Andrea Iannone and Marco Rigamonti chose a soft rear tyre just minutes before Ducati’s breakthrough 2016 MotoGP victory.
Today, 14 August, marks the tenth anniversary of Andrea Iannone’s landmark MotoGP victory for Ducati at the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix.
The Italian’s debut win was also the first MotoGP victory for Gigi Dall’Igna, who joined Ducati from Aprilia in late 2013, and broke the factory’s five-year losing streak dating back to Casey Stoner’s last Desmosedici win.
“In 2016, we achieved the first victory for Ducati after a long time. I think it started a new era, definitely, from this moment for Ducati,” Iannone told MotoGP.com.
“Everybody cried, everybody had big emotions.”
Team manager Davide Tardozzi adds: “We started to smile again. It became the new era of Ducati Corse.”
Although Ducati had taken frequent podiums since Dall’Igna’s arrival, victory remained elusive.
A string of retirements meant the factory team began the Austrian weekend just ninth and tenth in the world championship, with Iannone and team-mate Andrea Dovizioso, behind the more consistent satellite rider Hector Barbera (Avintia).
The Desmosedici was far from the well-rounded machine that would come to dominant the class, but it’s clear strengths in straight-line performance – hard braking and acceleration – meant the return of the stop-go Red Bull Ring played perfectly into its hands.
Ducati’s performance in a test to prepare for the first Austrian Grand Prix since 1997 underlined the golden chance available.
“We did some tests on that racetrack one month before. From that moment, we realised that we can catch the real prize at the end of the race,” said Dall’Igna.
Dovizioso was the quicker rider in practice, before Iannone snatched pole position, with Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi separating the Ducatis on the front row.
However, Iannone then surprised by making a late tyre change.
“When we started to prepare for the race after warm-up, we started a big fight inside the garage because I wanted to use the soft tyre on the rear and everybody, also Michelin, wanted me to use the medium one,” Iannone explained.
Tardozzi confirmed: “It's true because during the test, we had some concern about using that tyre and we knew that the medium allowed us to be on the podium or try to win the race.”