Filippo Preziosi Resigns from Ducati

Formerly General Manager of Ducati Corse, and left largely to blame for the Italian company’s recent short-comings in the MotoGP Championship, Filippo Preziosi has resigned from Ducati Motor Holding, just ahead of his transition into the role of Ducati’s Director of Research & Development.

Officially citing reasons of poor health for his departure, many following Preziosi’s situation will however see his resignation as the logical conclusion to a two-year debacle that saw Valentino Rossi noticeably unable to compete with the other factory riders, and go winless for the two years he was with the Italian manufacturer.

Working at Ducati for 19 years, 12 of which were with Ducati Corse, Preziosi’s legacy at the iconic brand has largely been marred by Ducati’s Rossi experiment. However, as that chapter fades from recent memory, we think the 45-year-old’s years of racing success and technological achievement will shine through on motorcycling’s history books.

Replaced at Ducati Corse by BMW’s Bernhard Gobmeier, Preziosi’s position as Ducati’s Director of R&D remains vacant. After an appropriate amount of time, we suspect Ducati will announce a new team member for that position.