Biking legends: Paolo Ciabatti

Paolo Ciabatti is part of Ducati Corse’s ‘Management Dream Team’ alongside Davide Tardozzi and Gigi Dall’lgna – and he’s a man who describes himself as a motorsport nut.

“My generation liked 50cc bikes, and you could ride them at 14,” Ciabatti says. “This was the dream. Theatres were showing On Any Sunday with Steve McQueen.

We waited until we were 14 and bought motocross bikes to go racing, but I didn’t have much success.”

A fatal accident in Buenos Aires (1971) involving Ferrari’s Ignazio Giunti also had a big effect.

“It touched me a lot and I wanted to know more about car racing. I wanted to know everything and
asked my father to take me to the Monte Carlo Rally and Targo Florio.”

Ciabatti gained paddock access at the Imola 200 and Conchiglia d’Ora (Golden Shell) as his friend’s father was the boss of Michelin Racing for Motorcycles in Italy…