Unsung Ducati stalwart credited for key role in MotoGP dominance

An under-the-radar veteran at Ducati has been praised for his role in their dominance of MotoGP.

While Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia, and satellite riders including Alex Marquez, steal the show for the Italian manufacturer on the track, Gigi Dall’Igna is credited for his genius in overseeing the overall project.

But Michele Pirro, their trusty test rider, has been identified as a key cog in the machine.

“They have got a solid test rider. Pirro is good,” ex-Ducati MotoGP rider Jack Miller told the Gypsy Tales podcast.

“He does his laps - if he’s going faster or he’s going slower, there is a reason why.

“They look at the numbers. They don’t give a s***. They download and digest all the data that comes in, and they say: ‘This is better, this is worse’.

“They dissect the information at the track, then the riders are testing it. It’s a different mentality.

“They are in the depths of the numbers game. They are very fortunate to have someone like Pirro who hits the mark, and does what he needs to do.

“He’s not the fastest guy or the slowest guy. He does his s***, he knows his role and he does it well. He’s been doing it extremely well for 12 years now.”

Crucial Ducati technology identified

Miller has described an incredible piece of technology that Ducati have been using since his time as their factory rider, 2021-22, which aids their status as MotoGP’s top manufacturer.

“They have worked f***** hard to get to where they are. Chapeau to them,” Miller said.

“Thank our lucky stars that there are two less on the grid, and we can battle. Honda and Yamaha are working hard - they have been making motorcycles for a long time.

“It took a bit for them to understand the different mentality of reacting to developing a motorcycle, and how quickly the updates need to come these days.

“The feedback from the race weekend being relayed to the test team. What parts are being brought to react to those changes.

“Ducati have got a 3D printer in the back of their f***** truck that works 24-7, making parts.

“Not an engine part. More the parts that are plastic material. They build winglets, the stuff that holds the sensors together. It is going 24 hours a day in the back of the truck. It came in when I was at Ducati.

“I thought: ‘What the f*** is this? Looks like a big waste of space!’”

Miller’s former teammate Bagnaia became Ducati’s first MotoGP champion since Casey Stoner in 2007 when he claimed glory in 2022.

Pramac’s Jorge Martin ended Bagnaia’s run of two titles in a row, representing a Ducati satellite team.

Marquez could bring the title back to the factory garage but Ducati’s position on top of the championship is solid, a project overseen by Dall’Igna that was years in the making before making it big.