Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/104739
FEATURE P66 WROOOM 2013 THE OLD HAND IS BACK D ucati's MotoGP team has been without a strong voice ever since Livio Suppo left his job as MotoGP project manager at the end of the 2009 season. Filippo Preziosi was the Ducati Corse General and Technical Director, but being wheelchairbound made it difficult for him to travel. Vito Guareschi was officially team manager, but he spoke English haltingly. And though Alessandro Cicognani held the same title as Suppo, he didn't wield the same influence in the paddock. That all changed when Ducati brought back an old hand and a very successful one. Paolo Ciabatti was at the helm of Ducati's Superbike program when it was winning serial World Championships. Ciabatti was in charge from 1999 through 2007, an era that included title wins by Carl Fogarty; 1999, Troy Bayliss; 2001 and '06, Neil Hodgson; 2003, and James Toseland; 2004. Ciabatti also oversaw Ducati's involvement in AMA Superbike racing starting in 1999, traveling to three or four races a year. Ciabatti saw the early potential in Ben Spies and tried to sign him at Virginia International Raceway in 2004, only to find he'd been late to the party; Spies had just agreed to a two-year deal with American Suzuki to move from Superstock to Superbike. Ciabatti left Ducati at the end of 2007 to run the World Superbike Championship. He was taken completely by surprise when the championship was sold to Dorna. Even before that, Ciabatti was talking with Ducati about returning to the company when the decision was made to re-organize Ducati Corse, he was the perfect man to run the MotoGP program. The personable and engaging 55-year-old from Turin has always been well regarded in the paddock by everyone, the riders, the teams, the media. He's navigated the highly Nicky Hayden gets down to business during the go-kart race during the 23rd annual Wrooom International Press Ski Meeting. charged world of racing effortlessly, making plenty of friends and very few, if any, enemies along the way. He speaks fluent English, which makes him a favorite of journalists. We spoke to Ciabatti at Wrooom, where he was renewing old acquaintances and making new ones. This is an edited transcript of that conversation. >>What is your job and how is it different from Bernhard Gobmeier's? Well, it's very clear I'm the MotoGP project director - that means anything that is not technical. Bernhard is the general manager of Ducati Corse, which means MotoGP and Superbike. So I'm basically, if you wish to make an example, doing what Livio Suppo used to do when Ducati entered in MotoGP. So I'm in charge of anything related to the relationship with IRTA, Dorna, the other manufacturers, MSMA. And, obviously, I'm the Ducati person re-