Reigning double MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia believes Marc Marquez “is wise and he’ll perceive” the right way to keep Ducati’s success in 2025.
Following the Italian Grand Prix, Ducati announced it has signed Marquez to a two-year contract to join its factory team from 2025 alongside Bagnaia.
Marquez’s refusal to take a manufacturing unit bike at Pramac subsequent yr scared Ducati administration right into a U-turn on its unique determination to offer the works staff seat to Jorge Martin, who will now ride for Aprilia.
That second proved a serious powerplay for the eight-time world champion, displaying the affect he holds inside MotoGP regardless of a troublesome 4 years prior at Honda.
It’s understood that the Valentino Rossi camp was indignant at Ducati’s determination to advertise Marquez into the manufacturing unit staff, cautious of the destabilisation he may trigger as he seeks a ninth world title.
Requested for his perspective about it within the pre-event press convention at Assen on Thursday, Bagnaia stated: “From my perspective I wasn’t included within the determination as a result of it is one thing that I requested, I simply needed to be targeted on the race observe.
“In each {cases} was roughly the identical scenario as a result of Jorge and Marc are super-fast. On this second Jorge has extra of a sense with the bike, extra expertise with the bike, so he’s sooner.
“However in any case, was roughly very comparable when it comes to pace of team-mates.
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Workforce, Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“So, for me it is a new problem, a brand new team-mate to beat. And will probably be enjoyable. Marc could be very good man and we’ll perceive very completely the way in which to adapt to the staff and to work to enhance our scenario once more.”
This was a toned-down model of a remark of veiled warning Bagnaia projected to DAZN at Assen, through which he stated: “I came upon about Marc’s signing on Monday at Mugello. I already knew it was a chance. I believe Marc is a great rider, and he is aware of the right way to adapt to the scenario.
“We’re the strongest staff of all in the intervening time, and if we need to proceed like this, enhancing the bike and rising, we’ve got to proceed like this. However Marc is wise and he’ll perceive that.”
Studying between the traces, that is Bagnaia laying down a transparent message to Marquez: don’t upset the steadiness of this staff.
Marquez’s domination years on the Honda got here with little or no in the way in which of intra-team rivalry, as he was simply the very best rider of HRC’s steady. As others struggled, Marquez took the bike to outcomes it had no enterprise of reaching, and so Honda’s bike improvement was executed cautiously as to not upset that steadiness.
When he badly broke his arm on the 2020 Spanish GP, that prompted a rethink and finally led to the pair’s cut up final yr because the bike developed up to now within the improper course not even Marquez may coax a lot out of it.
In simply his second spherical on the Gresini-run 2023-spec Ducati, Marquez acquired onto the rostrum within the Portugal dash however collided with Bagnaia within the latter phases of the grand prix in what was their first flashpoint of the yr.
Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Workforce
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
On the Spanish GP, the duo battled exhausting for victory, colliding at Flip 10 within the closing laps. They stayed onboard their bikes and Bagnaia got here out on high. However that was the second it turned clear that Marquez had totally tailored to the Ducati and his title was a agency contender for the manufacturing unit staff seat.
From this weekend’s Dutch GP, Bagnaia isn’t simply battling for a 3rd world title now. Any defeat of Marquez is a psychological benefit in drawing the battlelines for once they change into team-mates. For Marquez, profitable over Bagnaia will likely be proof that Ducati was proper to select him.
The “steadiness” to MotoGP Ducati’s Marquez determination will deliver
The after-effects of Ducati’s determination are already displaying. Immediately, it despatched Martin to Aprilia – one thing Marquez has famous was “a dangerous determination, as a result of they’ve stated no to an awesome rider like Martin to decide on me”.
5-time grand prix winner Enea Bastianini has taken his pace and bike data to KTM, whereas Marco Bezzecchi jumps off of a VR46-run Ducati to hitch Martin on the manufacturing unit Aprilia squad.
Although 2024 has not been a superb season for the three-time grand prix winner, Bezzecchi is strolling away from probably having a manufacturing unit Ducati subsequent yr with VR46 now poised to get the marque’s unique works help with Pramac now set to hitch Yamaha.
“I believe Ducati, by the technique that they’ve taken – which I respect – they’ve helped the opposite producers loads, that’s for positive,” Aleix Espargaro stated at Assen on Thursday.
“KTM goes to be tremendous sturdy, Aprilia goes to be actually sturdy with actually motivated riders in KTM and Aprilia. Seems like they’ll lose two bikes, so we’re going to steadiness the championship.”
Aleix Espargaro, Aprilia Racing Workforce
Picture by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Ducati’s unique plan was to advertise Martin to the manufacturing unit staff and provides Marquez a manufacturing unit bike at Pramac, and in doing so having its cake and consuming it.
Marquez’s refusal to hitch Pramac kicked that dream to dying. Signing him has price it the present championship chief, knocked its steady down from eight bikes to 6 and brought on concern from throughout the camp of its double world champion.
All of this can undoubtedly have a huge effect on how the rest of the 2024 title battle unfolds.