Andrea Dovizioso sends Luigi Dall’Igna blunt four-word message years after blaming him for Ducati exit

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Andrea Dovizioso helped Ducati to set a lot of the foundations for the dominance that the Borgo Panigale brand are enjoying in MotoGP today with star rider Marc Marquez.

The Bologna Bullets first welcomed Dovizioso into their ranks in the 2013 MotoGP season as Ducati reacted to their winless 2011 and 2012 campaigns. It took the Italian giant until 2016 to win again, as Andrea Iannone led Dovizioso in a one-two at the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix.

Dovizioso would ultimately stay at Ducati through 2020 and earned 14 of his 15 career wins for the Borgo Panigale squad. The Italian also came second to Marquez, while still at Honda, for the title in 2017, 2018 and 2019. He missed out by 37, 76 and 151 points in those terms.

Davide Tardozzi blames Dovizioso for Ducati not winning the 2020 MotoGP title, too, as Joan Mir won Suzuki their first riders’ championship since 2000. Dovizioso only took fourth in the 2020 standings before leaving Ducati, who have had the bike to beat every year since 2022.

Andrea Dovizioso only has ‘kind regards’ for Luigi Dall’Igna after blaming him for leaving Ducati

Francesco Bagnaia won Ducati their first riders’ title since 2007 in 2022, and he retained it in 2023. Jorge Martin also became the first premier class champion with an independent team since 2001 with Pramac in 2024. Now, Marquez is on course to win his first title with Ducati.

READ MORE: Everything to know about Ducati from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy

But the bridges that Dovizioso burned with Luigi Dall’Igna when he left Ducati have not been rebuilt in the years since. The Forlimpopoli native told Gazzetta dello Sport in January 2021 that “Gigi and I have not spoken calmly since 2017”, and blamed Dall’Igna for his departure.

“These decisions come only from Gigi,” Dovizioso noted at the time. “There is talk of Ducati, but it is wrong because all the decisions are his. Like the choice of [Jorge] Lorenzo in 2017.”

Four years later, Dovizioso still only has ‘kind regards’ for Dall’Igna, having failed to rebuild their relationship since the Italian left Ducati at the end of 2020. Dovizioso has told Fanpage that his only message about their relationship now would be: “Kind regards, nothing more.”

Dovizioso has no regrets about leaving Ducati after pushing past his limits ‘for a long time’

Despite the feelings that Dovizioso still holds for Dall’Igna, the Italian does not regret that his Ducati career came to an end when it did. The seven-time MotoGP polesitter even thinks he stayed in Borgo Panigale for too long, having reached his ‘limits’ long before the axe swung.

Dovizioso explained: “No, because stories end for many reasons. Eight intense, beautiful and difficult years. We brought Ducati back to the highest levels.

“It would have been wonderful to win together. But when values, goals or behaviours are no longer aligned, you have to accept that it’s time to say enough.

“Everyone has their own limits, and I pushed past mine for a long time because I wanted to win. Then, Ducati continued their fabulous work and, today, have the strongest bike in the paddock. Credit to them, but also to the foundations we built together.”

Despite the circumstances behind his departure at the end of 2020, Ducati owe a lot to the time that Dovizioso spent in Borgo Panigale for the dominance that the Bologna Bullets are enjoying today. Marquez has won eight of the 12 Grands Prix and 11 Sprint Races this term.

Dovizioso registered one of Ducati’s two Grand Prix wins in 2016, all six in 2017, four of their seven in 2018, two of their three in 2019 and one of their two in 2020. His efforts helping to develop the Desmosedici set the foundations for Bagnaia, Martin and likely Marquez’s titles.