MotoGP – Portuguese Grand Prix – Algarve International Circuit, Portimao, Portugal – March 26, 2023 Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia as marshalls push his bike after the race REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo/ File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Dec 2 (Reuters) – After a Ducati bike won 19 of the 20 rounds of the 2024 MotoGP season, the big question is whether their rivals can make up ground on the Italian manufacturer that has won the last five constructors’ titles with ever-increasing dominance.
When Ducati claimed the title in 2020, they beat Yamaha by 17 points. This season Ducati won 722 points and sealed the constructors’ title with six rounds to spare while the next best manufacturer was KTM with 327.
Having more bikes on the grid than any other constructor has also helped but Ducati had the superior machine in all aspects, with six different riders achieving 53 podiums this year.
Although the factory team missed out on the riders’ championship when Francesco Bagnaia failed to accomplish a three-peat with the Desmosedici GP24, his rival Jorge Martin of Pramac Racing – riding the same bike – showed it was virtually untouchable.
Together, Martin and Bagnaia smashed lap records across circuits around the world and took the title battle to the final round where Martin clinched his maiden MotoGP crown having fallen short at the same stage a year ago.
The GP24 was way ahead of any other bike and it was six-times MotoGP champion Marc Marquez’s skills on the older GP23 in […]
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