MotoGP revival priority over WSB, says new Ducati boss

New Ducati race boss Gigi Dall’Igna has admitted the Bologna factory’s attempt to be more competitive in MotoGP will take priority over its struggling World Superbike project.

Former Aprilia chief Dall’Igna has taken charge of Ducati Corse and he will oversee both MotoGP and WSB in 2014.

But while the struggling Panigale project won’t be neglected in next year’s World Superbike series, Dall’Igna has made it clear that steering Ducati out of its shocking slump in MotoGP will be the priority.

Dall’Igna got his first chance to assess the difficult job he faces to help Ducati win again in MotoGP when he witnessed the Desmosedici finish well off the pace of Honda and Yamaha during the traditional post-season test session in Valencia.
Factory duo Andrea Dovizioso and Cal Crutchlow were both well over a second off Marc Marquez’s quickest pace.

Ducati didn’t score a single podium in MotoGP in 2014 and it was also a humbling campaign with the new Panigale in WSB not being a competitive challenger to Kawasaki and Aprilia.

Dall’Igna said: “MotoGP is the most important class in the world of motorcycle racing, so we would like to improve the MotoGP results as soon as possible. On the other hand, World Superbikes is a part of the history of Ducati, so we have to work also in that area. The priority will be MotoGP but we have to evolve also the superbike.”