Luigi Dall'Igna | |
|---|---|
Dall'Igna in 2022 | |
| Born | 12 July 1966 |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Education | University of Padua (Mechanical Engineering) |
| Engineering career | |
| Discipline | Mechanical Engineering |
| Institutions | University of Padua |
| Employer(s) | Ducati, Aprilia |
| Projects | MotoGP, WorldSBK, Carbon Monocoque Chassis |
| Significant design | MotoGP Wing Aerodynamics, Level Control |
Luigi "Gigi" Dall'Igna, born 12 July 1966 in Thiene is an Italian Mechanical Engineer. [1] He is the General Manager of Ducati Corse, a racing division of Italian motorcycle brand Ducati. Luigi was Tecnical Director of Racing Department for Aprilia of Piaggio Group. He is known for inventing level control, wings, frenetic technological development in modern MotoGP era. [2]
Luigi Dall'Igna was born in Thiene, around 200 kms north of Venice , Italy. Gigi (a big fan of Galileo) did his degree in mechanical engineering at Padua University (founded in 1222) in 1991, where Galileo studied in the 16th century. [3]
After college degree, He first started to work in the car industry in a company that dealt with sports prototypes, while being there He wrote his thesis on carbon monocoque chassis. As the sport program of that company came to an end, and wanting to stay at least two years in racing, He moved to the Aprilia in Noale, Italy. [4]
Gigi is considered a mastermind who changed the modern MotoGP who joined Ducati at the end 2013 season on 11 November 2013. [5]
After the lifetime with Aprilia, the work of Luigi in SBK and MotoGP with ART didn't go unnoticed. Ducati decided to hire Luigi from the end of 2013 which could succeed Ducati. Luigi, however, decided not to overhaul the GP14 as it takes time to overhaul. [6]
The first real radical changes came in 2015, with a bike that has nothing common to previous version. The engine was completely redesigned, positioned differently in frame, which helped to address the lack of speed mid-corner. From mid-season onwards the "Wings", a fins shaped aerodynamic parts were added to the nose of GP15, which will in future change the modern MotoGP. [6]
With the win at Red Bull Ring in 2016, that perfectly suited the GP16 characteristics and then Sepang Malaysia, it was enough for Gigi to secure two more years contract with Ducati. And this improvement was enough for Jorge Lorenzo, then 5 times world champion to sign with Ducati for 2017. [6]
With the new technical regulations in 2017, which limited the aerodynamics, didn't dampened Dall'Igna. Then appears infamousHammerhead shark-shaped mose on the windshield debuting in Brno and Salad Box beneath the tail unit of GP17, a mysterious black box, which many believed to be a mass damper, and inertia damper which oscillates to balance front and rear axels through its weight. [6]
Aerodynamics development has continued in 2018, but it was in chassis in which Dall'Igna found something which solved the age old Ducati problem, mid-corner speed. Andrea Dovizioso confirmed the progress, the GP18 was clearly the best bike on grid but it was Marc Márquez who eluded Ducati. [6]
When in 2019 people though aerodynamics has reached its peak, Dall'Igna shocked everyone by introducing wings on rear end of the bike, seemingly to increase the rear grip of bike. [6]