VOLUME ISSUE DECEMBER , P75
In many ways this season was vindication
for his seismic decision to quit MotoGP's
most successful manufacturer for Gresini
Ducati in October 2023. From the second
preseason test in Thailand, it was clear the
grid's 21 other riders were in for a long year.
Only brother Alex could occasionally get
close in the 17 rounds that followed.
The sacrifices made since 2020 weren't
only physical. The 32-year-old revealed he
had taken a "100 percent pay cut" when leav
-
ing Honda—reportedly paying him in excess
of €20 million ($23.2 million) a season—for
that season at Gresini. Then, as he angled
a way into Ducati's factory team ahead of
Jorge Martin, he had to give up long-term
sponsors Red Bull, Allianz and Samsung.
