New Ducati CEO prefers SBK to MotoGP?

Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A yesterday announced that Chief Executive Officer, Carlo Di Biagio, has resigned from the company and will be replaced by a man rumored to believe that Ducati should not be entering MotoGP.

Di Biagio [left on pic, next to Loris Capirossi] was appointed CEO of Ducati in July 2000 and invested heavily in the development of new models - including the new 999 Superbike and Multistrada, - but most importantly he led the Company's eagerly awaited entry into the MotoGP championship, to take place in less than a months time.

"It has been incredibly exciting to lead Ducati through this dynamic period of product innovation," said the outgoing Di Biagio. "I am now looking forward to concentrating on other professional and personal opportunities."

His replacement, Federico Minoli [far right on pic], was Chairman and CEO of Ducati from September 1996 until July 2000, and remained Chairman of the Board until now.

"We are very grateful to Carlo for his important contributions to Ducati since the early days of the turnaround, and in particular during the busy period of the IPO in 1999," said Minoli. "We have asked him - and he has agreed - to continue to support the company in a consultancy role which will allow us to benefit further from his deep knowledge of the company."

However, Minoli is rumored to have been reluctant to back Ducati's MotoGP return [after nearly 30 years absence] feeling it was far too expensive - even with Marlboro money - and that Ducati won't sell more streetbikes by building one-off Grand Prix prototypes.

Instead, Minoli is believed to feel that Superbike competition, which effectively revived the once struggling company, is Ducati's real racing home...

Whatever's Minoli's feelings are, it is unlikely to be a problem for Ducati in the near future - unless their dominance of the WSBK comes under threat, or Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss are unable to deliver competitive results in MotoGP.