MotoGP, Domenicali: “Rossi would have been fast with the 2021 Ducati”

The Valentino Rossi-Ducati pairing that we witnessed in the 2011-2012 world championship had the Italian fans dreaming. Had the Italian rider won with the Italian bike it would have seen him write yet another page in the history books. 

Domenicali’s view

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But this was not the case, and the Doctor was only able to score three podiums aboard the Desmosedici, a debacle that saw him return to Yamaha in 2013. It was there that the nine-time champion remained, until he decided to retire at the end of 2021.

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali looks back to that time but reveals he has no regrets: “We don’t regret having raced together, we were just not made for each other at that time. The bike had been developed for Casey Stoner and it was very difficult for a rider who was used to more balanced bike behaviour”, he tells Motorcycle News. “Today’s Ducati is very different from the one he rode for two years, I think he would have been competitive with the 2021 bike”, opines Domenicali, convinced that Rossi could have done a lot more with a more docile, versatile bike.

Domenicali: "Rossi irreplaceable"

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Now that Rossi is no longer racing in MotoGP, it is up to Ducati (and Aprilia) to fly the Italian flag in the world championship – no easy feat, but the red bike has shown itself to be up to the task. “I think Valentino is irreplaceable, a unique figure who was the personification of talent, determination, results and congeniality. As well as incredible longevity”, comments Domenicali. “On the other hand, though, our brand has history, it’s very solid and is a brand with which Italians identify. And I don’t just mean in racing terms, but also the technology. A little like Ferrari in F1”, he concludes.

Translated by Heather Watson

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