The sexism Gresini’s trailblazer owner continues to face in MotoGP

Gresini MotoGP team owner Nadia Padovani has spoken about the sexism she has faced, and continues to battle, since taking charge of the squad in 2021.

Padovani took over ownership of Gresini Racing following the tragic death of her husband, ex-racer Fausto Gresini, due to COVID-19 in early 2021.

On the backdrop of this heartache, Padovani has helped steer Gresini into one of MotoGP’s most successful teams on the current grid.

Since 2022, Gresini has won races with all riders it has fielded, and cracked the championship top three with Enea Bastianini, Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez.

In 2025, Gresini won four grands prix between Alex Marquez and Fermin Aldeguer, and was second in the standings with the former on year-old Ducati machinery.

For 2026, Alex Marquez will have a factory bike at Gresini for the first time.

Despite her success, she has continued to battle sexism in the paddock, with the Italian telling Gazzetta dello Sport that this began almost immediately.

“Many didn't, because they were fond of Gresini,” she said when asked if any sponsors backed out following Fausto Gresini’s death and her taking over the team.

“Some did. A big sponsor, a company from the Far East that was supposed to join in 2022, and when they learned Fausto was no longer there, they no longer wanted to do it.

“They didn't really like the idea of having a woman in charge of the team. It was a tough blow.

“When they backed out, I had just given Ducati the OK for the bikes. I didn't sleep that night.

“Also, because there were so many problems and issues in 2021. Small things, which all together became stressful. But we managed to cope with everything.”

While she has commanded a great deal of respect within the paddock since, Padovani says there are still encounters in her own garage where men will direct conversations to other males “assuming a woman doesn’t know how to handle certain topics”.

“[It happens] a little less than before, but it still happens,” she said.

“At first I felt bad, but now I don't even notice. I know what I've done over the years, fixing things, situations, conflicts that had been there for a long time, never resolved by my husband.

“Even leaving people at home who didn't accept my role.

“Or those who said, 'We've always done it this way…' - an attitude that didn't sit well with me.

“I've never tolerated it. Men tend to make things more difficult than they are.

“We women are smarter. Combining work, children, and, in my case, parents, has accustomed us to solving problems quickly.”