with GP24 engines and chassis. However, Bagnaia also had the opportunity to test the latest aero package, which Marquez later evaluated on Thursday. This setup allowed the team to gather valuable data and insights, crucial for making informed decisions before the season begins. Tardozzi explained that Ducati’s policy is to let satellite riders test new elements, a strategy that helps in data collection and reducing the workload on the primary riders. Franco Morbidelli and Fermin Aldeguer, who are part of the satellite teams, tested the 2025 engine on the first day of running, a move Tardozzi considers logical given their role in the team’s development process.
Moving Forward with a Revised Plan
The decision to equip all bikes with the 2024 engine is a testament to Ducati’s focus on immediate performance and reliability. While the team had originally intended to build GP24 engines for only three of its six riders, the challenges encountered with the GP25 have necessitated a complete overhaul of the production plan. The Bologna staff will need to work overtime to manufacture enough units of the 2024 engine to meet the demands of the entire contingent. Tardozzi remains confident in the team’s ability to adapt and overcome these obstacles, emphasizing that the primary goal is to ensure that all Ducati riders have a competitive and reliable machine from the start of the 2025 season. This pragmatic approach, while humbling, is a crucial step in maintaining Ducati’s dominant position in MotoGP.
