The new MotoGP regulations for 2024 resulted in development concessions for all manufacturers except Ducati – which has been dominating the championship in recent years. The introduced system aimed primarily to help Japanese manufacturers who are facing an unprecedented crisis in results but also ended up benefiting Aprilia and KTM. Ducati, on the other hand, is prevented from making wildcards and severely limited in testing.
Claudio Domenicali, CEO of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer, believes that this advantage was given to competitors after they didn’t handle the development of their bikes in the best way:
– The governing body of the championship issued a series of concessions, which offered advantages to everyone except Ducati, allowing our competitors to make wildcards in which they can develop the bike. In addition, Ducati was limited in the number of available tyres, while other manufacturers, who didn’t manage their development processes well, received major concessions.
Domenicali told GPOne.com that Ducati accepted the concessions, although it is clearly at a disadvantage: ‘Let’s say we are racing with a backpack on our shoulders that certainly does not make us faster than before. We accepted this, aware of the limitations applied’.
Nevertheless, Ducati leads all championships after three rounds: teams, constructors, and riders, with Jorge Martín from the Prima Pramac Racing satellite team.