Great joy for Gigi Dall’Igna at Balaton, the so-called “father” of the Ducati GP25: “But without Marc today, we wouldn’t have won.”
It’s no longer a question of if, but when: Marc Marquez wins again at Balaton, and celebrating alongside him is the man who chose him—Gigi Dall’Igna. The Venetian engineer can’t hide his satisfaction with the results, even though he keeps an eye on the rising competition, Aprilia above all.
Dall’Igna told Sky: “Yesterday’s full podium is a great satisfaction, but today, if it weren’t for Marquez, another team probably would have won, so another result would have slipped away. Good choices by me? I prefer to think that others are catching up, as I’ve said before, so we need to work to close the gap with the competition. But let me say one thing: I’m happy. Seven consecutive one-two finishes are significant numbers, and I believe we made the right call taking Marc.”
“Marc finished with a lead and on the last lap set a 1’37” in the first sector. He could have eased off a bit and taken it more carefully to the finish (laughs)… but the truth is, he had the situation completely under control and managed a beautiful race. On this track, really tricky, overtaking is difficult and the first corner after the start remains critical. Perhaps something should be reviewed for the future because there you have to take more risk than usual.”
“I feel sorry for Pecco, because this morning we had planned another setup step that could have given him more confidence. Still, I’m glad he regained some trust—that was what he was missing. When he finds even more confidence, he’ll be able to show what he can do, because we know he’s a true champion and we have a lot of faith in him.”
About Aldeguer: “He did an incredible last lap in 1’37”8. And not just the last lap: he consistently showed an impressive pace. He’s a very strong rider with enormous potential. Mistakes happen—it’s normal for a rookie who still needs experience. But the important thing is he showed he can ride at the level of the greats and handle the mental pressure of qualifying and the race.”
On VR46 issues: “I feel sorry for Di Giannantonio. He had a problem and couldn’t continue. It’s too early to say what happened, but I know he could have had a great race. This time the responsibility is ours, and I feel very sorry for him and the team.”
On Marc’s championship: “If and when it comes, it would be great to celebrate it at Misano, close to Borgo Panigale, to share the joy with the whole Ducati Corse. If it happens in Japan, that would also be special: I have a collection of two-stroke pistons that won there in the past… Winning in Japan used to be a major milestone. It would be amazing there too, at the home where Marc raced for many years” , concludes Dall’Igna.
Photo: Ducati Corse
