Last month, at the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix, Francesco Bagnaia became the first rider in Ducati history to win back-to-back championships.
It completed a season in which Ducati’s victory as world champion was all but assured, as its runners, Bagnaia, Jorge Martin of Pramac, and Marco Bezzecchi of VR46, finished in the top three riders’ standings.
Ducati scored a record 17 grands prix victories spread across six of its riders (Bagnaia, Martin, Bezzecchi, Johann Zarco, Fabio Di Giannantonio, Enea Bastianini), 17 pole positions, 44 total podiums, nine podium lockouts, the constructors’ championship and the teams’ title with Pramac.
In F1, Red Bull won all but one grand prix in 2023, won the drivers’ championship with Max Verstappen, the constructors’ title and were 1-2 in the standings in a year of record-breaking domination.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italy after Bagnaia’s title win, Dall’Igna says this is an “example” for Ducati to aim for next.
“Every victory must be celebrated, feeling all the satisfaction for what has been done,” Dall’Igna said.
“And I believe that we have done something very important, great, and I hope that all the people at Ducati Corse feel truly happy in this moment and feel the importance of what we did.
“Last year I said it would be difficult to repeat ourselves, but instead we managed to do even better.
“So, who knows, we will work to do even better next year. Red Bull in F1 did better than us. We have an example to imitate.
Bagnaia led the championship by 66 points over halfway into the campaign before a heavy crash in Barcelona and the physical after-effects of this hindered him and allowed Martin to close in.
The duo were split by 14 points coming into the Valencia GP Sunday race, with Bagnaia winning the grand prix and the title after Martin crashed out in a tangle with Marc Marquez.
“Pecco certainly went through a complicated period, he had some difficulties,” Dall’Igna added.
“But he managed to hold on in the face of an extremely fast and determined opponent. I believe that in the end you also grow thanks to these episodes and he was really good.”
