Transcription
Oh, here we are. The recording begins. It was difficult, Davide Tardozzi. Good morning. Oh, it was difficult. Good morning to you. Like women, like courting a woman, though. Oh, yes, yes, yes. Oh, it's not like that. No, it's true. We've put it off a few times, but anyway. Let's have a quick chat. Are you ready? Are you in shape? You look rested. Are you on vacation? No, summer break. It'll be quick. Yes. You don't have any injuries to recover from, hopefully. No, no, but I have four weeks in a row, three races and the VDV which was really, oh, very satisfying, very satisfying, but it was really tough because it's much more demanding than a race. It was tough. Okay, so I'll play a 7-second theme song and then we'll start. Go, theme song.
[music]
Good morning. Let's do an uncut interview. It's not live, but we'll do it uncut. Well, mind you, I'm telling myself this more than anything else. It's not that, I mean, it's for me, mind you, it's for me. So, good morning, Davide Tardozzi, Ducati Lenovo team manager. Well, your profession is team manager, what does your profession do? I mean, aside from being recognizable in the paddock and becoming a sort of star, a co-protagonist with the new media, yes, well, we see you cheering, getting angry, defending the riders, arguing with the stewards like that. But what does a team manager actually do when you have to explain it to someone who maybe doesn't know?
I mean, first of all, I'd like to counter the word profession because I do what I enjoy. I'm pursuing my hobby, so the great thing about my job, if you want to call it that, is that I do it mainly because I like it, I mean, beyond everything else, so every month you're surprised they gave me money this month too and I once made the Sunday joke, you think I'd do it for free and he's like, oh yeah, no, watch out, watch out. Okay, you want to leave it to yourself, huh? You have to be careful, if you like what you do, you'll never work a day in your life, so that would be it. Yeah, that's it. But you have to not tell the CEOs that they cut costs, you know, it's dangerous.
So, okay, what does a team manager do? What do I do? What do I do? Basically, I'm responsible for coordinating the organization put together by many people trained in the relationship with the drivers and the organizers. It's a question a lot of people ask me, but I've never been able to describe it properly because there's no true description. It's a relationship that's built with trust over time with the drivers, trust with the staff, trust with the organizers. That's the gist of it: the task you take on, what you say, what you do, is what essentially creates the relationship you'll have to manage when you need each other. I mean, you notice it when the team manager isn't there, meaning you notice if you've sown badly, if you've messed up out of necessity, maybe once a year and not many times more, maybe you need something, a person, a favor, sometimes even, and it's never outside the rules, obviously, you notice if you've sown well or sown badly.
So, well, the favor is also a matter of politics, right? Absolutely. It's clear that with your—pardon the term—enemies, enemies in sporting terms, obviously, because I'm very good friends with so many people who work for other companies. And in those moments, it's clear that what you've done, the relationship you've established, creates a simplicity in the dialogue rather than a desire to find a solution that goes beyond the person or non-person. But it pays more to be straightforward, but a little tough, or a little more hands-on, which pays more? I tend to say I think I'm the first option, very direct, but that's my character. Some of my colleagues are the second option. The second option, however, is someone who gets on everyone's nerves, and there are some like that, and they work, let's say, a bit disruptive, right? Some are based on character, maybe even on the company they belong to. We won't give examples, but basically, it's a question of character. I tell you, I'm talking to my colleagues; I mean, other team managers from other teams have their own character. And they have their own way of managing, which doesn't mean it's more right or less right, it just means it's different. Then I get along really well with some of them who are exactly my place. Well, sometimes we manage to win, sometimes they do, the disagreements that sometimes arise, they are created within the IRTA committee rather than the team committee, eh rather than well, it's clear that everyone is doing their own thing. The important thing is always only one thing, respect.
And who is the one with whom I believe there is the most respect? Yes, well, among you, you certainly know the value, you've clashed many times, so beyond affiliations, you recognize each other in, let's say, abilities, so it's clear that there's respect at the head. Maybe you're closer friends than it seems from the outside and maybe not, in some ways, but who is the one with whom we say there's the most harmony? Someone who maybe even happens to be distant? There isn't anyone. No, but I think I have an excellent relationship—and by excellent I mean very direct—with many of them, whether it's Maio Meregalli, Davide Brivio, or even Gunter Steiner, who just arrived from Formula 1. I had a previous relationship, so it's still excellent. Even with Paolo Bona, rather, but you know, the MotoGP situation is very Italian, so it's also much easier. With Gino Borcio, he has an excellent, excellent relationship. There's a strong, strong respect, I would almost say friendship, because I'm really very close to Gino, but also, I repeat, Maio himself. Yes, yes, you are, let's say that in the end you're a traveling circus in some ways, and so you must be pleased that Francesco Guidotti is back, too, who is an excellent person, an excellent professional. So Francesco was definitely missing from our world, and I'm pleased he has this opportunity. Yes, yes.
So, basically, you deal with the pilots, I mean, you have to manage the pilots, so I've always wondered, do you have to have the same approach with everyone, or do you have to adapt? You have to adapt, you have to be fluid, right? Like fluid, like water. Well, fluid is a bit of a strange term. Yes. No, because lately it's become something else, but I hope you don't think that I am. But to answer your question, yes, you have to know how to adapt, you absolutely have to know the pilots' entourage because that may or may not create difficulties, but I've certainly always tried to get help from the pilots' entourage. I believe that the situations around them, those closest to them, the personal ones, the family ones, are crucial in certain situations, so having a relationship of knowledge with the entourage is an absolute priority. Is there any entourage in your history that has complicated things a bit? I mean, any entourage, let's say, that was conflictual, or maybe really conflictual? No, I think I've had a lot of help from my entourage throughout the story. I'll start from the beginning, right from Troy Corser, his family was very strong, but above all Micaela Fogarty was crucial. In my opinion, Michaela was crucial for his third World Championship, the third, and then also the fourth, but especially for the third when at a certain point he decided he wanted to quit midway through the '98 season. Micaela was a huge help. Then we won the World Championships in '98 and '99. That's why I always tell Carla: two World Championships at 10 p.m., you have two, Michaela has two. There. While there was another wife who wanted him to quit. Mrs. Baile was more for quitting, right? Mrs. Baile even managed to bring him back to Australia at a certain point, after the third World Championship, and Kim needed to return to Australia with her family. After all, Troy was 39 years old, so it was really time to quit. Retiring as a world champion, in my opinion, is a good thing.
So one thing is one thing: the team manager is a mediator, like a cultural mediator, a sports mediator, that is, he's constantly mediating and negotiating all the time. Negotiations, you have to know how to manage the moments. There are moments where saying the right word isn't as continuous as one might think. It's true, yes, it's continuous. Now I contradict myself, but it's continuous. But there are decisive moments in the season, and that moment can determine a situation for the better or for the worse. So, I repeat, there was a moment, for example, with Fogati, when I told you that halfway through the 1998 season he wanted to quit after a terrible race at Nurburgring, where he finished 15th twice. He had decided to quit, and he left without saying goodbye to anyone. The following week, among other things, we met for the first-ever WDV at Misano, so we convinced him to go out on the track and ride in the wet, which was one of his problems, one of his limitations, and he crashed. There was a huge argument, so Michaela gave me a hand, and then, well, we won the world championship, and the following year's as well, as I was saying before. So, the quality of the work is recognized by the fact that I saw Fogati just the other day at the WDV eating ice cream. We ate ice cream, so Fogati was nice, relaxed, and calm. So, I mean, in the end, everything worked out.
So the problem is the pain when you have to manage the results that don't tend to come, right? More than the rivalries, okay? Or the moments of tension that always exist in a season, a moment where a rider isn't going fast, the fault is obviously always the bike's, then, well, there are moments, it happened to me with Baile, moments where it wasn't going, it wasn't going, it wasn't going, at a certain point and you attack him. You always have to do it, but there are moments where it's necessary and in order to prove you're wrong, he does what you expect from him. So the fact that you go from ST, from b*tch [laughter] you can say asshole, but in the end I don't care, I mean the important thing is to set the time and do the race and win, so I mean there are situations in which you provoke him to get what you want, which is to make him go faster. But you're a smart guy because you're giving me all the results that fell into statute-barred examples because instead [laughter] I don't believe you, my heart is there, my heart is there. Come on with Yes, why now? So, no? Yes, of course, but I don't believe there haven't been any problems lately. Yes, we know there have been, right? We've seen that there has been some situation that exists, there has been a performance difference to manage within a garage, even very recently, and then maybe we'll talk about it quickly, but there's the teamwork, because I've noticed something, I'll show you later compared to other internal statements at Ducati, that your attitude has been more constructive, more conciliatory, and we'll see later, but I have to show you something about how the fans see you.
So, many times we have, I mean, I'd even go to war with Tardozzi. So, the other day I did a poll and yes, you could choose between Sergeant Artman, sorry, I'll give you the slip, Sergeant Artman and Tardozzi. Wait, I'll show you, I always mess up. And you won. I mean, apart from this very rare photo with the finger, eh, so eh [laughter] I mean, Sergeant Artman didn't have a good end, you know. Eh okay, but anyway, eh, if you've seen the film, but look, I understand who you would go to war with and a lot of people chose Tardozzi, so they see you as someone loyal to the group, ready to put in the effort, that is, a trustworthy person. Do you consider yourself that way or do you think the public has formed a different idea than that, eh, you consider yourself a Sergeant Artman, 100% dedicated to the cause or even less? How do you see this?
But I consider myself, eh, an honest person with those who work with me and easily readable. I don't think I'm someone who could ever show what I don't think, I mean, I can't, I mean, I'm too readable. Sure, that can be a limitation, but I see it as an advantage. No, no, I'm just saying, well, I am who I am and I react based on what I think at the moment, I mean, I can't hide too much. So, I have two images of atypical reactions. One is a tantrum at someone who was scanning my bike once—I mean, why would I really have a tantrum like that? And then a ride to the Gresini pit when Enea was there, right? It seems like something like that to me. So there, willingly, both were two paradoxical situations that in my opinion could only happen to Tardozzi and Ducati or me. Those are absurd things. I mean, one says, "What the fuck? I mean, what is this thing?" And then there you go, I'm here. No, I'm saying scanning 3 cm from the bike is something that shouldn't be done. So, we all have photographers who—all the manufacturers have photographers who check, look at what happens in Formula 1, it also happens in MotoGP, and what the opponents are doing. I mean, it's logical to check because, I mean, since there's, well, the certainty that everyone has good ideas and it's clear that you try to understand what they've done, what they haven't done, race after race, but having said that, scanning the bike from 3 cm, doing it all, seemed a bit too offensive to me, so, hey, I tell you, I don't even blame the guy for doing it, someone probably told him, so that's someone who should be called out. But having said that, at that point I called Albesiano, who was shocked. He didn't know, obviously someone else had told the boy, so that's how Quiico Pro was born, and since it was at a time when everyone was there, it's clear that it was seen by everyone. As for the episode you mentioned, which I believe was in Japan, well, since I know I'm often under the cameras, especially in certain situations, if I leave the garage and go to the pit wall, I have a camera on me, it's clear that I knew I was being filmed, but no one ever asked me the question that needed to be asked, because at that moment everyone was thinking, go tell Gresini to slow down Enea. But in your opinion, if I have to go ask Grini to slow down Enea, should I use the phone or go in person? Yes, of course. No, no, of course. I mean, no one ever asked me the question, what did you tell them? Well, I did it to you, but I did it to you in private, you told me, now I'll do it to you again in public. What did you say to him there? No, but I mean, I went to ask him what tire he had and why he chose that tire and what kind of strategies they had used. But, I mean, he asks him now, I don't even remember exactly, but he asked him something about the motorcycle, I mean, I didn't ask him anything at all. Yes. No, well, maybe the attitude seemed in that moment, I can understand that, I mean, it seemed something like that. Then afterward, in the end, you know, but I'm also, well, of course not. Well, imagine if by now you handle the camera like someone else, I had no doubts about having the camera on me. Like the best, you handle the camera, let's say, like another, eh Romagna, you handle the camera like a master now too. I mean, actually that's a job too, eh, drawing cameras and attention to yourself to maybe talk about something else, but I accept this answer. Let's say that if someone has doubts, they always will, and so any explanation doesn't hold up.
So in the end, I mean, I've seen how the fan base has changed recently, even the attitudes towards Ducati, well, maybe we'll talk about it later, but there was one thing that interested me more, it seems strange, but it was how you build a MotoGP rider and then a champion, because you get riders who are already ready, right? You 're lucky, you're the first team, right? You're the team, but these guys come from Moto 2, they have to be built in satellite teams and so there are difficulties, right? You intervene a little in this aspect because those riders are human material that comes to you, so in some way you want to get your hands on things like that, right?
Look, we are the riders and believe me Gigi has been following the riders since Moto 3. Gigi watches all the Moto 3 races, all the Moto 2 races, except if he has an urgent meeting rather than, but if not he follows them all and is very attentive, he and his work group, even Riccardo Savin, who is very very on the ball in MotoGP, I would say that they are very attentive to the guys since Moto 3. I have even been following them since the Rookis Cup, which is certainly the championship that is giving More talent [clears throat] at MotoGP and GP in general, in short, at the championship. So we understand, we see them as kids, so to speak, how they grow up, how they grow, what their mistakes are, whether they continue to persist in their mistakes or not, whether they correct themselves. I mean, these things are something that passion makes you do, above all, eh, but then also talking to them, understanding, beyond seeing them on the track, what they say, what they think, who they have around them, to talk about entourage is something we build over the years, that is, how you arrive at certain riders, the choice of certain riders in my opinion is something that starts years and years before. Then, I mean at Deger, you looked after Deger. Okay, but Marquez, Marquez, you don't need to know much more, right? It was already for when he was in the rotisserie, that's a ready-made dish, I mean after Yes, ch But instead maybe you had an Aldegher? No, Gigi must have taken care of it, I think, right? I think he looked at it, if that's all, right? He made Aldegher, we talked about it as soon as he arrived, seeing as he had already competed in the CEV championship. Well, just think that Fermina also did a year, she didn't have the financial means, she did a year of motorcycle racing and... Well, of course, I know him very well. He was doing okay, he didn't win by a landslide. It was a race, it was a particular championship, so it's not like he won or won by a landslide. He won the races, I think, but he didn't do anything special, but in the CE he did well, then... he took him to Bosco Scuro, among other things... uh, forgive me the end of the argument, arguing over him with Spar because Gino Borsoi absolutely wanted him when he was at Spar. And we started by seeing that both Luca Bosco Scuro and Gino Borso were fighting over him, we started to put the spotlight on him a bit more. In the CEV he did well, then he had the chance to replace, I don't remember which rider, doing a few races in Moto 2, then the following year he did the whole championship, but already when he was doing the replacements we started talking about him and I still remember that in Argentina, still in the first races of the championship, Gigi said to me two years before signing him, Gigi said to me "But what do you think of Fermin?" And I said, "I don't know, he seems good to me." Then Luca Boscoscuro, who also has a cello, the riders and Gino were fighting over him in the CEV, so I would definitely keep an eye on him. After that, however it ended, we signed him very early, despite having had a less than brilliant Moto 2 season, while the year before he had been really strong. Well, in the year when there was the change from Danlop to Pirelli, his driving suffered a bit from the change of tire supplier, but in the end he was still strong, but in short, to tell you that we start following the drivers very, very early on. He had won the last four races and then the following year he did badly. You said, "Well, look, Ducati took him too early. You saw that, baby boom, baby. I remember it because I broke the news so early. He called me and said, "What do you know about it?" And so [laughter] because I have to say he has an excellent entourage, he's followed very well by Faubel, right? Who is an atypical example of a manager who truly only looks after his rider's interests. I met Hector, through Genesio Bevi l'acqua, and I have to say that he's a person who is extremely, truly correct, that is, someone who doesn't rush things, truly very patient. I think one of Fermin's fortunes is having Faubel, who made him do the right things. I don't know. Yes, Hector, Hector didn't rush things. I'd say that Hector behaved very, very well with us. And I agree with you in your analysis of the professional Hector Faer. Yes, yes, he was really good.
So, when they arrive these guys from Moto 2, you guys there, in quotes parked, in short, in the team in the trusted teams which I don't want to say satellites because they don't exist anymore, they are all trusted teams. But what is the problem there to manage? The technical part, the race management, the electronics, the head? What is it that these guys don't have to fix?
There's no problem with how Gigi set up the relationship with our supported teams. Well, I'd say there is, first of all, absolute clarity, because with Gigi things are absolutely clear. and the absolute clarity of what the technical supply is, the absolute clarity of the fact that you are supported by our electronic engineers, because all the riders have at least one electronic engineer or a track engineer under contract with Ducati, more people behind the scenes, so not in direct contact with the rider, but who create a relationship with the home team, so let's say that I am truly a trustee who has in hand the official bikes of both teams, both VR which is the direct team, but also Gresini have official bikes so they have exactly everything that we have, not only do they have the possibility of sharing all the data of all three teams, so there is extreme trust in our partners and this in my opinion has been one of the things that created the recent situations of the last 10 years, that is the fact that Pramacin won the world championship simply because he had the official bike equal to ours, he had a team, an official rider because Martini was a rider paid by Ducati, he had the electronics of Ducati, and among other things Cristian Battaglia is an excellent electronics engineer and has been with us for I believe 15 years, maybe. 16 17 eh, I mean he's one of the best electronic riders we have, so, I mean the team has to tighten the bolts well, yes, there were a few differences, but in the end, I mean, there are meetings where everyone participates, so everyone knows everything about everyone, so they're involved 360° with the official team, that is, there are meetings where Gigi in charge, supported by Riccardo Savinna, manages the implementation of the bike for the next session or race, that is, they're involved like the official team, so fewer differences than you might think, in short, there are practically no differences.
Okay, so now it's good, right? The ability of the official team should be to keep, if you like, the best rider to try to win, but the fact that the satellite team is competitive for us is a stimulus and an advantage in terms of eh data, growth and development opportunities. But do you agree, do you agree that the norm is that the factory team should win? I mean, roughly speaking. If we're good, yes. If we're good, yes, but the fact that we lost the world championship... Oh, and I wanted to ask you this. What went wrong? What went wrong? But what went wrong? Well, winning 11 races out of 20. It's clear that something went wrong. Unfortunately, that year we made a few too many mistakes. Then it's clear that I'm angry with a particular situation, which, I mean, mistakes, riders hindering the team, you know, they always happen. Well, but I can't stand Francesco's crash midway through the last lap in Barcelona with a 3, 2, 6, and 7-second advantage over the second-placed rider. I can't stand that in 30 years when he'll be a guest at the WV. Well, look, I say this with a smile because it's over now, I'm used to looking ahead, but I feel sorry for Pecco because he could have won his third world championship in a row and Ostia, I feel more sorry for him than for us, because as two guys we won, because our rider won, our satellite team won, the bike identical to ours won, so we won in some way. It's clear that winning with the factory team is something that still exists, come on, don't dwell on this issue. I believe in this and I don't believe in it. It's certainly better that Martin won on Ducati than, I don't know, April on a wave. But, well, of course, of course, of course, of course, of course. I wrote Ducati here. Heh heh. You're this thing, this habit of ripping off your shirt and showing it to the public, that's one of your characteristics now. Heh, there are photos of you and red for this one. Today you're not that one, that one, that one, I came across, distinct. And right there, that creates the character. Well, anyway, in the end, you're telling me that when they come from Moto 2, the attitude counts, I mean, you work on that because everything else is there, right? So you just have to work on more Mainly on that. When it's clear that talent is talent when a rider chooses talent, that is, when we select a rider, because then the satellite teams also have the option of choosing their own riders if they communicate it. We can express our opinion, but then the final choice is theirs. We historically have two riders under contract in the official team and two riders. Normally, we have four riders under direct Ducati Corse contract, who we put in the satellite teams. And this year is the only year we had three, to be honest, but the official bike was still given to the Gresini team because there are four official bikes in 2026: one is Gresini, one is VR, and obviously our two, but normally we have four riders, so for the foreseeable future it will continue to be like this, and so we follow these riders in a particular way. After that, I repeat, the other rider is usually chosen by the satellite team. I'm not even asking you who you would steal from your opponents because usually you take all the riders, the ones you like. Well, not all, but the ones you prefer, let's say. So, if I have to say one thing, well, I'm happy to say it's that the, how shall I say, well, the fact that all of them— I understand, I emphasize—all the top riders have asked to come to us in some way. Sure. It's something that makes you proud. I think Gigi really likes this. Having a bike that everyone would like is something that gives us satisfaction. Then you can't take them all, there has to be competition, the opponents are good anyway and they're proving it this year. I think next year it will be even more competitive, but that said, the skill lies in choosing the riders you think can bring home the world title. I think for next year we have a really strong team for the next two years, really very strong. Then I don't—I don't mean to say that there aren't other strong riders, because there are, right? Well, but clearly you can't take—you can't field 20 bikes and you can't take everyone. For example, I think Fabio will be super competitive next year. I think Fabio is a super super talent who, if managed properly, can cause problems, even big ones. Then Marco Bezzecchi has certainly proven to be very good, but there are others too. I'm not going to name them all now. But Quartararo hasn't, you've never flirted with him, you've never... You can't say. Well, certain things. Who knows, who knows can say. Who knows? You can't.
Anyway, between MotoGP and Superbike, there's a line in front of both shops. I was in Misano the last time, there was an Andriri Rivieni back there and poor Cecconi over there who has to put the ball in. Now he's got this thing about Stefano, he likes it. Stefano Ceconi is a great entrepreneur because his company, Aruba, is truly a truly a productive Italian company, one of those truly incredible ones, grown by his father, from his father's idea, and with Stefano at the helm of, ultimately, the management, because Aruba, aruba.it, has truly grown a lot. That said, I tell you, he likes Stefano. He likes him, he likes him, and he's really entered into the role, and even though he's an entrepreneur, he likes being the manager, being in the box. I mean, when I see him on the grid, knowing who he is, what he manages, what he does, what he's doing, seeing him holding the umbrella, he relaxes, I think he relaxes. No, of course, of course. I mean, this makes you understand how much our sport can also relax an entrepreneur who makes hundreds and hundreds of millions in revenue, so he should have his head there and instead seeing him and his family in the garage, hearing what he says, eh seeing this entrepreneur who places himself on the same level as the other eh elements of the team, but he starts to explain, he starts to say that he has learned because it's not that it was very his when he studied, well, he studied at Ducati University, I mean but eh being an intelligent person he also made the save. Sure, yes. No, but I saw him, he answers, he gives explanations to the fans, he even puts himself, puts himself there, he manages to find the patience to explain to a lady at WDV why this, why that. Oh well, I admire him, I admire him a lot.
Okay, anyway, Superbike gave us Razgatloglu, it will give us Nicolò, so well, in some ways there's a kind of revenge. I know it's a world you love very much, we'll talk about it later, but I wanted to ask you about something last year about MotoGP, next year a completely new MotoGP is coming. Many people, in my opinion, underestimate the changes because they're talked about in technical terms, but in terms of quantity, perhaps I think all these things are underestimated a little, together with the tires, the engine. I heard Mark Marquez say, but a little more aerodynamics wouldn't have bothered me. Or I don't remember if he said he wanted less, the engine would have bothered me. I mean, is it a regulation that takes a direction you like, or would you have done something slightly differently? A little more or a little less? How do you like it?
I think it's a balanced regulation. Well, it's been discussed for a very long time, in the past years, to reach this solution in MSMA, in the factory, yes. Where the manufacturers and then the organizer discuss, so I believe it's absolutely a balanced regulation, born after at least a year and a half of discussions, so we've arrived, in my opinion, at the right balance. That said, I believe it can't reasonably happen that whoever is first now becomes last and whoever is last now becomes first. Oh, okay. Okay. I think the values could more or less be respected, even if it will be greatly compressed, in the sense that everyone will get closer. I believe so, but there won't be an immediate upheaval, do you think? It's not that I'm reiterating that I don't believe the last will be first and the first will be last. Okay, so they need a bit of time. I see a, how shall I say, compression, in the sense that they'll all be much closer because the bikes will be easier, you know, therefore they'll be more limited, so in some ways they'll get much closer and this will probably be very, very likely to benefit the show.
Listen, but the Lenovo team that follows the riders in everything, you accompany them to events, I've seen, you look after them, you manage them, you protect them. How much do they mind their own business regarding the riders who stay at home? I mean, they train, I've seen, they do special training. I am, even if it doesn't seem like it because I've been training in front of the fridge for a long time, for many years I've done a lot of sporting activities, even at a certain level, I like to train, I have a gym at home and so I always ask the riders, I hear science-fiction stuff in some cases, um, you meddle in this respect. You've touched a sore point. Ouch! And I'll explain why we 've been believing for years that the maximum expression of the team's or company's investment, in our case, must be closely monitored because these are no longer riders, they are athletes, they are truly athletes, so like in many other sports, the company, the club, the team wants them under control in football, basketball, in all sports, in swimming. Of course. In everything. Yes, yes, yes. Everyone, whoever manages the transfer or whoever has the contract with wants to monitor it to make sure they maximize their investment. In motorcycling, it's not like that because unfortunately they live in other parts of the world, they live in other places. You have to trust. It's clear that we've thought about how to do it. We're looking, we're looking, we started with a recent project where we try to monitor our riders by having them come to Bologna. We have a collaboration with ISOT, which is the Bologna Calcio team. Yes, yes, yes. So we try to keep them monitored. We know they can't come to Bologna to stay in Bologna where we could give them the bikes to go around the gym where they can train, but let's try to understand who trains them, how they train, let's try to go to their place to try to understand what they do there, right? Because these people could do anything, out of sight, out of the way, maybe, now I'm not saying hurt themselves because it's not that They're self-destructive, but maybe they make ineffective choices, maybe they weigh themselves down or are too light or are... I've always wondered, but how is it possible that, I mean, in some cases there are protocols, I know, for example, now to compete, but I know you won't be angry, Red Bull has a center of excellence for monitoring these riders. Why should it be copied, except that they also give up financial opportunities. No, no, no, of course, but Red Bull is fantastic. We have precise information on what Red Bull does 360°, eh, not just with riders, it does it with many in many sports and they do exceptional stuff, I think almost unique in the world for what Red Bull-sponsored athletes are. That said, I repeat, we try to monitor what they do. It's definitely not like it used to be, where talent was enough. Today in MotoGP, if you're not a real athlete, you don't finish the races. So, you, you, you want to get more hands on this thing? Absolutely, because we feel it's our duty, but to help the rider, it's clear that you have situations that have materialized over time. Markez today knows exactly how every fiber of his body works, every nerve, every muscle, also thanks to Red Bull. I mean, Markez even told me about what he did with them. Perfectly. What does he do at home, what does he do with his trainer who lives a few kilometers away? I mean, at least we're informed, at least we have the situation under control. After that, I repeat, we're trying to bring home as much data as possible from our riders to have a basis for the future, so we know that if we take a young rider, do a test and understand that he has some shortcomings, we know where and how to help him, suggesting what to do or if he wants to do it with us. Yes, he doesn't start bodybuilding, you know, this guy. I mean, like, no, leave Mister Elvet alone, Elvet was once skinny and I don't want to talk about that. Don't get into bodybuilding with Mister, I'm the only one doing the bullying here. I ca n't do it with Tardozzi because he's the only person who yells at me, and so I want to say the one I'll get. Yeah, you get yelled at, but I let myself be told, but I can say, I let you tell me things that I don't let others tell me.
So, now we have to—I mean, the part begins, the part because we talked about the job of team manager, now we have to talk about the job of the most successful team manager of recent years, right? And about the choices that are made, because I have to ask you a few questions about Marquez, a little background. So, when Ducati announced, Mark, everything was said, that he would share the garage, that he would create problems, that he would be unmanageable, a mutual acquaintance said something like this here, and wait, I'll take it away and show you. Duc, it's a joke. Martin and Bezzecchi felt betrayed. It's a joke. Then let's leave aside the personal history. I know you're a conciliator on this thing here. You wanted to make him fill out the CID after 15 years. No, do you still have the CID in the glove compartment of the car? I never give up. You wanted to make him fill out the CID, I still have it for you. You have the CID with Sebang's thing there, he with... Okay, but now who is this guy you hired really? I mean, what kind of person is he with the engineers, with the mechanics, with his teammate? Who is this guy?
But look, I'll start with his teammate because there's nothing nicer than hearing Pecco Bagnaia say he got along well with him, so I mean yeah, not very well because I mean well up to... Yes, good on a human, personal, human level. I've never heard a public-private statement from Pecco Bagnaia against Mark, he behaved well. [clears throat] He's behaving well. Then it's clear that he's a shark on the track like all champions are. Yes, yes, because the real problem between 46 and 93 is that they're the same. Yes, that's the problem. That said, I can only repeat what I've always said. I was surprised by his humility, his genuine, innate kindness—not the sought-after one—and his leadership. When Mark enters, when Mark speaks, everyone turns to him. This is... It's something you either have or you don't. If you look for it, you can see it. So, having said that, I can only speak highly of Mark Marquez. I got along very well with him, both on a personal and professional level. Then there were times where I think he made mistakes he could have avoided. Well, he won nine world championships, I told him so to his face. Yes, because to grow, you have to talk to him like he's a Rooky, and in certain situations you understand how much he listens to you because another of his skills is listening. That is, if he trusts you, he listens to you, and you see it when his eyes widen and he stares at you. In that moment, he listens. Then, if he doesn't agree, he reiterates. It's not like he says, "He said it, it comes out." I mean, he talks about it and tries to understand why you told him something he didn't like or didn't agree with. So I mean, I can't say I'm as happy with Market as I was and am with Pecco, and it's the same situation with Pecco. There are moments where I think he's made mistakes, and you just have to tell him to his face. I mean, I have to say I recognize a change in Mark Marquez over the last year, probably due to his physical condition, etc., but I don't feel like saying just because you're here that his work at Ducati has calmed down some of the greed he had before, etc. I recognize that his scorpion-like nature, which then makes us go and then in the end it stings him, because his nature has changed a bit.
Do you recognize that phrase you said? That guy is stronger than any obstacle he faces. He's totally different from how some of the press and some fans have described him. He's suffering, but he's focused on the goal. Did you tell me that? Yeah, that's exactly how it is. I repeat word for word and add Mark's words that make you understand who he is and what he wants. Another rider in my condition would have already quit. Yes, and his condition isn't just physical, it's about what he's won, what he has, that is, he could afford the good life, himself and the next three generations. Yes, he's still a champion, a recognized hero, a star. He wants to win, he still loves this sport like never before, and his only goal is to win. So the fact that he has this innate trust in Gigi and also in his technicians is what 's supporting him. He's supported by the fact that he has extreme faith in Ducati, in Gigi, in his engineers, who are pushing him to go through even more pain just to win because he's convinced he's getting the right technical support. So, the trust is mutual because here Gigi says, well, Gigi says Markez is driving now, okay, I'll summarize a bit, he does solid things, he does less spectacular, but more optimized and without unnecessary risks, in the sense that you've changed and with sublime elegance. I mean, this is a declaration of love here too, so it's a sporting love. So I want to tell you, maybe it's mutual. Is Gigi in love with the driver or the package in your opinion?
I, I believe that Gigi and Mark spoke, I say this without knowing it, at a time when there was no suspicion because of the extreme trust they have in each other. I believe that these two people have been looking for each other for a long time, maybe even without speaking, hoping one day they could work together. This is my perception from what I understand, from when I see them talk, from what they say to each other and from how they look at each other. I mean, sometimes they really do seem like two people in love. Well, well, no, it's a love of sport, technique, and even human love, like a kind of magnet that revolves around each other until it finally gets closer, right? Two magnets were words that one said to the other over time and vice versa that, in my opinion, made the other think about how devoted and useful that person was to them. Well, so I'm telling you, these are things that develop slowly, because it certainly developed slowly, but right now the bond is very strong, a bit like Jorge and Lorenzo, perhaps, but more so, a bit amplified, eh. No, I think there was a connection there too. You've had three. Gigi has always... He saw Orghe as his boyfriend. Yes, then maybe Orghe as the rider he raised. You know that Orghe, after many years in April, always saw Orghe as one of his—I wouldn't say his creation, but his protégé. Well, you've had three big names, big in the sporting, positive sense of the word: Dovizioso, Marquez, and Bagnaia. Dovizioso was a bit unlucky; he didn't win the title, although, I mean, if he had won, no one would be surprised because, in any case, it's a situation there. There are three big differences, right? Between the three, in terms of management, beyond everything else, because Bagnaia rewarded you, he was also rewarded by Duca, but they are three different characters, perhaps one more shady, one a bit more devious, one is Marquez, we talked about three people, three completely different people, that is, three riders and three completely different people, and three different managements, if you will. I'm sorry.
So, in the meantime, Andrea had the misfortune of finding Marquez in his path, and I only blame Andrea for that 2020 where he had the wrong things in his head, and I've always said it, but I said it to him too. Among other things, look, on Saturday night I'll go to Montecoralli for dinner at his place, on his motocross track. But having said that, well, beautiful facility, beautiful. Yes, he did an extraordinary job, and if anything comes up in front of his friends, I'll repeat it, right? Come on, you left 2020 on the field. But, having said that, he did an exceptional job because the development of this bike started with Andrea Dovizioso. I believe that since 2015, when I still remember the first outing of Gigi's bike, at Sepanga, when after the first five laps he stopped for a moment, didn't look at anyone, took off his helmet, looked at Gigi and said, "We're there!" And there I saw Gigi, who lit up, and from that bike and that development came the bike that was competitive in 2016, but especially from '17, when Andrea started taking second places in the world championship behind this phenomenal Markez, because at that moment Markez was truly unbeatable. Today he's a little less so, due to his physical deficiency, but in that moment Andrea, in
My opinion, did the best he could against a phenomenon, a true phenomenon. Yes, I also think Andrea is a king without a crown. I'm very sorry about this, eh? I miss that 2020.
And having said that, then Org, Org is an absolute talent with incredible obsessions that you had to know how to manage and there were moments where you realized that he lived on another planet and you had to bring him back down to earth a bit, but anyway, today a video of mine comes out that talks a bit about Vignales and Lorenzo and I say "But how could it have worked between Lorenzo and Vignales cheip, I mean, how could anyone think that two people like that wouldn't end up fighting?"
And anyway, okay, and then there's Pecco. So, Pecco's situation is a bit special because he rewarded Ducati with two world championships. In my opinion, he was also rewarded because, I mean, he found the right situation, but for example, your sporting director, Mauro Grassilli, said that it was a difficult year, he ruined some team dynamics with some strong statements, a bit of a rift. The rider is the leader and when you make such small statements, you undermine the unity of the group. I'll summarize it, then it's fine afterwards, but these are statements you're surely familiar with.
So, I have to say that every time I've seen Gigi D'Alligna or others criticize Pecco, you've been non-accommodating, because it's a negative, weak, but conciliatory term. That is, every time you intervene, and this time too you made a statement that brings everyone together a bit. This is the role of the team manager, or do you really think you have to tone things down a bit because it always seems like we're all going in the same direction. So, I mean, pulling a little in one direction, pulling in the other means slowing things down, so there are times when it's right to say certain things to the driver's face, but there are times when it's also right to try to pull everyone in the same direction.
Then I have to say that Mauro, He's been in this new role for a couple of years now. He's done a great job in terms of marketing, and he's still doing it at Ducati Corse. But I'd say he took over Paolo Ciabatti's position in a tough way. He's been good, he's still learning. It was difficult, wasn't it? It wasn't easy, it wasn't easy. Mauro manages things a little differently because he's a different person than Paolo, but he's really putting in the effort and is still willing to learn, so he hasn't gotten too big for his boots at all. I really appreciate working with him. It was a blessing to work with Paolo for 20 years, but I can tell you that I absolutely appreciate Mauro's modus operandi.
That said, it's clear that Mauro is a little tougher in certain situations, so it affected him a little more. Let's say that, despite being trained since 2004, he's never experienced such direct relationships with the riders, so he too was touched by certain statements. Okay, but you need someone else. You do this, you do that, let's say he's a little more annoyed, and in any case, I appreciate Mauro's words because they're direct and it's his opinion.
Another thing: a statement like that is appropriate in the role. A statement like that is appropriate because, in any case, the sporting director has a different role than the team manager; the sporting director must also put things down in black and white, it's appropriate. But you're the one who negotiates, so today he also does them on a sporting level, so I want to say, I absolutely like how he handles these things.
But we agree on the fact that, let's say, the small cracks, if you can say that, started with Pecco at Thailand 2025. We need to understand what happened. Well, we don't agree on that. Very small ones. Okay, that's the moment, right? And the moment the glass started, he made that little "eh" because at that moment he didn't understand that he was still absolutely fast. Um, in my opinion, he focused too much on Alex's performance, eh, he didn't understand how Alex could be so fast.
I kept saying Alex is basically a world champion because he won a Moto 3 world championship, a Moto 2 world championship. Then Alex's story speaks for itself. It took him, I'm going from memory, 4 years to win the Moto 3 world championship, it took him 45 years to win the Moto 2 world championship. It took him 4-5 years to go strong in MotoGP, but when he arrived, he was up there at the top. So, I mean, Alex isn't bad, simply, as you say, he's a diesel, but then when he arrives, he arrives and if he finds the right situation, he becomes super performing. So it's not like you're playing tricks on Alex Marquez if he's fast.
I've seen it. I saw—I understood—Alex Marquez once at the super-prestigious clay-court competition. I arrived much earlier because I had nothing else to do. I went to see him in Barcelona and saw him jostling, literally punching his brother, and I realized it was only a matter of time. I mean, right there, in that gym—I mean, someone who trains all the time like this in that gym, and with Mark, it's no coincidence that he's there.
Well, I think that actually, as you say, it wasn't so much Mark who surprised Pecco as Alex. And there he questioned himself prematurely because he was probably holding his own for the first three or four races. I think Pecco could have comfortably finished second, but instead he self-destructed. I mean, and then I think the entourage, as you say, there, no, but I think Pecco lost focus that year, in the sense that he focused too much on why Alex Marquez was going strong, without considering that he was always on the podium anyway, because he was always on the podium, so I think he lost his way a bit.
That said, I still think Pecco is a very fast rider. Right now, he's lost a bit of confidence in his bike. That said, it doesn't mean he's not a champion, that he's not a very strong rider, and I absolutely fear him on his new bike next year, so I think he'll be one of the riders who will give us some trouble. For me, this year is better than last year. Even in terms of serenity, and maybe it won't go the same way because this year there are other players who are definitely stronger, but I believe it will be a cleaner championship and more, how can I say, more serene and of better quality regardless of the results.
I'll show you something, look at the betting odds and we're on vacation, eh? So, Mark Marquez at 1 and this is an odds aggregator, it puts them all together. Holy crap, he came on Augura who is given the same chances as Martin, but they're at 7 and a half. Then there's Bezzecchi at 8, Gianantonio at 36. Go, go. Then there are some exotic numbers, eh, Bagnaia is on Dato at 151 and Marquez at 1 and a half. This thing, how scary this man is, who isn't even leading the championship and they're giving him practically equal odds. Eh, how scary. Eh, but eh, I don't think these odds are accurate.
This is an aggregator of all the odds from all the main betting agencies on motorsports, understand? See? These are the odds, then if I want to aggregate them and see there are various companies, I don't mean you see them here and no I understand Gianluigi, but eh I repeat, I know Mark's situation well and I tell you that even though I have extreme confidence, eh you have to be objective and objective so I believe that there are situations that pertain to the rider and others to the bike, so there are situations in the next 11 races in the next half of the championship where certainly other bikes could be more competitive for a reason.
Ah, but you say so the odds are not exact because different things can happen. Ah, no, no, okay. I thought you said they weren't true. No, no, no. Okay. No, no, no, not me, I would quote differently, I mean. Ah, sure. Well, yes, yes, yes, yes. I'd quote differently because I know where we'll surely suffer, where we'll surely struggle to fight for the win, where we could reasonably win, we could because then you're used to it, right? Seeing everything, eh. So I say thank you for giving us favorites, but these guys do it for a living, eh, they don't do it. No, no. Okay. So, you're an expert on MotoGP, these guys do it for a living, these crap guys do it for a living. So we have to. I watch them a lot because it's a symptom, an indicator of the market and the situations.
Now comes the good part, because many people don't know, eh, the good part, because I want to change the subject, I want to stop, I don't want to talk about Mark anymore, about these minor characters, I want to talk about Tardozzi who before becoming team manager was the first winner of a Superbike race and this isn't that year, but look at what a handsome man he is, look at what a handsome man, look. I mean, you still have all your hair and that really bothers me, but I have to say, well, almost you, you know. And as I say, as I say, I only break it blond, but seeing how much Richard Gear pulls from white hair, well, you didn't even change your haircut, I mean, that parting is still there, I mean, yes, yes, he's a traditionalist.
So, I was saying, the first winner of a Superbike race has... you could say they snatched the world championship from you because those guys messed up Donit, they added up the times of something that had never been done before. They decided to do it that time according to the rules per person, but to Mr. Merkel and with those points there you would have been the first Superbike world champion. Instead, they gave that Merkel there, who now we don't even know what he was. Fred Merkel was strong, I want to be honest, but anyway, well, there was something strange done in Onit and whatever, so then, I would have won it whether it had worked one way or another, that is, whether they had awarded points for all the races or for the sum of the races, I would have won it. Well, by doing that I lost it, but I definitely had a better bike because my bike was the Bimota that year, it was a really excellent bike, eh, compared to Merkel's Honda and Fabrizio Pirovano's Yamaha, eh, he deserved it. Yes, yes. No, okay, he was there and I mean, in the end, in the end, I'll tell you honestly, the better rider won. Ah, it doesn't really sting, does it? Eh, look, and I'm being honest, in the end Knowing that Fred was better than me, the best rider went and since I'm a fatalist and the right things have to be right, but that's okay. I mean, it means it had to happen this way, the fact that in the last race I could still have won and something happened to my bike on the warm-up lap so, well, for me, it was enough to finish in the top 7-8 because I lost by two or three and a half points, two and a half points, one and a half points and I just had to finish in the top 7-8, I don't remember now and that thing happened, it means it was written, so that's okay. Okay.
And then after so many years you come to terms with it, look, the satisfaction, eh, is not what I could have won as a rider. The satisfaction is what I won afterwards, because maybe I was better afterwards than before. Ah, but in this regard, as a team manager, there are few rivals. But did being a rider help you a little to become a team manager? How? How? How? Absolutely yes. Absolutely yes, because, eh, you have to understand things well. I believe there are good team managers, you know, who have never been drivers, but knowing what a driver thinks in certain situations certainly helps, and in those situations you have to know exactly what to give the driver, what to do for the driver, which isn't always what he asks for, but you have to give him what he needs, what's best for him. Of course. What's best for him. So yes, I think that even though many years have passed, too many, and it's a completely different world from back then, I believe the mentality, the mental attitude remains the same, so in certain situations it can help.
But who is a driver, a current driver still active, who could become a great team manager? In your opinion, even a driver who isn't a superstar—you say that—is a driver, he's good. Look, I don't think superstar drivers can, they'll never become great team managers because they have other things on their minds, they have other things in life, so he's certainly not one of them. Oh, well, I don't know if I'm a team manager right now, but Pecco, Pecco could become a manager because he's a strategist, let's say, someone who thinks, someone who, in my opinion, has the right ideas, someone who could manage people. In my opinion, Pecco could have an attitude despite being a superstar. He's the only superstar I can tell you who could do this. On the other hand, Stoner and Marquez clearly not. They go fishing, they don't see you anymore.
Okay. Look, Marquez, in my opinion, is an excellent advisor, I mean, if I were a team manager, I'd want Marc Marquez by my side. He could become a manager, he could give good advice, more of a rider manager, we already know his vertical company already manages riders and in my opinion he's already set his sights and signed a contract with the most suitable rider I see now in Moto 3 and for the future because that 's Maximo Killes. But Killes has already been under contract with Mark's company for two years, through his people. Mark doesn't directly manage this situation, but Massimo Killes is someone who will probably win the Moto 3 World Championship this year, he will very likely win the Moto 2 championship in the near future, he will definitely arrive in MotoGP and he will certainly be one of the protagonists in the coming years. I believe that Massimo Killes will be one of the protagonists of MotoGP from '29 onwards. It's obviously a positive monstrosity. Maximo Killes is visible, he's a guy without himself, without, but like Costa on a motorbike, something like that, like Marquez himself, without making comparisons.
Okay, so there was instead a rider who had managerial skills, but he ended up doing other things, in your opinion, that you met? You said this guy could be a manager, but instead look what the fuck he's done. He started doing no, I mean, you don't mean that. No, no, whatever, whatever. The rider who changed you instead, and in my opinion, in my opinion, is a rider who changed you. He changed me, yes. Has your way of working changed a bit, since you said I have to adapt here, otherwise I can't handle this? Oh well, definitely Org Lorenzo. Oh, okay. I had a few clashes with Orghe right away. Yes. Eh eh. Then we understood each other and kisses, hugs.
Today at the beginning it wasn't easy to make him understand that he was in Ducati and He was no longer in Yam at a 360° level in terms of management, as a bike, what he asked for, what he wanted, how he wanted it, that is, certain ways, certain ways even if it was. And then in the end he was also someone who gave a big hand to the evolution of the bike. Development, that is, certain things, in my opinion, certain little things are still on the bike, obvious things if you like, but once the tanks were all made in his own way, now they are all made in the Lorenzo style, that is, they have a reading where... Yes, yes, yes, look, the tanks today, not on ours, eh, even on our competitors, eh, they have all that reading that helps you keep the bike down. He was the first to understand that, eh certainly the position on the bike, the position in the saddle and that of the tank could help, eh, the entry into the turn rather than the mileage. Well, it's paradoxical because there was a lot of discussion about this and he was a pain in the ass, and then this time, look, I remember perfectly his chief mechanic from back then, Marco Ventura, today , a sin. Well, how many addons are the piece called, the back of the tank, the one between the rider's legs and the tank, because the tank is ultimately under the seat. Yes, it's there. And he did the first year. I think he had arrived, look, I don't remember the exact number, but we're between 26 and 27, something like that. 26 arrivals. So, well, listen to something, but we didn't, I mean, we didn't talk to each other, then after that we didn't know each other. We started a few months ago because I wrote that you were retiring, right? Maybe and you said to me, "Oh, but you still wrote to me and said, 'I still don't work,'" But then you said, "Yes, but actually I'm a little tired and I mean, sooner or later I'll have to." You said no. So now maybe you're pumped, you tell me "No, it's not true, I don't want it." But more or less, I mean, I don't want you to retire, of course, but one wonders, "Is this true, Tardozzi? Is he thinking about how things are going?"
I mean, first of all, I'm officially telling you that for what this year, not how many? I'm not going. 27 or 28 are still educated. Okay. So this is convenient for me, okay, I mean, I'm happy. For me, I'll look at 27 or 278. 27, so he doesn't even think of writing. Okay. After that, I mean, it's clear that the years are advancing, but as long as I'm having fun and as long as Ducati thinks I can be useful inside the garage, I'll stay. Then it's clear that the current situation, 22 races, two non-European heads, now they also add the how of the team presentation outside Europe. In short, these trips are starting to get tough, but I repeat, as long as I'm having fun, I think I'll give not 100, 101.
Okay, but are you training a Moto 2 rider, are you training a Tardozzi? Are you identifying a Tardozzi? In your opinion, once this is asked, it will be up to Ducati Corse, Dallenicali, and Mauro Grassilli, to then identify who that will be in the future. Then I repeat, as long as they ask me to stay, I mean, yes, yes. No, but I don't want you, I mean, I don't want to hook you up, but I know that I know that you have preferences, in the sense that there are a couple that you think could do this job well. I know this, but I definitely have one name in mind, mainly, but also two that I will suggest, but it won't be up to me to decide, but that said, I repeat. A four-letter name, no, that's not the case. I don't say n because it's certainly not the right time. Having said that, I tell you my pride is the fact that Ducati is happy for me to stay and this for me is more than being paid, more than being, let's say, we who need Tardocci with all the statements and things including this interview, how are you experiencing this social thing that has almost forced you to have a social profile because I mean you have to have it for reasons and also to be the object of I have seen a change, unfortunately, a bit of general stupidity with Marc Marquez this German Ducati, Spanish biloti, there is one thing that really bothers me, I don't know how much that insult there that sounds a lot like bothers you to your last name, which is that one, eh ritard, that kind of stuff, I mean, it doesn't leave me reasonably indifferent. Then it bothers me. It's clear that if you read the one who says "well done" and the one who insults you, it's clear that insults are always a little annoying. It's not that, I mean, not that, but, I mean, then I judge the person who said that thing or wrote that thing for what it is. Then, eh, I mean, as often happens, the people who write don't have a sense of what they're talking about, that is, they don't know what's behind it, what was really said, you know, the conversations are like classic barroom chats, but if you don't know exactly what happened, what was said, eh, what the roles are, I mean, sometimes I've been insulted for something I didn't even do because it's not my role and maybe it was... Sure, so insults maybe a participant because I'm in certain meetings, but it wasn't my decision and I get the insult. But that's not it, that's absolutely not a problem because I understand that these people don't know anything. Then I judge the person for what I judge, that is, I don't respond, well, first of all I absolutely don't respond to insults, but hey, I've learned to let it go and I repeat, the profile is there, I like the fact that Ducati asked me to have a profile and yet ...
But you have to manage it, you don't have a social media manager. Yes. No, no, no, I mean, I look at it because I don't say, I mean, I want, I tell the truth, I look at it, I sometimes even like reading about certain things, certain situations where you are, forgive me the term bullshit and I sit there and look and read and read about everything, everything. Then the fact that he arrived since Marc arrived is clear that I've moved on and many have moved on to insults because of what you were saying and you take the Spanish passport and Audi here, Audi there. Audi which by the way has nothing to do with us. Audi. And I still remember the words of, well, 10-12 years ago, of the person who ran Audi who said, "But you make the motorcycles, you do it well ." I mean, at Ducati, the CFO is German. That's enough. Yes, but I always say this. It does it alone, it does it with its own money and on its own. Well, so, I mean, Audi controls it because Audi is indirectly controlled by Volkswagen, in short, it controls Ducati, but then it's Ducati that does it. I mean, I think we have to give credit to our CEO, Claudio Domenicali, who I've been lucky enough to know since the first day he joined Ducati, and who has had an incredible journey that has given Ducati, in my opinion, the brilliance of recent years. Because since he became CEO, that is, since March 2013, I think Ducati has made a meteoric rise. Yes, yes. In an increasingly difficult, increasingly complex world, I was saying, let's get back to the point I made earlier.
I'm very envious of you in the industry, you who work in this field, in the sense that you read everything, you read a lot of stuff, and you never get pissed off. I, on the other hand, still can't help but get pissed off because I am, but I want to say, first of all, I'm pleased that you speak with a different level of knowledge than others who are totally uninformed, because in my opinion, the first rule of those who do your job, above all, is that I'm not talking about those who talk on social media, as I said before, barroom chatter, but those who do your job must be informed, and the fact that you, Fabbia, make targeted interventions knowing what you're talking about is fundamental, that is, it's professionalism, that is, there are people who don't know what they're talking about, but they're well-informed. Okay.
So, now we'll wrap things up, but I wanted to go and open up these KTM engines or not? So why do we need to open them up? Do they have this problem? No, it can't be answered. It's a very hot topic. This is a very hot topic, and I actually saw it this morning, an email from the secretary of the MSMA. I think we're reaching a good agreement, and I think it will happen. Like De Filippi's envelope, there's a bit of hesitation, but in the end she opens it. I mean, I think they've put on the table the possibility of getting comprehensive clarifications, of implementing some rules, So I believe that our Davide Barana, who is the technical director and who manages the relationships with the MSMA, has done an excellent job, he has clarified some things. And in my opinion, we will get to a resolution to this matter in the best possible way, also thanks to the intervention of Ducati, which handled it in the best possible way. He didn't put obstacles in the way of KTM's wheels, he simply clarified the situations to try to improve the regulation, which is currently lacking for the future. So in my opinion, an excellent job has been done, which is positive for everyone, and KTM will certainly also deserve credit for it. That is, we don't simply open up, but from today onwards we must consider that otherwise the problem won't be solved. The specific problem is solved, but not the general problem. That's how I understood it. You don't need a swab, you need a well-made regulation, a regulation made specifically because, let's remember, it's not just a question of sporting competition, but also of safety, right? Because if something like that happened to Costa, it tends to happen—here I—look, if I'd greet you by saying something, you mean, you want to send a message, not so much to the fans because if you're not the Pope, but, well, to those who tell about this sport, I mean, to me, you want to say something to me, but also to those who do this job, I mean, do more, do less, do, I mean, because afterward in the end, otherwise you have to make denials, things, I mean, what? Or to the fans.
An open message that I've always been despising. What I mean is, delve into the situations, definitely discuss them on social media, but try to be, so to speak, open to understanding that unfortunately, from home, we don't know everything, so maybe asking questions before making statements would be useful and following people, or let's give credit to Gianluigi Ragno, before speaking, in my opinion, would also be appropriate. Okay, you know, no one will believe this is something they'll believe it was done on purpose and he didn't pay me. He didn't pay me. I have a lira. Okay. And what he said, I want to reiterate. Unfortunately, we somehow followed each other for years and years and years and years, we had never spoken, then an opportunity arose and it was a pleasure, I think, for both of us. Oh, but you're not retiring and so everything we had was for nothing. Oh, nothing. Oh well, oh like that. Okay. So, thanks Davide Tardozzi for wasting an hour and 25 minutes of your vacation. But who will ever listen to all this stuff? Don't worry, at least in your company they listen to it. Then also to check, you understand? But Mister Mister Helmet and my wife says like sluts, no one says they go, but in the end they all go to see so my wife, my wife says so. Oh well, thanks. I'll send the theme song. See you soon. Thanks. See you next time. Bye bye bye bye. [music]