The Long Road to Victory
For Ducati, winning a MotoGP race had become an obsession. The Italian manufacturer had not tasted victory since the days of Casey Stoner in 2010, and as the seasons rolled by, the pressure mounted. By 2016, the Desmosedici had evolved into a competitive machine, but the final step—standing on the top step of the podium—remained elusive.
That all changed at the Austrian Grand Prix, a race that would go down in history as the moment Ducati finally broke its drought. But as Andrea Iannone now recalls, the path to that historic win was paved with uncertainty, bold decisions, and an internal battle that nearly tore the team apart.
A Last-Minute Gamble
Iannone, who rode for Ducati alongside Andrea Dovizioso in 2016, remembers the tense moments before the race. With just minutes to go before the start, he and his crew chief, Marco Rigamonti, made a call that would define the race: they chose a soft rear tyre.
It was a risky move. The soft compound offered superior grip but raised questions about durability over race distance. The team had planned for a different strategy, but Iannone and Rigamonti felt the soft tyre could give them the edge they needed to fight for victory. It was a decision that did not sit well with everyone in the garage.
“We started a big fight,” Iannone said, reflecting on the tension that followed. The choice created a rift within the team, as some believed it was too risky, while others saw it as the only way to beat their rivals.
The Battle Within
The friction was not just about tyres. Iannone and Dovizioso were locked in a fierce rivalry, both desperate to be the one to deliver Ducati’s first win in the modern era. The atmosphere in the garage was electric, with each rider pushing his own agenda.
When Iannone’s soft tyre choice was revealed, it added fuel to the fire. Dovizioso’s side of the garage questioned the wisdom of the decision, while Iannone’s crew stood by their rider. The tension was palpable, but Iannone remained confident.
“I believed in my choice,” he said. “I knew it was the right way to win.”
A Historic Triumph
When the lights went out, Iannone’s gamble paid off. He battled at the front, his soft tyre giving him the grip he needed to make decisive moves. In the closing laps, he found himself in a duel with Dovizioso, and the two Ducatis fought tooth and nail for the win.
It was a moment of pure drama. Iannone eventually crossed the line first, securing Ducati’s first victory since 2010 and the first for the Desmosedici in the four-stroke era. The team erupted in celebration, but the victory was bittersweet, as it came at the expense of their other rider.
For Iannone, it was the crowning achievement of his MotoGP career. He had silenced the doubters and delivered the result that Ducati had been craving for years.
Legacy of a Bold Call
Looking back, Iannone’s soft tyre choice is now remembered as a masterstroke, a testament to the value of instinct in the heat of competition. But at the time, it was a decision that could have gone horribly wrong.
The win also marked a turning point for Ducati. It proved that the Italian factory could compete with the best in the world and set the stage for future successes. In the years that followed, Ducati would go on to challenge for championships, but that first win in Austria remains a special memory for all involved.
Iannone’s recollection of the event highlights the fine margins that define MotoGP. A single tyre choice, made in the final minutes, can be the difference between glory and disappointment. And sometimes, as he proved, you have to start a fight to get what you want.
