Dario, how do you teach performance?
With both theory and practice. And, more importantly, you need great instructors. We don’t have any normal instructors here at DRE, as they’re all champions! From Troy Bayliss to Chaz Davies, Michele Pirro and MotoE champion MotoE Mattia Casadei, at DRE you can train alongside those who have won real championships. And this makes the difference.
Does a great rider make for a great instructor?
Definitely not. As a rider, my only goal is to win the race. As a coach, it’s more complicated. I need to transmit my experience and see the pupil improve lap by lap. I say improve, not become a champion. Because the DRE isn’t a school for champions, but the place where Ducatisti can feel faster, more confident, and fully enjoy the potential of their bikes. And in this sense, I want to commend our team of instructors - as well as being great riders, they are truly formidable instructors.
Is it possible to push the boundaries in just one day?
Absolutely, in terms of both performance and confidence. Sometimes you see someone who is a little behind, who doesn’t have the right riding position, doesn’t train their gaze correctly, is too brusque with the brake and throttle. And over the course of the day, you see them improve. There are those who get their knee down, or even their elbow.
And maybe they come back the next time and get even better.
Exactly, because the DRE is much more than a riding school. It is a unique experience. Where else can you hear Chaz Davies, just back from a weekend working as Riders’ Coach for the Ducati Superbike team, explaining how to improve out of the corners? Or ride the bike of world champions Álvaro Bautista and Pecco Bagnaia, as the owners of the Superleggera V4 were able to do?
Speaking of the world. You hold DRE courses on every continent. Is the passion for speed a common language?
I was recently in Shanghai and, when I returned, I realised just how much the level has grown in a short space of time. There’s now a very high level in all DRE countries: India, Thailand, China, Korea, Malaysia… Even here, and the reason is that the instructors are not just riders, they are national champions! And when you combine passion with technical ability, you always obtain extraordinary results.
You founded the DRE in 2003. You have taught speed to tens of thousands of fans over the years. What is your secret?
I consider myself very lucky because I have turned my passion for motorcycles into a profession. At DRE there are instructors and pupils, but we are all enthusiasts, all Ducatisti. Together we laugh, joke, and become friends. Those who participate in the DRE enjoy a truly unique and special experience, you can see it on their faces, and I really enjoy this. This is my secret.
“At DRE we are all enthusiasts,
all Ducatisti!”
