Ducati CEO asked about signing Marc Marquez - and won’t fully close the door
The future of the Repsol Honda star is up for debate - there are many movin༒g parts including his big-money contract, his injury hiꦜstory, and the riders at other teams.
Ducati, currently MotoGP’s dominant team, have eight bi❀kes on the grid but seemingly have the least need to acquire Marquez.
Yet when asked, Domenicali’s response 🅘to was: "It would be very complex and difficult, in any situat꧑ion."
Marquez is tied to Honda until the end of 2024.
Domenicali said about Marquez’s awful year: “At the first race of the year he was on pole aꦍfter a complicated winter.
“Then Marc went too far with certain behaviour✅s, but compared to his teammates it made the difference.
“At the Sachsenring, on a friendly track, he had high expectations. Instead he had to deal with an unforeseen si♋tuation, he fell five times.
“He has had a breakdown, he must be understood an🅺d respected. I hope to find him ✤soon as an opponent.”
Domenicali is spearheading Ducati’s cu♛rrent era of brilliance.
“Passion, performance and family,” he said of the Italian manufacturer who crowned Francesco Bagnaia as th꧅eir first MotoGP champion since 2007 last year.
“Because in here they feel like 🧔they are pa🥂rt of a family.”
He did not expect to be outp♍erforming riders from Honda and Yamaha so conclusively.
“No. We knew we had a strong factory sq🌳uad,” he said.&🥃nbsp;
“As are our ಌcustomer teams. We took a step🍷 forward, but the others were missing.
“I thought Marquez and F🍨abio Quartararo would be our🥃 rivals, but instead they weren't even able to go as fast as last year.
“Even Apr🍎ilia performed less than what it had shown in the tests. Only KTM has a great season.”
Mot⛎oGP are considering amending the concessions rules to aid Honda and Yamaha.
"Mixed sensations,” was Domenicali’s reactio💟n.&nb൲sp;
“We too are interested in a competitive championship with many manufacturers p𝓀resen༒t.
“There is no closure in princi🦄ple in re-evaluating the concession sysꦑtem.
“The important thing is to do it with b♛alanc𝓡e, otherwise it would be too easy.
“In some ways it is also a recognition of the ൩extraordinary work of D🎐ucati. We are in favour of a spectacular championship that generates interest.”
Bagnaia currently leads the MotoGP standings - and could tie up a second conse❀cutive title.
“It is a continuous process of improvement, it is not a step from one year♎ to another,” Domenicali sai⛎d.
“Go from mistakes and lessons. Pecco proved it at the Sachsenring, ‘settling’ for💟 second place.
“He is always generous but he is more aware, and he has a t🔯eam 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 b♒ike on the grid has resulted in speculation that his team could look elsewhere 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 and immediately find the same lev♕el as be♐fore. No change in sight."
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports fo🐠r 🌳a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
