DUCATI ARE SO strong that it is hard to see anyone overcoming the Italian factory's dominance in 2024, especially since their eight-rider line-up will be stronger than ever, thanks to Marc Márquez's arrival at Gresini Ducati.
Aprilia, Honda, KTM, and Yamaha will do their best to catch up, but when you examine last season's statistics, it is a huge mountain to climb.
In 2023, Ducati won the riders' and constructors' titles for the second year running, with a level of technical dominance not seen since Honda's RC211V in 2002 and 2003: Desmosedici GP23s and GP22s won both the sprint and Grand Prix races at 14 of the 20 rounds, monopolised the GP podium at nine rounds, and scored 96 per cent of available constructors' points.
However, rights-holder Dorna has written new concession regulations to help Ducati's rivals close the gap, especially Honda and Yamaha, which Dorna feared losing from the championship.
The new system allows KTM and Aprilia more testing and wild cards, while Honda and Yamaha get extra benefits. They can test more and with their full-time riders at any circuit, plus they get two aero updates per season and 10 engines, of any spec. By contrast, Ducati get 35 per cent fewer test tyres, they can only use test-riders for testing, they can only test at three circuits, they get no wild cards, only one aero update, and eight engines, all of the same specification.
Aprilia
‘Our bike is not so far from perfection'
Two GP wins, third in constructors' championship
APRILIA'S CHIEF Engineer Romano Albesiano believes the RSGP is getting closer to being a title challenger, having won two GPs in 2023.
This story is from the February 2024 edition of Bike India.
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This story is from the February 2024 edition of Bike India.
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