Pramac CEO and owner of the Prima Pramac Racing team, Paolo Campinoti, disclosed the pivotal moment that led him to decide to switch from Ducati to Yamaha for the 2025 MotoGP season. This decision was solidified after an event during the Mugello Series in Italy in early June left him feeling disappointed.
The official announcement was made in Assen, Netherlands, on Friday, June 28, 2024, that Pramac would become Yamaha’s new satellite team in 2025. This move took many by surprise since Pramac has been a satellite team for Ducati since 2004 and has benefited from having the latest factory spec motorcycles.
Despite this longstanding relationship, Campinoti revealed via GPOne that the thought of leaving Ducati had been lingering for a while. He often reconsidered his decision due to his close friendship with Gigi Dall’Igna, the General Manager of Ducati Corse. Campinoti said, “I’ve been holding back for a long time, thanks to my personal and deep friendship with Gigi Dall’Igna. I needed time to digest the situation.” However, he finally made his decision after witnessing Enea Bastianini overtaking Jorge Martin at Mugello, which generated significant excitement in the Ducati garage.
The incident that annoyed Campinoti occurred on the last lap of the Italian MotoGP race at Mugello on June 2, 2024. Enea Bastianini of the Ducati Lenovo Team overtook Pramac rider Jorge Martin at the final corner to secure second place. The celebration that ensued in the Ducati Lenovo Team garage, particularly from CEO Claudio Domenicali and Ducati Global Marketing Director Francesco Milicia, irked Campinoti as it felt as though Martin was not their rider. He noted that Davide Tardozzi’s celebration was understandable since he is the Manager of the Ducati Lenovo Team.
Ultimately, these events pushed Campinoti to finalize his decision to transition Pramac from Ducati to Yamaha, marking a significant shift in their MotoGP alliance.
