2024 Gresini seat is free; “names that have requested it go beyond imagination!"
Fabio di Giannantonio appears destined to lose his Gresini Racing seat, opening up a space within the Ducati clan.
"Very coveted,” sporting director Paolo Ciabatti described the Gresini opportunity to Motosprint.
“The names that have requested the seat go beyond imagination.
“Can you imagine many? There are more.”
Moto2 star Tony Arbolino has been seriously linked with the seat, and Franco Morbidelli is an obvious option after news that he will leave Yamaha.
“We still have to decide who will go to the Ducati managed by Nadia Padovani's team: one is for Alex Marquez, the other... who knows,” Ciabatti said.
“I can only say that it's a podium bike, that's the reason for its attractiveness.”
Ducati have eight bikes on the grid, compared to four from Honda, KTM, Aprilia and just two from Yamaha.
“We offer a complete package on reasonable and affordable terms,” explained Ciabatti.
“In the free market, they chose us: there must be a reason.
“Anyone who accuses us of being too many is wrong. We do our job at our best, it's the teams and the riders who come to us. That's why, even if minimally, we earn".
How long is eight bikes sustainable on the MotoGP grid?
“As long as there is a chance,” he said.
“Definitely completing 2024, we'll see later. At the end of next season the agreements of many riders, teams and sponsors will expire.
“We will probably see some kind of revolution, maybe not from our side.
“We count on a line of continuity undertaken for years, we will continue like this.
“Of course, the track is the element that conditions the decisions, however, crossing our fingers, we feel satisfied with the established system.
“The intention to continue to excel represents the Ducati target, today as in 2025 and beyond.”
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, to football, to F1.
