Ducati boss Claudio Domenicali happy for the double world title in MotoGP and SBK. But he remembers the difficult post-Valentino Rossi moment.
Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati, grew up in the Borgo Panigale company and inherited the reins of the Emilian manufacturer after the departure of Gabriel Del Torchio in the spring of 2013. Not an easy task for the Emilian engineer, who had to deal with a difficult moment for his brand involved in MotoGP, after Valentino Rossi had left at the end of a complicated two-year period to say the least.
When a legend of the Doctor’s caliber leaves a House, one must also deal with reputational damage, as well as a whole series of sporting consequences. Of this Claudio Domenicali spoke a few days ago during a meeting in Nomisma with the students of the University of Ferrara. On this occasion he also formalized that on 15 December at 20:00, in Piazza Maggiore a Bolognathe Ducati celebration for the victories in the premier class and in WorldSBK will be held, respectively with Pecco Bagnaia and Alvaro Bautista.
Valentino Rossi’s two years in Ducati
It will be an evening of great celebrations, in the presence of the technicians, mechanics and drivers who have contributed to this double historic success. According to the boss Ducati “he had had a bike for a few years with which he could aim for this result“, but for one reason or another up until now they had never achieved their highest goal in the world championship. The only MotoGP World Championship that the Rossa can boast in its history is that of Casey Stoner in 2007.
In 2011 and 2012 they had decided to bet on Valentino Rossi, intent on winning with the Italian brand. A feat that his pupil Pecco Bagnaia succeeded after a long time, in his fourth season riding the Desmosedici GP. The two years with Valentino weren’t easy at all, as the CEO recalls. Claudio Domenicali: “We couldn’t handle it, we took the hit. When you take the most famous driver in Italy who has won nine World Championships and you fail to win, you also have image damage. I became CEO in 2013, when he was just out, and I picked up the pieces“.
There was nothing left to do but work head down, aiming up first Andrea Dovizioso, three times vice world champion behind Marc Marquez, then on Pecco Bagnaia, world champion in his second year in the Ducati factory team. A success that now deserves another big party after the one in the Valencia box on November 6th. Fans will be able to reach Piazza Maggiore on December 15th, where a limited series of 520 bikes will be presented to commemorate the two titles. It goes without saying that all the models, priced at over 100,000 euros each, sold like hot cakes.
