Most bets favor the defender
Bagnaia for a third in a row. Or
possibly Jorge Martin, who is
mounting a strong challenge for
a second year. Or even (excit
-
ingly) ex-Honda multi-champion
Marc Marquez, who appears to
be starting a formerly unlikely
late-season charge, as he shows
just how completely he has
adapted to the Italian bike—even
if his is a year out of date.
Or possibly even Enea Bas
-
tianini, winner of the British GP,
who is accomplished at coming
through in the later stages.
They are three of Ducati's
embarrassment of riches—a
panoply of eight riders, of whom
all but two (Di Giannantonio and
Bezzecchi) have won at least
one World Championship and
several more than that.
Next year, big changes. With
three of the eight leaving to join
rivals, which two current con
-
tenders will Ducati have an em-
barrassment of rivals instead?
The present situation gives
the Bologna brand the sort of
team-management and rider-
T
he 2024 MotoGP season
isn't quite done yet. But
approaching the two-thirds
point, there are already some
certainties. The champion will
be a Ducati rider.
It's like a glorified one-make
series, with added humiliation
for rivals.
But who will it be?
P146
CN II IN THE PADDOCK
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
Ducati will lose three elite riders for next season,
and those riders take with them not only potential
victories but also inside knowledge.
PHOTO GOLD & GOOSE
DUCATI: AN
EMBARRASSMENT
OF RIVALS?
