Gresini Racing was founded in 1997 by Fausto Gresini, who led the team until his death in 2021 due to Covid-19. During that period of over 20 years, the growth was evident, with titles in feeder categories and victories even in the 500cc/MotoGP. Renowned riders such as Alex Barros, Loris Capirossi, Marco Melandri, or Sete Gibernau raced with the team.
But Fausto Gresini’s unexpected death created uncertainty about the future of Gresini Racing. At the time, the team was involved in MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3, and MotoE World Championships. His widow, Nadia Padovani, who was not very involved in management, could have ceased operations – which would have been the easiest decision. But she did not choose that path, taking over the reins of Gresini Racing since then.
And anyone who might have thought at the time that Fausto Gresini’s death could result in the team’s decline was mistaken. A partnership with Ducati in MotoGP emerged, along with the arrival of promising young riders like Enea Bastianini, Fabio Di Giannantonio, or, last year, Álex Márquez. It returned to the winning ways in the premier class after tough years with Aprilia, and in 2024, a unique and unmissable opportunity arose – the signing of six-time MotoGP champion Marc Márquez.
The Spaniard seeks a return to good results and left the Repsol Honda factory team for a satellite one – in order to ride the Ducati, one of the most competitive bikes currently, and assess his real level after the injuries of recent years. It’s a decisive season for Marc Márquez’s future, and Gresini decided to take the risk of seizing the opportunity they had.
A courageous step taken by Nadia Padovani, who emphasized in a recent interview with SPEEDWEEK.com that this has been the sentiment since she took over the leadership of Gresini: ‘Courage was immediately here when my husband passed away. The decision to take over Gresini Racing into my own hands and continue the projects that my husband had in mind was already very courageous. However, in addition to courage, there is now also a great passion to continue these projects’.