For those who already break out in hives at the mere reminder that Ducati will still field eight of its bikes on the MotoGP starting grid, what follows will be an anaphylactic shock. Because the Borgo Panigale brand will make its big debut this year as the sole supplier of a category on the Grand Prix program, in this case MotoE. This with a V21L which already promises a lot, bringing Ducati into the era of electric mobility, while giving it a logistical and sporting experience which could open up greater horizons…
2023 will be the first season for Ducati as the sole supplier of a motorcycle Grand Prix starting grid, and it is now the MotoE world championship which will offer this opportunity to the Borgo Panigale brand. This will be a major challenge for the Italian manufacturer, a dimension that the boss Claudio Domenicali himself recognized during the presentation of the category to Vallelunga.
The CEO of the Borgo Panigale factory addressed the subject by stating that the time had come for the brand to study the future of the motorcycle: “ having 18 riders with different riding needs and styles on the track at the same time represents a great opportunity for Ducati to study what could become of the user of a future electric Ducati ».
Sundays also stated that it would be a “ challenge » of size for the manufacturer, and that the first outings on the track have already proven to be very good, the excellent lap times having even made it possible to establish a record: “ the first tests in Jerez went very well. Despite unfavorable weather conditions, the feedback on the bike from riders and teams was very positive, with the new unofficial circuit record. Ducati has never built such a large number of prototypes and this also represents a challenge within a challenge for us ».
Rather than Formula 1, shouldn't MotoGP look to NASCAR for its future?
A final mention which also opens up perspectives. Because who can predict what tomorrow will be like in MotoGP? In view of the course of the off-season and especially the timesheet of the last Portimao test, revealing a real control of Ducati on the premier category of the Grands Prix, the only resistance coming fromAprilia, we can wonder how much longer the two remaining Japanese brands will endure being crushed in this way. They underestimated their opponent who invested and worked well while they comatose on their laurels. The delay seems irrecoverable and the boards of directors could realize this with the jurisprudence of the exfiltration of the compatriot Suzuki on your mind.
If the big departure scenario played out, how would the MotoGP could he recover? By relying on the brand which will learn to populate an entire category this year and which would have 14, in addition to its already 8, to provide in Grand Prix. A delirium? It's to do. In Moto2, machines equipped with an engine Triumph praise KTM or Yamaha. And economically speaking, the automotive example of NASCAR, where all the cars are almost identical, with different names, shows that the model can be more than viable...
