The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix marked a significant moment for Ducati and its technical director, Gigi Dall’Igna. Exactly a year after Marc Márquez secured the MotoGP title with one of his creations, Dall’Igna celebrated his 100th GP win in Motegi.
All these 100 victories have occurred in just 203 races, with Andrea Iannone as the first winner at the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix. This implies that Ducati has won nearly half of the races held in the last decade, an impressive result considering that before Dall’Igna’s arrival in 2013, Ducati had only achieved 31 victories.
Dall’Igna commented on the pride he feels for the team’s work over the years and highlighted that the first triumph with Iannone in Austria is a particularly important memory for him.
Interestingly, Ducati did not achieve its status in MotoGP through a taken advantage at the beginning of a new regulatory cycle. The essential MotoGP regulations related to the engine and chassis have remained relatively stable since 2012.
The technical group led by Dall’Igna has gradually addressed the weaknesses of the Desmosedici model. Thanks to the concessions they have obtained, Ducati became a race winner in 2016 and innovated in MotoGP by introducing increasingly sophisticated height and aerodynamic devices.
They have also adapted to the annual variations of the regulations, such as the entry of Michelin tires, standard ECU, restrictions on aerodynamic devices, and the freezing of the engine, without these measures hindering Ducati’s progress.
Dall’Igna guided Ducati to the manufacturers’ title for the first time in 2020 and has maintained this supremacy. In the riders’ championship, Márquez’s victory in 2025 has been the fourth consecutive win for Ducati.
One of the most important models for Dall’Igna has been the GP24, considered one of the best designs from Borgo Panigale, with 19 wins in 20 races in 2024. However, the GP25 is what he considers most special, as it laid the foundation for their current success.
Dall’Igna has acknowledged that the 2015 bike represented a real breakthrough, despite the pressure they were under at the time.
As the end of the 1000cc era in MotoGP approaches, it remains to be seen if Ducati will maintain its dominant position amid the increasing pressure from Aprilia. However, Dall’Igna has already left a significant mark in the history of motorcycling.
In comparison, between 1994 and 1999, Honda won 68 out of 87 races, with a victory percentage of 78.2%, surpassing Ducati’s 49.3%. Nonetheless, the Italian brand deserves recognition for having maintained its success over a longer period.
In summary, Ducati under Dall’Igna’s leadership has not only achieved triumphs but has also become a model to follow in modern MotoGP.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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