In a recent interview, Davide Tardozzi, the sporting director of Ducati's factory MotoGP team, expressed the brand's confidence in effectively managing internal competition and highlighted their unwavering commitment to supporting satellite squads. Tardozzi made it clear that Ducati welcomes the prospect of its satellite teams surpassing the factory squad and asserted their determination to never impede the success of these satellite teams.
The 2023 MotoGP season witnessed a fiercely contested title battle between factory rider Francesco Bagnaia and Pramac's Jorge Martin, ultimately clinched by Bagnaia. Despite Ducati riders dominating the top three standings, Tardozzi dismissed the notion of team orders, assuring that Ducati's approach toward all its riders will remain consistent in 2024.
Tardozzi emphasized Ducati's approach, stating, "We have eight Ducatis, and we treat them fairly based on what they deserve, as outlined in their contracts." He highlighted the transparency within the Ducati teams, with all riders having access to each other's data.
Importantly, Tardozzi underscored that Ducati will never hinder the satellite teams from competing against the factory team. "They have the right to do their best, they have the right to access all the information to outperform us," he affirmed. Ducati believes that fostering healthy competition within its teams propels them to push boundaries and strive for excellence.
Tardozzi's perspective mirrors Ducati's commitment to fairness, emphasizing that satellite teams receive the same updates and advancements as the factory team. The sharing of data and technological progress underscores Ducati's confidence in cultivating internal competition to enhance the overall performance of the brand.
"We are not concerned about our riders and the competition within Ducati teams; otherwise, we wouldn’t provide factory bikes to Pramac and winning bikes to the other two satellite teams," Tardozzi added. Ducati views internal competition as a driving force for growth, motivating engineers and riders alike to continually improve and innovate.
In conclusion, Ducati's sporting director highlighted the positive impact of internal competition, stating, "We are delighted to have this internal competition that allows us to grow in data, and our engineers are genuinely thrilled to have eight possibilities with eight riders to observe what is happening on the bike." Ducati's steadfast support for satellite teams and its belief in fostering healthy competition set the stage for an exciting and competitive 2024 MotoGP season.