Valentino Rossi, the legendary nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion, has once again stirred the MotoGP paddock with his sharp wit and candid commentary. In a recent interview ahead of the 2025 British Grand Prix, Rossi sarcastically suggested that the MotoGP championship should be renamed the “Ducati Cup,” a biting remark aimed at the Italian manufacturer’s overwhelming dominance in the 2025 season. His comments, laced with humor but grounded in truth, reflect the growing frustration among fans and insiders about Ducati’s stranglehold on the sport and the challenges facing other manufacturers in catching up.
The 2025 MotoGP season has been a showcase of Ducati’s technical prowess. With eight riders on the grid aboard Desmosedici machines, the Borgo Panigale-based manufacturer has claimed victory in 12 of the first 14 races, leaving rival brands like Yamaha, Honda, Aprilia, and KTM scrambling to keep pace. Francesco Bagnaia, the reigning double world champion, and new factory teammate Marc Marquez have led the charge, combining for nine wins, while VR46’s Fabio Di Giannantonio and Franco Morbidelli have added podiums to Ducati’s tally. Rossi’s own Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, now Ducati’s primary satellite squad, has benefited from factory support, with Di Giannantonio riding a GP25 and Morbidelli delivering a resurgent performance on a year-old GP24. Yet, despite his team’s success, Rossi’s remarks reveal a deeper concern about the sport’s competitive balance.
“Ducati is winning everything. Maybe we should just call it the Ducati Cup,” Rossi quipped during a press event at Silverstone, his trademark grin masking a pointed critique. “It’s incredible what they’ve done, but it’s not so fun for the others, no? When I was racing, we had big fights between Honda, Yamaha, and sometimes Ducati or Suzuki. Now, it’s red bikes everywhere.” Rossi’s comments echo sentiments shared by fans on platforms like Reddit, where discussions about Ducati’s dominance highlight their innovative engineering, from aerodynamic advancements to seamless rider adaptability, as key to their success. However, Rossi’s sarcastic tone suggests that this imbalance risks dulling the spectacle that made MotoGP a global phenomenon during his era.
Rossi’s critique is not without context. Ducati’s rise to supremacy began under the leadership of Gigi Dall’Igna, whose engineering genius transformed the Desmosedici into the grid’s most versatile machine. By embracing the spec ECU early and fostering an open development philosophy, Ducati outmaneuvered Japanese manufacturers, who struggled to adapt after relying on riders like Marquez and Fabio Quartararo to mask their bikes’ shortcomings. Rossi himself acknowledged Dall’Igna’s impact, saying, “Gigi raised the bar so high. The Japanese are trying, but it’s tough to match Ducati now.” Yet, his jest about renaming the championship underscores a fear that MotoGP’s appeal could wane if one manufacturer continues to dominate unchecked.
As the owner of the VR46 team, Rossi is uniquely positioned to comment on Ducati’s influence. His squad’s new factory-supported status for 2025, complete with a GP25 for Di Giannantonio, has elevated VR46’s competitiveness, with Morbidelli’s double podium in Qatar marking a high point. Rossi praised his riders, noting, “Franco and Fabio are doing fantastic. We’re fighting for podiums, maybe even wins, because Ducati gives us a great bike.” However, his loyalty to Yamaha, where he won four of his seven premier-class titles, adds a layer of irony to his situation. Contractual obligations prevent Rossi from displaying Ducati’s logo on his team apparel, a “paradox” he navigates with his usual charm. This dual allegiance fuels his candid perspective, blending admiration for Ducati’s achievements with nostalgia for a more balanced grid.
The broader MotoGP landscape supports Rossi’s concerns. Yamaha and Honda, once titans of the sport, have struggled to close the gap, with their combined win tally since 2022 dwarfed by Ducati’s haul. Aprilia and KTM show promise, but their victories remain sporadic. Rossi’s call for a “Ducati Cup” is less a complaint than a challenge to the sport’s stakeholders—Dorna, the FIM, and rival manufacturers—to restore parity before fan interest wanes. “MotoGP is about passion, about close racing,” he said. “If it’s always the same bikes winning, people might get bored.”
Rossi’s remarks also carry weight given his storied career. With 89 premier-class victories and 199 podiums, he thrived in an era of fierce rivalries against riders like Max Biaggi, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo, and Marc Marquez. His battles across brands—Honda, Yamaha, and even a challenging stint with Ducati in 2011-2012—defined MotoGP’s golden age. Today, as a team owner and mentor, Rossi remains a vocal advocate for the sport’s soul, urging it to recapture the unpredictability that once captivated millions.
As MotoGP heads toward its final races of 2025, Rossi’s “Ducati Cup” jab will linger. Whether it sparks action from rival manufacturers or simply cements Ducati’s legacy, one thing is clear: Valentino Rossi, even in retirement, knows how to keep the paddock talking. His sarcasm may amuse, but his message is deadly serious—the sport he loves must evolve to stay vibrant.
