RiderTua.com – In the new agreement with MotoGP World Champion Francesco Pecco Bagnaia, it was revealed that Ducati handed over responsibility for Pecco’s contract to new sporting director Mauro Grassilli who had not previously handled the issue of negotiating a deal with the rider.
Pecco’s new contract with Ducati comes after negotiations that were more difficult than MotoGP fans expected. And the contract extension after the end of this year between the rider from Turin, Italy and the manufacturer from Borgo Panigale, Italy, looks like a formality. Finally, Pecco signed a multi-year commitment worth ‘at least’ 6 million euros (Rp. 103 billion) per season, even previously reported by some media as up to 7 million euros.
Pecco Bagnaia ‘s contract negotiations with Ducati turned out to be difficult, beyond expectations!
However, it turns out there are still obstacles that must be overcome before Ducati can tie Pecco Bagnaia. Because Mauro Grassilli, who replaced Paolo Ciabatti as Ducati sporting director, was responsible for the negotiations and had never negotiated a MotoGP rider’s contract before.
Grassilli said that he initially had a 20-year career in marketing, where his role was to gather as much financial resources as possible for the MotoGP and WorldSBK teams to work.. Through the relationships he had with sponsors. And this is the first time he’s negotiated a contract where (it’s like) he’s the one who has the wallet, the money.
Initially, according to him, negotiating with riders was as easy as with sponsors, but in reality it was much more difficult than he expected. However, thanks to the help of all parties they managed to reach an agreement. Everyone underestimated Pecco Bagnaia’s contract renewal, but it was not as easy as people imagined, he added.
The pressure to keep Pecco Bagnaia is increasing as Ducati racing boss Gigi Dall’Igna hopes to have his contract completed before the season starts. Finally, the agreement was secured ahead of the season-opening series at the Qatar GP, which was won by the 26-year-old rider.
Grassilli explained that there was a time when he doubted he would be able to complete the deal before Qatar, because perhaps he lacked the experience to understand the entire context. His first contract extension with an important rider, and it was not easy.
Grassilli added, “The target was to renew Pecco’s contract before the first race, and we achieved it. And not only because of the result, but because it combines all our brand values and he is very much loved by all Ducati fans.”
Competition for a second factory Ducati seat in 2025 is underway. Enea Bastianini had the ball but Jorge Martin, currently at Pramac, threatened to quit Ducati unless he was promoted next year. But Marc Marquez is also an interesting choice.
“Now we decided to slow down and see how things develop on the track. We have a competitive bike, the most desired in the second official manufacturer. Choices are important, they have to be considered and it takes time. We have many options that we can decide on,” concluded Grassilli.
