Pedro Acosta's arrival at Ducati was hailed as the signing of the decade. In Borgo Panigale, no one hides the fact that the Spaniard is one of the future faces of MotoGP. Yet, this decision continues to be a subject of debate. This time, it's a motorcycling legend who is openly questioning Ducati's choice: Carl Fogarty.
For the four-time Superbike world champion DucatiAnother driver had largely earned the right to join the official team: Fabio Di GiannantonioThe comment went almost unnoticed, but it perfectly sums up the thinking of Fogarty.
In response to a publication Instagram de Fabio DiGiannantonio, who was competing in his last Ducati Race of Champions before his departure towards KTMThe former British champion wrote: Ducati should have recruited you instead of Pedro… "A short sentence, but heavy with meaning."
It reflects a sentiment shared by some in the paddock: Ducati Did she prioritize long-term potential over current performance? From a sporting perspective, it's hard to ignore the driver's season. VR46Before the German Grand Prix, Fabio DiGiannantonio occupy the third place in the championship, just seize points behind the leader. He totals One victory, two pole positions et three podiums.
Above all, he establishes himself as the pilot Ducati the best performer of the season, in a context where Marc Marquez deals with its physical limitations and where Francis Bagnaia has long suffered from a crisis of confidence. In other words, By Giannantonio had strong arguments to hope for an internal promotion.
Ducati preferred to invest in the future
However, Luigi Dall'Igna and the leaders of Borgo Panigale made a different choice. Peter Acosta He has yet to win a single MotoGP Grand Prix, but his potential is almost universally acknowledged. Since his debut in the premier class, he has already achieved thirteen podium finishes despite a KTM rarely able to compete regularly with Ducati ou Aprilia.
In Borgo Panigale, the analysis seems clear: it's easier to recruit a future champion before they become one than to try and convince them once they're already dominating the championship. That's exactly what motivated the recruitment of Marc Marquez a few years earlier.
The choice ofAcosta also marks an evolution in the sporting strategy of DucatiIn recent years, Borgo Panigale had mainly promoted its riders from satellite teams. Jack Miller, Enea Bastianini or, Marc Marquez had all followed this path.
With Peter AcostaDucati will look for a rider directly from a rival manufacturer, a move that has become extremely rare since the recruitment of Jorge Lorenzo from Yamaha in 2017. A strong signal that confirms that Ducati no longer wants to just reward its own drivers: it now intends to attract the best talent available on the market.
The opinion of Carl Fogarty This ultimately raises a fundamental question. Is the role of a factory team to reward the driver who achieves the best results today, or the one with the greatest potential for tomorrow? By choosing Peter AcostaDucati has clearly answered this question.
But the case of Fabio DiGiannantonio reminds us that a perfectly coherent strategic decision can also leave behind a driver who seemed to have earned his promotion on the track.
Time will tell if Borgo Panigale was right to bet on the exceptional potential ofAcostaOne thing is certain: if By Giannantonio continues on its current trajectory at KTMComparisons between the two men will inevitably accompany the coming seasons.
