A few days ago we were already talking about Patritalia and his unexpected proposal to take over Ducaticurrently integrated into the Volkswagen Group through Audi. Now, the Italian company has put the focus back on the operation, twisted the screw a little more, and has given more details about what it intends to do if it finally manages to take over the manufacturer of Borgo Panigale. They go much further…
The figure he puts on the table is still 2.5 billion euros and, according to Patritaliathe proposal remains valid indefinitely. But, as we are telling you, the company (which is headed by Massimo Ros), does not seem to want to limit his project to Ducati.
Now, among its objectives it also appears MV Agustawithin a much broader strategy whose stated purpose is “return to Italian hands some of the country’s historic brands that currently have foreign owners”.
What Patritalia wants to do
And this is where the project begins to be especially striking. Patritalia He assures that his philosophy is based precisely on “recover Italian control of companies considered strategic for the country’s industry“. In the case of Ducatithis idea would affect all levels of the company. According to the company itself, its organizations would be formed «always and exclusively by Italians, regardless of the nationality of the candidates and their professional abilities”.
Put into practice, it would mean a fairly profound transformation for a company like Ducati. The Borgo Panigale firm operates in a completely international market, with factories, subsidiaries, importers and commercial networks spread across numerous countries. It is one thing to recover Italian shareholder control and quite another to apply a nationality policy to the entire labor structure of a global company. Therefore, the proposal of Patritalia opens as many questions as answers.
Patritalia also wants MV Agusta
Furthermore, as we are telling you, the group’s ambition does not end in Borgo Panigale. Patritalia She assures that MV Agusta is also within her objectives, although she has not specified what an eventual operation would be like or how much she would be willing to invest. The idea fits with the discourse that the company has been using since it appeared on the scene: «recover for Italy historical brands that, despite maintaining their Italian roots, technology and identity, are under foreign control«. Same backstory, in different ways…
In the case of Ducatithe situation is especially interesting because the brand has grown significantly during its time under Volkswagen and Audi. Precisely for this reason, any change of owner would have to assess not only the emotional component of the «Made in Italy«, but also the financial and industrial capacity necessary to maintain the trajectory of the firm.
Ducati would also have its own Moto2
One of the most striking points of the plan Patritalia It is related to competition. If I could get hold of Ducatiassures that it intends to develop its own engines and chassis and even aspires to replace Triumph as a Moto2 engine supplier. The company believes that Ducati has sufficient technical capacity to manufacture a competitive engine for the intermediate category, and uses the recent development of the Desmo450 MX motocross engine as an example.
However, there is a pretty obvious obstacle here: Ducati cannot decide on its own who supplies the engines Moto2. As we all know, Triumph It is currently the exclusive engine supplier of the championship and its contract was extended in 2023 to cover the 2025 to 2029 seasons. And, the agreement includes the supply of 765 cc three-cylinder engines to all teams in the category. Spot.
Therefore, even though Ducati will change ownership and Patritalia launch its own competition engine program, replace Triumph It would require a decision from those responsible for the championship and the holder of its commercial rights. It would not be an automatic consequence of purchasing Ducati. Besides, Triumph has not limited itself to keeping the 765 cc engine unchanged. In 2025 it introduced a new racing gearbox and continues to develop the program Moto2 within the agreement currently in force.
Note. Between wanting to buy Ducati and get it Volkswagen/Audi accept 2.5 billion of euros there is still a considerable distance. That, to begin with.
