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Andrea Dovizioso, Aragon MotoGP. 17 October 2020
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Ducati Corse general manager Gigi Dall’Igna chose not to pour fuel on the fire when ꧒given the opportunity to respond to recent criticism by Andrea Dovizioso over his Ducati exit.
In an interview with , Dovizioso 🐈declared that Ducati had not been 'transparent' over🦋 his future, believing - in hindsight - a decision was already taken not to re-sign him for 2021 after a heated technical meeting with Dall’Igna during 2019.
Dovizioso pointed to an interview Dall’Igna had made in which he spoke of 'knowing in mid-2019 that it 🐟would end with Dovizioso', comments which the #4 took as "confirmat🌳ion' his mind had been made up there and then.
"Let's say that there was no transparent 🌜behaviour, unlike [team-mate] Petrucci, who was told before the season that there would be no room [at Ducati for 2021]," said Dovizioso.
"There wa🏅s never a real proposal," Dovizioso added. "It was said that Dovizioso asked for this or Ducati could give this... all lies. We never negotiated, above all an offer never arrived. And, therefore, we have never rejected a low one. It is confirmation that in the 2019 meeting it was over for Gigi."
Dovizioso also sa♊id that his working relationship with Dall’Igna ha🧸d eventually deteriorated from "30% to 0".
Asked by for his response, Dall’Igna replied: "We evaluated Dovizioso's interview♑: it was a very long [rider-team] relationship, the longest in Ducati's history, but I don't think the media is the right place to talk aꦫbout it.
"We both gave our best to bring home the best possible result. Stories end among professionals. I'm sorry when a rider makes꧅ such criticisms, I have many collaborators to manage to make certain decisions.
"Andrea was an important collaborator, b♌ut stories ar✨e destined to end."
While Dall’Igna opted to retain something of a dignified silence and focus on the future, wuqian0821.com can shin🌳e some light on the factory's versi🧔on of events.
Was it over after the 2019 meeting between Dall’Igna and Dovizioso?
Following the 'confrontation' between Dall’Igna and Dovizioso at the 2019 technical meeting, it was Ducati's impression that reachin🥂g a future deal with Dovizioso would be difficult, but they insist it was not a final decision.
Did Dovizioso receive an offer from Ducati for 2021?
As Dovizioso s🔥aid, no offi✤cial offer was received from Ducati for 2021.
Why? During preliminary contact with Dovizioso's manager in the spring of 2020, the triple MotoGP title runner-up's salary 'expecta𝓡tions' were said to be far beyond what Ducati fe🍌lt it could offer, especially given the emerging Covid pandemic.
With no obvious solution to break the deadlock, Ducati opted to wait until after the first few races of the s⭕eason and then decide. That was sti𝓀ll the situation when Dovizioso announced, in mid-August (at round five in Austria), that he would not be renewing for the team in 2021, his manager adding "we never spoke specifically of the economic side".
Dovizioso🎃 then took what would be hi💞s 14th and final race win for Ducati that same weekend.
With Jack Miller already chosen over Petrucci, fellow Pramac rider Francesco Bagnaia was later signed to replace Dovizioso at Ducati's Official🐬 team this season.
"Miller grew during the final rounds of 2020, he had fantastic races and if he still has that form he will be among the contenders to take home the title," Dall’Igna said in the Sky🐼 interview. "But Bagnaia has also done great things in many races: I hope to have two good 'points' to play for the World Championship."
With the other top rides already taken by the time he announced his Ducati exit, Dovizioso has decided 𝐆to take a year out with the ai𓆏m of returning in 2022.
MotoGP Editor
Peter has be🧸en in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzu🐻ki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.