How Ducati has developed MotoGP's most versatile bike

The importance that Ducati gives to its satellite teams and former team leader Andrea Dovizioso's efforts to improve the cornering ability of the latest Desmosedici mean that the Italian brand now has the most versatile bike on the MotoGP grid, capable of reaching the podium with up to five different riders.

The champagne that was uncorked in the Avintia garage last Sunday after the MotoGP race was more than justified considering what was being celebrated. Enea Bastianini had just climbed a podium for the first time since his promotion to the premier class this season.

He did so after hammering the clock with a blistering pace, which saw him break the Misano circuit record on three consecutive laps - doing so on a two-year-old bike. His third position, combined with Francesco Bagnaia's undisputed victory, underlined the positivity surrounding Ducati at the moment with its Desmosedici currently the most envied prototype on the grid.

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That's not just because the bike has enormous potential and has managed to mitigate the weaknesses of the latest versions. But also because it is lethal in the hands of almost any rider who rides it.

Numbers don't lie, and even less so when combined. At Misano, Bastianini became the fifth rider on a Ducati to stand on the podium in 2021. Ducati has won races with three different riders in Bagnaia, Jack Miller and Pramac rookie Jorge Martin, on favourable circuits like the Red Bull Ring and on others that, on paper, should not be so favourable such as Jerez or Le Mans.

The contrast with the other factories is huge, especially in the case of Yamaha and Honda, whose strength is much more concentrated. The only hope for the former is Fabio Quartararo, and the latter is hung up on a still-recovering Marc Marquez, the only one capable of making up for a year to forget.

Polesitter Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, second place Fabio Quartararo, Yamaha Factory Racing, third place Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Marquez won at Sachsenring and almost repeated the feat at Aragon. Those are the only two occasions on which an RC213V has finished a grand prix in the top three positions this year. Of Yamaha's 12 podium finishes, 75% (nine) have been scored by championship leader Quartararo.

At Ducati, that statistic is much more evenly distributed. Of the total of 17 podiums, six go to Bagnaia (35%), four to Johann Zarco (23.5%), three each to Miller and Martin (17.6% each), plus Bastianini (5.8%).

Quartararo, meanwhile, has five of the Iwata-based manufacturer's six victories, while the other was achieved in Qatar by Maverick Vinales - who is no longer on Yamaha's roster following his axing in August and subsequent move to Aprilia. The only one of the three factory M1 riders who has yet to win is Valentino Rossi. Interestingly, the retiring legend is the half-brother of the only Ducati rider to have failed to do so: Luca Marini.

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"The Ducatis are five steps ahead," remarked Alex Rins on Sunday, just after crashing as he tried to catch Bastianini.

"We have always paid a lot of attention to all the riders we have, including those of the satellite teams, and that has given us a very broad picture of the problems the bike had and has" Gigi Dall'Igna

"The Ducati works well with riders who have different riding styles, and also with a rookie like Martin," agreed Honda's Pol Espargaro. "It's amazing how fast they can all go."

Ducati's general manager and father of the current generation of Desmosedici, Gigi Dall'Igna, is the driving force behind the policy that explains the bike's versatility.

"We have always paid a lot of attention to all the riders we have, including those of the satellite teams, and that has given us a very broad picture of the problems the bike had and has," Dall'Igna tells Autosport.

"All the improvements to the bike in its different areas would also benefit the theoretical leader, if there was one, in qualifying."

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The versatility of the latest Desmosedici was already referred to a year ago by Paolo Ciabatti, the manufacturer's sporting director, in a conversation with Autosport.

"We don't care who wins as long as it's a Ducati," he said at the time. "After all, the support for Pramac is practically identical to that of the factory team."

Any doubts that could have been generated by the generational renewal that the Bologna-based company carried out by dispensing with Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci in order to bet on youth and freshness for 2021 have now been dispelled. The risk was high, but Ducati's decision has been fully vindicated.

"When you make such an important change, you always have some doubts," reflects Ciabatti. "But the future was going in that direction, as has been demonstrated. And it has become clear that young riders are able to adapt very quickly."

Bagnaia is currently the Ducati rider with the best chance of challenging Quartararo, who has a 48-point advantage at the top of the standings with just four races to go and 100 points still up for grabs.

At the age of 24, Bagnaia's profile pales by comparison with that of his predecessor Dovizioso, the now 35-year-old a vastly experienced runner-up on three occasions between 2017 and 2019. That background and his conviction also led him to clash regularly with Dall'Igna.

"Anyway," argues a Ducati workshop source, "all those demands from Dovizioso over the last few years also have a big influence on the competitiveness of the current bike. Andrea complained a lot about the lack of turn-in, and now that is something that has clearly been improved".

Jack Miller, Ducati Team, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The friction between Dovizioso and Dall'Igna, which in many cases led to confrontations, contrasts with the peace that currently prevails in the official garage, where Miller and Bagnaia compliment each other and avoid discerning which of the two carries more weight.

"It is true that, for many reasons, the generational change of the riders has had an influence in the box," Ciabatti says. "After many years of one rider leading the line, there are situations that have become a bit entrenched.

"The arrival of Pecco and Jack has been a breath of fresh air. Moreover, we are talking about two people who are very grateful to those who have given them the opportunity to sign for an official structure.

"In the case of Dovi, for all that he achieved, I thought it was Ducati who owed him a debt of gratitude."

Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images