
Where once MotoGP’s Japanese powerhouses Honda and Yamaha were the undisputed dominators of the championship, times have shifted and the European onslaught has set in – with Ducati, KTM and Aprilia the benchmarks now.
This wasn’t an overnight takeover. Ducati has been slogging away since 2003 to deliver a title challenger and went through some abysmal times in the early 2010s before finally building a bike that was a true frontrunner - its years with Casey Stoner, including his championship campaign in 2007, flattered to deceive thanks to the Australian’s unearthly talent - in the last two years.