Pads can make a big difference to rotor wear, but it's also down to each individuals riding too.
I have aftermarket discs that were considered cheap at the time and they're still going strong over 10 years later, but tried a different set of pads recently and noticed immediately that they were being a lot more abrasive than my usual pads so I bought my usual pads again and they barely touch the rotors as far as wear is concerned. In the same breath, the pads that wore my discs are used a lot by others without any issues, so you do need to figure out the best combination.
The non abrasive pads I use are made by Galfer. (on the front only)
I've never raced though, and never really been a heavy braker either.