Метка: Ducati Team

Marc Marquez’s path to becoming a factory Ducati MotoGP rider

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The eight-time world champion, for the first time in his MotoGP career, is not racing within a factory team after electing to quit Honda to join the Gresini squad on a year-old Ducati.

While once a move that would have seen him slide down the order, the current competitive nature of MotoGP means you can fight for the championship even racing on a year-old bike.

Marquez has already scored more points in 2024 in seven rounds than he did in the whole of his final season at Honda last year (136 vs 96) and has scored three grand prix podiums for the first time since 2019.

When he left Honda, he was looking to simply regain his confidence and enjoy racing again after four difficult years on the RC213V between 2020 and 2023. Now he has secured a spot within the best factory and the fastest bike of the moment in MotoGP.

Here is the timeline of Marquez’s return to a factory MotoGP team.

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20 February 2020 – Marquez signs four-year Honda deal

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda

Photo by: Repsol Media

On the eve of the 2020 season (or what should have been, had it not been for the COVID pandemic) Marquez penned an unprecedented four-year contract to remain with Honda through to the end of 2024.

While Honda’s motorcycles had been getting harder to ride and most struggled for form, Marquez was able to be utterly dominant on the package.

He took six world titles in seven years between 2013 and 2019, his last seeing him win by over 150 points and finish in the top two in all but one grand prix.

With a deal thought to be worth in the €100m range, it seemed that the Marquez/Honda dynasty was never-ending.

19 July 2020 – Marquez breaks his arm, beginning the downward spiral

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: MotoGP

Forced into a recovery ride after running off while leading in the season-opening Spanish GP, Marquez displayed a frighteningly ominous pace.

Then it all went wrong when he crashed in the latter stages at Turn 3 and badly broke his right arm. It was an injury that required three operations that year and ruled him out for the whole season.

A fourth would follow in 2022 to have his arm rotated back to its original position. But ultimately, it was the beginning of the downward spiral that would end the Honda/Marquez relationship.

Without Marquez, Honda went in a tailspin developing the bike into something its other riders could be competitive on and is still trying to figure out its way back to the front of the field to this day.

4 October 2023 – Marquez quits Honda

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Just after the Japanese Grand Prix, in which Marquez scored his only grand prix podium of a miserable season, he made the (financially costly) decision to end his contract with Honda a year early.

At this point there had been strong rumours of a switch to Gresini Ducati, and a lacklustre Misano test on the first 2024 prototype did nothing to boost his enthusiasm for the RC213V project.

The writing was on the wall from that moment in September, with his decision to quit Honda paving the way for a Gresini move that would be announced on 12 October.

28 November 2023 – Marquez rides the satellite Ducati for the first time

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Dorna

Marquez’s move to Gresini Ducati wasn’t initially received very well by Ducati management when it was first rumoured.

General manager Gigi Dall’Igna said as much just a few hours before Marquez took to the Ricardo Tormo track in Valencia for his first test on the bike. But to have been able to sign for Gresini, clearly Ducati management had softened.

In a memorable (albeit incredibly chilly) day, Marquez rolled out on a Ducati for the first time and captivated the world.

Fourth quickest at the end of the day and just under two tenths off the pace, the eight-time world champion had a smile back on his face, and the anticipation for the 2024 season heightened.

10 March 2024 – Marquez makes his Ducati race debut and grabs attention

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing Team

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Marquez’s first grand prix on the Ducati didn’t feature the first charge to victory since 2021 that many were anticipating coming into the 2024 campaign. But it was a solid weekend that hinted at a high ceiling for the Spaniard aboard the Gresini-run GP23.

Finishing just 1.8s off the win in the sprint in fifth, he was only 3.4s away in the grand prix in fourth, having qualified sixth. Clearly, there was still work to do in adapting to the Ducati, but the only way was up.

24 March 2024 – Portuguese GP flashpoint with his future team-mate

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing and Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team crash

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing and Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team crash

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Ducati had been warned throughout the second half of 2023 as to what might happen to its delicate rider ecosystem if it allowed Marc Marquez into its stable.

And there was a collective ‘told you so’ on lap 23 of the 25-lap Portuguese GP. Having scored a podium in the sprint the day before, Marquez was scrapping for the top five with world champion Francesco Bagnaia in the latter stages of the GP.

He went for a lunge up the inside of Turn 5, ran wide and allowed Bagnaia to come up the inside again. The pair met in the middle and both crashed out.

Bagnaia felt it was a racing incident, Marquez said the factory Ducati rider was to blame. On reflection, one could look at this exchange as something of the first powerplay by Marquez.

28 April 2024 – The old Marquez comes out to play

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Marquez qualified on pole for the 93rd time in his career at Jerez on the Saturday and was on course for a sprint win before crashing out of the lead in a bizarre contest.

In the grand prix, the first signs that Marquez had finally gelled with the Ducati were shown when he went head to head with Bagnaia for the win.

Bagnaia, in theory, has the better bike given his is the latest factory weapon. But that didn’t stop Marquez giving it a good go, the pair making contact at Turn 10 late on as they diced for the lead.

Bagnaia was to come out the victor, but a point had been proven by Marquez – and Ducati management were starting to take note.

26 May 2024 – Marquez makes his factory case more convincing

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

At the French GP prior to that Catalan round, Marquez went from 13th on the grid in the sprint and the grand prix to finish second in both.

At Barcelona, he qualified down in 14th and managed to come through to second in the sprint. His march through the field was tougher in the grand prix, but that didn’t stop him getting to third.

For the first time since 2019, he scored three consecutive grand prix podiums. Ducati had already earmarked Mugello the following week as the place it wanted to make its final decision on who would partner Bagnaia in 2025.

Jorge Martin’s form in 2024, as well as that of 2023 when he was championship runner-up, was hard to look past. But so was Marquez’s after just six rounds on the Ducati.

30 May 2024 – Martin gets the nod, but Marquez throws a spanner in the works

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing, Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing.

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing, Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

On the eve of the Italian Grand Prix, it appeared that Ducati had made its decision and Jorge Martin would be going to the factory team.

The conditions were put in front of both riders the day before, Motorsport.com understands, with Martin to the factory team and Marquez to Pramac on works machinery – with a clause that stated this would be switched if the latter won the title.

But Marquez wasn’t happy. He told the media that Pramac “is not an option”.

Marquez wanted to either stay at Gresini on a factory bike – something that was unlikely if Pramac continued with Ducati for 2025, owing to a factory exclusivity clause in that deal – or move to the works team, which looked certain to be Martin’s.

3 June 2024 – The tables turn, Marquez gets his wish

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The thought of losing Marquez to a rival manufacturer was too great for Ducati, who informed Martin on Sunday afternoon of 2 June that he would not be getting the factory team seat.

Martin went straight to Aprilia and penned a deal on the Monday to ride for the Italian manufacturer in 2025.

An official announcement from Ducati never arrived on Monday, but the Martin news paved the way for the inevitable.

5 June 2024 – Ducati makes it official

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The MotoGP world remained glued to their inboxes as Tuesday came and went without any official word from Ducati.

On Wednesday morning, the pieces all officially fell into place, with Ducati announcing Marquez had signed a two-year deal to race for its factory team through to the end of 2026.

«I am very happy to be able to wear the red colours of the factory Ducati team in MotoGP next season,» Marquez said. «Basically, from the first contact with the Desmosedici GP, I enjoyed riding it and adapted well straight away.

«From that moment on, I knew that my goal was to continue this path, to continue to grow, and to move to the team where Francesco Bagnaia has been the world champion for two years in a row. I am happy to be able to take this big step in 2025 and grateful for the trust Ducati has placed in me.

«Finally, I want to thank Nadia [Padovani], Carlo [Merlini], Michele [Masini], and the entire Gresini Racing family for opening the door of their team to me at a delicate time in my career. Now, we will continue to have fun and give it our all in what remains of the current season, which is my priority right now.»



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How 24 hours changed the trajectory of Jorge Martin’s MotoGP career

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


On 30 May, ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, it looked certain that the eventuality everyone was anticipating for 2025 was coming to pass.

Gazzetta dello Sport reported that championship leader Martin would be promoted to the factory Ducati team and the Italian marque was now waiting to get Marc Marquez’s answer on whether he would race for Pramac on a factory GP25.

When Marquez faced the media and told them that Pramac was “not an option”, it turned the situation on its head. The eight-time world champion’s demands were a factory bike at Gresini or the factory team, or he walks away altogether.

Given the talent of Marquez, how quickly he has adapted to the Ducati in 2024, as well as his marketing might, the Bologna-based marque’s bosses had a dilemma on its hands.

The resolution was to make a U-turn on its initial decision, informing Martin on Sunday afternoon at Mugello that Marquez will be getting the factory seat instead. And so he entered the rider market and Aprilia’s race office.

“As I always said to you if someone asked me, since Aleix [Espargaro] decided to retire we started speaking to everybody,” Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola said on Monday after the Mugello test where Martin’s signing was announced.

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing, Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing.

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing, Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“The strategy was quite clear not to do it in the first move, because we didn’t want to do any gift to anyone. But when we felt there was an opportunity, and actually it was last night, we were quite quick in making action rather than talks.

“We found a deal very, very quickly. I have to thank Aleix for that as well and here we are.”

He added: “I think timing was a factor, because really we were very fast. Last night I called my boss and I said ‘we have a chance’, and he said ‘get him, go for it’ and I did.

“So, we have all the team, the legal guys working during the night to get it done, and I don’t know if it’s based on emotion, but I liked to think the choice of Jorge is done because Aprilia did a persistent growth over the years.

“We are the only one so far who has won races, as an alternative to his current bike. So, it’s another item of the puzzle to fix.”

Rain hit the post-race test at Mugello, which led to Martin electing not to turn any laps. While others wobbled around in the conditions, he was sat warm and dry in Rivola’s office putting pen to paper. While this was going on, Motorsport.com broke the news that Martin was walking away from Ducati and Marquez was getting the factory nod.

This is a major moment in Aprilia’s story. When it returned to MotoGP in 2015 after a fruitless stint earlier in the four-stroke era that concluded in 2004, it was firmly a backmarker. It wasn’t until 2021 that Aleix Espargaro – who joined the project in 2017 – got the RS-GP its first podium.

Aprilia found itself scrambling for riders coming into 2020, after Andrea Iannone was hit with a doping ban. The signing of Maverick Vinales midway through 2021 represented a turn in fortunes, but the Spaniard’s MotoGP career hung by a thread after an acrimonious split with Yamaha – who won the championship that year with Fabio Quartararo.

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team

Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Team

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Aprilia, winning races in 2022, 2023 and 2024, can now confidently cast its net wide for top talent in MotoGP. And they don’t come much better than Martin. He leads the standings by 18 points, having won two GPs and is racing at a 24-point per round pace in 2024.

“I remember when we had in 2020 the issue to find a rider, and it was very difficult to find a rider,” Rivola noted.

“And now I had a long list of managers knocking on my door. And that’s for sure the satisfaction of the company, that work in a proper way.”

Rivola also noted there were conversations with Marc Marquez about 2024. But now Martin is locked down on a multi-year deal – with help from Espargaro offering influence to his young friend – attention now turns to the second seat.

Enea Bastianini, who will be looking for a ride with Marquez taking his seat, had been a favourite in the Aprilia conversation before Martin signed a deal. He is thought to have offers from Aprilia, KTM and Yamaha if it partners with Pramac.

For Rivola, Bastianini cannot be ruled out. But his priority is to keep Vinales, who is yet to commit his future to anyone.

“The priority is to understand what Maverick wants to do with us and then if Maverick wants to stay, I am the first person [to want this] and then there is no place for Enea,” Rivola added.

“But for sure Enea is one of the riders that I’m trying to bring here for a long time. Let’s see, it’s difficult to predict now. I think every one of you in my shoes will have done the same.”



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Martin to leave Ducati, paving way for Marquez factory MotoGP seat

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


Between the Barcelona and Mugello races, Ducati informed Jorge Martin that he was the chosen one to be Francesco Bagnaia’s team-mate in 2025 in the official Ducati team.

On the eve of the Italian Grand Prix, a senior factory executive welcomed the rider and they shook hands, thanking the championship leader for his patience and perseverance over the last few years to get here.

At Borgo Panigale they were convinced that, with this manoeuvre, they could convince Marquez to ride for Pramac with identical material and support as the official riders.

But everything took a radical turn on Thursday when La Gazzetta dello Sport reported the news and Marquez closed the door to Ducati’s wishes: “Pramac is not an option for me,” he said with an extremely serious look on his face.

This reaction was not expected by Ducati bosses who had been in contact with the rider during the weekend to look for alternatives.

Marquez told them that either he would go to the official team or to another factory.

Ducati panicked when it saw that it was losing the rider with the highest profile of the paddock and gave in to his demands: in 2025 he will be Bagnaia’s team-mate.

After Marquez’s harsh reaction on Thursday, Martin tried to maintain contact with Ducati officials, who gave him a long time to wait until this week.

The rider has understood that they are not going to present him with a contract to go to the official team, he is taking charge of the situation,as  he is tired of the non-compliance of the Bologna executives and has decided to accept, in the short term, one of the various offers he has on the table, from KTM, Aprilia, Honda and even Pramac, if finally — as everything suggests — it separates from Ducati and becomes a partner of Yamaha.

There will also be no place for Bastianini at Ducati, the Italian rider, second on Sunday in the Italian Grand Prix, has also taken the decision not to wait any longer and hopes to close the negotiations he has open with KTM, Aprilia and also Yamaha to ride with Pramac.

Update: Aprilia has since announced that Martin will join the Noale-based marque in 2025, with the news all but confirming that Marquez will step up to the factory Ducati team.

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Mugello result special during «difficult time» as Ducati MotoGP exit beckons

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Bastianini put in an impressive performance in front of his home crowd at Mugello on Sunday, making two key overtakes in a race that featured little action to complete a 1-2 result for Ducati.

The 26-year-old first cleared the Gresini bike of Marc Marquez with two laps to go going into Scarperia, before catching championship leader Jorge Martin by a surprise with an impressive pass into the final corner on the last tour.

The result marked his first visit to the podium since the Americas GP in April and came at the end of a week in which it became clear beyond any doubt that he will be losing his seat at Ducati, with Martin now emerging as the favourite to take the vacant spot next year.

Bastianini said he rode like ‘never before’ in the closing stages of the race, having been spurred on by Marquez briefly snatching the final podium spot from him on lap 18 of 23.

“[It] feeels so special because I come from a difficult moment, it happened during this whole past week,” he said, referring to the media attention about the second factory ride at Ducati.

“But this week we had a result in mind and from yesterday I improved and I was fast. Today I was really motivated to do something more for me but also for all the people here. 

“I slept a little bit during the half part of the race but when Marc overtook me I closed my mind and said that ‘no, it’s not correct. No. This is my podium.’ 

“I came back. I am riding like never [before]. It was good. Also the last lap I overtake Jorge and it was too dangerous but at the end I can be happy.”

Bastianini’s two-year contract comes to a conclusion at the end of the season, with the Italian having been unable to build on the race-winning form he showed at Gresini in 2022 prior to his factory promotion.

His future beyond 2024 remains unclear, with Aprilia seen as a possible destination for the Italian should he not be accommodated elsewhere in a Ducati satellite team.

Asked if he made a statement with the speed he showed at Mugello, the five-time grand prix winner said: “Future, future, future. 

“Well, I want to think about the present because we think a lot about the future but I want to enjoy this day, because it has been really difficult this period. 

“I committed some mistakes, also the team has committed some mistakes.

“Today is a really beautiful day. Usually, I’m not really happy about second place but today I’m really happy and I don’t want to think about the future.”

Bagnaia explains race start strategy

As with Saturday’s sprint, the key to Bagnaia’s win was his brilliant getaway at the start, only this time he had to come from fifth on the grid due to a penalty carried forward from Friday practice.

Bagnaia said he took inspiration from KTM rider Jack Miller’s 2023 start and kept his bike on the left into Turn 1, which gave him the inside line into the following left-hander.

Within two corners, he was already up in the lead and was never headed for the rest of the race, despite Martin getting too close for comfort with three laps to run.

“For me it’s not a matter of risk, it’s more a matter of being in a good position possible in the correct moment,” he explained.

“I decided to go on the outside because last year I remember Miller at the start overtook me. So [this year] I just remained on the outside to be on the inside in corner two. So I just tried to do the same. 

“But Maverick [Vinales] had braked very hard and my strategy was almost ruined. But as soon as I saw that he was going wide I just tried to cross his line. It was the best decision. 

“And after that I saw that Jorge didn’t approach the exit of corner 1 strongly so I just tried to take an advantage to overtake him in corner two.”

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Bagnaia penalised for Alex Marquez incident in Mugello MotoGP practice

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


In the closing stages of second practice at Mugello on Friday afternoon, Gresini’s Marquez was forced to abort a flying lap when he came across a slow Bagnaia on the approach to Turn 12.

Marquez was enraged by this and vented his frustrations to Bagnaia on his bike as the pair rounded the corner.

Both riders secured a place directly into Saturday’s Q2 qualifying, with Bagnaia leading second practice.

However, he will be forced to drop three places on the grid for Sunday’s Italian GP at Mugello. The penalty will not apply for the sprint.

Prior to the penalty, Bagnaia says he saw no blue flags warning him of Marquez approaching behind and feels the Gresini rider’s actions were typical.

“Yeah, like always,” he said of Marquez’s outburst.

“I was, first of all, without blue flags. And then I was out of the line, I braked more in front to be out and like always he’s a good showman.

“So, he did this kind of gesturing on his bike. Like always.”

For his part, Marquez says he was being held up by Bagnaia from the second sector of that lap.

“Well, I was coming on a hot lap, improving my lap times,” Marquez said. “I saw Pecco in front from sector two being really slow in the middle of the track.

“I was expecting him to watch behind to see me, but he never did it. Going into Turn 12 he was completely in the middle of the line, on the racing line.

“I was able to avoid him, but I had to cut the throttle. So, for me, it’s quite clear what happened.”

When it was put to him that Bagnaia felt he overreacted, Marquez added: “He also said he was out of the line. And it’s not true.

“So, I will not say any more. He knows what happened, I know what happened. So, that’s it.”

If Bagnaia is found guilty of irresponsible riding by the FIM stewards, he could be facing a grid penalty for Sunday’s grand prix.

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Martin set for factory Ducati MotoGP promotion over Marquez in 2025

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


On Thursday, Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the Borgo Panigale brand has finally decided on the Spaniard to join Francesco Bagnaia in the company’s official garage, starting next season.

Talks have intensified in recent days with Albert Valera, Martin’s agent, who will be at the Italian Grand Prix this weekend — the event in which Ducati outlined it would like its final decision to be made.

In any case, Motorsport.com understands that the contract between the two parties has not yet been signed, which is likely to be done this weekend, provided that a number of factors align that do not yet fit.

The first is that Marquez, with whom championship leader Martin has been vying for that red factory Desmosedici, agrees to join Pramac would then extend its relationship with the Bolognese manufacturer until at least 2026.

Since the beginning of the season, Martin’s main objective was to be promoted to the official team of the Italian manufacturer, after losing out to Enea Bastianini for 2023.

Since the beginning of this year, the Spaniard made it very clear to Ducati executives that they would have until Mugello to make its decision.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

If he did not receive a satisfactory offer, he would join another project. In this sense, GasGas has lately been knocking on his door insistently.

In the event that the operation ends up being executed, it will cause a chain reaction that will probably cause the rest of the vacancies on the grid to be filled quickly.

The first derivative of this would be to know what Marquez will do, whom Ducati does not want to lose, given the speed exhibited in his first season on a Desmosedici, and his media power.

Until now, Marquez has always maintained that his priority was obviously to return to racing for a factory team, with the latest evolution of whatever prototype it was.

At this point, it remains to be seen if the change of scenery leads him to conclude that it is more beneficial for him to have a Desmosedici GP25, from Pramac, than to face again a process of adaptation to a new bike — most likely one of those of the Pierer Mobility group (KTM or GasGas), which has presented him with a very tempting offer.

Another of the victims of the eventual decision of Ducati is Bastianini, who would be very well received by Aprilia, which seeks to be able to count on an Italian rider.

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Bagnaia «tired of losing points» to title rivals in MotoGP sprint races

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Although two-time champion Bagnaia has been one of the star performers this year on the new GP24, the Italian hasn’t been able to convert his speed into top-line results in half-distance races that are now an important part of grand prix weekends.

While championship leader Jorge Martin has once again emerged as the king of sprint races in 2024, Bagnaia has yet to finish on the podium in any of the six Saturday contests this year.

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More worryingly, he has retired from the last three sprints in 2024, with the consequent points loss denting his title challenge against Pramac rival Martin, who has capitalised on the situation to build a substantial 39-point advantage in the standings.

At Jerez, Bagnaia was a victim of poor track conditions that caught out nearly half the field, while his Le Mans sprint outing was wrecked by a “dangerous” issue with his second motorcycle that he was forced to race on after crashing his primary bike in qualifying.

He finally appeared to have made a breakthrough last Saturday in Barcelona, only to suffer a heartbreaking crash at Turn 5 on the final lap while leading the field from Aprilia’s Aleix Espargaro.

Following his latest DNF in the Catalan Grand Prix, Bagnaia is still in favour of keeping sprint races on the MotoGP schedule but feels he needs to put everything together in order to accumulate the necessary points for his title bid.

“No, the sprints are there and I just have to improve myself,” he said.

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“We are always competitive. In the last three sprint races, we were competitive but we had two crashes and one problem with the bike. So, I’m losing a lot of points.

“On Saturday I was winning the race before the crash on the last lap. So, for sure it’s something I have to improve.

“Normally I struggle more but this year I’m feeling well in every sprint race. So, it’s a matter of finishing them and taking points because last year it’s true I was struggling a bit, but I was finishing every sprint race I did.

“It’s less points but for the championship it helps a lot, because to put six, eight, nine, 12 points every weekend is a lot.

“So, it’s good on every Sunday we are competitive, but I’m tired of losing points in a free way on Saturdays.”

Bagnaia recovered from his sprint crash to take a stunning victory in the grand prix on Sunday, passing Martin for the lead at the same corner where he had crashed the day before — something he described as “busting a myth” in a post-race interview.

The 27-year-old says he doesn’t stop believing in himself whenever he has a poor Saturday, and it is this confidence in his abilities that allows him to make strong comebacks in MotoGP.

“I can be very focused on the objective. I know when I do mistakes, when I crash, when I have a problem, I can be disappointed, nervous, angry. But I know perfectly my potential,” he said.

“I know that if everything is ok, I can fight for the win, I can fight for the top positions. And this is something that helps me to be always prepared to fight.

“I know perfectly that even if I have a difficult Saturday I can have a good Sunday, because the potential is there, my team is there, my bike is there and everything is set up to let me be competitive and fast. So, I’m very confident on my package.”

A closer analysis of the opening six rounds shows Bagnaia has outscored Martin by three points in Sunday races this year. However, the Italian has only mustered 14 points in sprints in 2024, while Martin has accumulated a whopping 56 points from half-distance races thanks to his three victories.

Points scored by Martin and Bagnaia in grands prix

Race

Martin (points scored)

Bagnaia (points scored)

Qatar

16

25

Portugal

25

0

Americas

13

11

Spain

0

25

France

25

16

Catalunya

20

25

Total

99

102

Points scored by Martin and Bagnaia in sprints

Race

Martin (points scored)

Bagnaia (points scored)

Qatar

12

6

Portugal

7

6

Americas

7

2

Spain

12

0

France

12

0

Catalunya

6

0

Total

56

14



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Ducati won’t make 2025 factory MotoGP seat decision at Mugello

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO



Over the last few weeks, Ducati management has suggested that it wants to make a decision on who partners Bagnaia in 2025 by the Mugello race.

Coming into this weekend’s seventh round of the year, it appears the decision is between championship leader Jorge Martin and eight-time grand prix world champion Marc Marquez.

While a decision is expected soon, Ducati has told Motorsport.com’s Spanish edition that an announcement will have to wait.

“We have never said that we are going to announce it at Mugello,” said a Ducati representative.

“What we have always said is that, from Mugello onwards, we will begin to outline what the decision is.”

Ducati’s general manager Gigi Dall’Igna noted: “The decision will come soon, but then contracts are always complicated and negotiations can take longer than expected.

“We will need time to apply the idea, make it a reality and then communicate it to the public.”

 

Ducati’s sporting director Mauro Grassilli, when speaking to Italian TV, added: “The decision is as difficult as at the beginning of the championship.

“We are already beginning to lay some important foundations and we are on the right path. But there will be no announcement in Mugello.”

In an ideal world, Ducati will promote Martin to the factory team while Marquez – who has softened to the idea in recent weeks – would take his place at Pramac with full factory support.

However, this situation is not as easy as it seems. With Martin being passed over for a factory team seat in favour of Enea Bastianini for last year, he sees no other option to remain at Ducati other than replacing Bastianini in 2025.

But there are other factors at play, such as the financial packages Ducati would have to stump up to afford both Martin and Marquez, who sits third in the standings just six rounds into his first season on the 2023-spec Gresini-run Desmosedici.

Then there is the marketing factor, with Marquez surely holding much more weight in this regard than Martin.

Though an announcement won’t come at Mugello, a decision being made at the Italian GP – as far as Pramac team boss Gino Borsoi is concerned – would be the ideal time for all parties.

This is because Pramac needs to communicate with Yamaha in Italy if it wants to press ahead with a satellite deal for 2025, or continue with a two-year renewal as Ducati’s only factory-supported customer squad.

What happens here will also have ramifications for VR46 Racing and Gresini, which are also Ducati satellite squads but don’t have factory bikes.

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Bastianini admits he deliberately ignored penalty orders in Catalan GP

Опубликовано от ASPPA IMAGES ANO


The factory Ducati rider was battling with Gresini’s Alex Marquez at the outer reaches of the top 10 in Sunday’s 24-lap Catalan GP when he was forced wide at Turn 1.

Bastianini ran through the run-off area at Turns 1-2, with riders meant to demonstrate that they have lost at least a second in lap time to escape punishment.

The stewards handed Bastianini – who was expecting Marquez to have to drop the position he gained – a long lap penalty, though the Ducati rider ignored this.

He was hit with a second one for ignoring the first, which he also decided not to serve, and was then given a ride-through penalty before that was converted to a 32s time punishment for not complying with that order.

It dropped Bastianini from ninth to 18th, and the Italian claimed the stewards admitted they got their initial decision wrong – but they cannot reverse these calls after the fact.

Asked if he didn’t see the initial penalty notice, Bastianini said: “The dashboard was too clear. I didn’t agree with the dashboard.

“I overtook Alex on the straight and when we arrived on the brakes [into Turn 1] he braked later compared to me and that pushed me out onto the kerbs.

“For me it was impossible to remain on the brakes and the only solution was to cut the chicane. It was possible to come back, but where? On the kerb of Turn 2? No, impossible.

“Also, I have lost time because I followed the line of the long lap [to escape Turn 2].

“I waited for the drop of position [order] for Alex, but then arrived the long lap penalty for me.

“I didn’t agree and I decided to continue without doing the long lap.

“I know it’s not the correct choice, but we had to do something because nothing has changed. Every race there is something to explain with the stewards and it’s not correct.”

Bastianini’s race analysis shows he didn’t cede a second in that incident, going from a 1m40.589s on lap 11 to a 1m41.078s on lap 12 when the incident happened.

“Also, after the race I come with Davide [Tardozzi, team boss] to explain the problems and to see better the videos,” he added.

“For the stewards, at the start, the long lap penalty was correct. After, he said ‘Ok, no’.

“They saw the decision was wrong. I tried to get back my ninth position, but race direction can do nothing.

“Also, for the race direction I didn’t lose the [correct amount] of time when I entered back onto the track [at Turn 2]. I said ‘no, no, no, check the video better – I lost one second’.”

Bastianini noted that his Ducati team agreed with his decision to ignore the penalties.

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