The story could have been beautiful: Valentino Rossi winning his tenth world championship title with a Ducati. That was the dream and the goal, but it was far from becoming a reality.
Il Dottore raced for the Borgo Panigale manufacturer in 2011 and 2012 but failed to secure even a single victory. Three podium finishes (two of which were second places) were the best results Rossi achieved with the Desmosedici GP.
Expectations were high, but a non-competitive and challenging bike proved to be an insurmountable obstacle—even though the Italian rider was still in top form and capable of competing for leading positions.
Claudio Domenicali, Ducati’s CEO, did not shy away from acknowledging that Rossi’s tenure with the team was disappointing. Speaking to Motori Online, he said: ‘With Valentino, there were several technical changes, and these were not even carried out with the necessary discipline. It was a great disappointment’.