#Panigale

MotoGP has been called the Ducati Cup in recent years because the brand takes up a third of the grid – and they’re all usually at the front. Granted, I suppose the kind of criticism is warranted if you like a little variety with your racing, but the reason behind all those bikes is more nuanced than just wanting to steal the show. Ostensibly, team boss Gigi D’alligna’s job was to bring Ducati back to the top. Doing so meant creating a bike that could win. Creating a winning bike requires data. What’s the best way to get data? By having as many bikes as possible equipped with the best riders in the world, effectively creating the best test team in the world, too. This was the fast track to data collection that Gigi and his team then used to make a MotoGP machine everybody now wants to be on. Here’s a poignant quote from Guilio Fabbri, Head of Communications for Ducati: “In 2007, we had a motorcycle that only one person could ride (Casey Stoner). Now, we have the most desired bike on the grid.”