Expected in the last few days, it didn't take long at all: Marc Marquez has been made official at Ducati. From next year until the end of 2026, the eight-time world champion will ride alongside Francesco Bagnaia. The outlook for the category is looking brighter.
Jorge Martin (Pramac) signs with Aprilia for 2025!
At least this season is not boring! If the last Italian Grand Prix left us wanting more, we certainly weren't expecting this sequence of events. As we mentioned in our review of the MotoGP weekend, Jorge Martin's future with Ducati looked increasingly uncertain as the hours passed. Yet there was no lack of desire on the Spaniard's part to join the factory team. But on the other side, the feelings didn't seem to be reciprocated.
Two years ago, Ducati preferred him to Enea Bastianini, inviting him to join the satellite Pramac Racing team. An unbalanced relationship, to say the least, which was beginning to weigh heavily on the mind of the overall leader. All the more so as the question of Pramac's future became ever more pressing. As you'll recall, Pramac has an option for a further two years with Ducati, but has not yet activated it.
As a result, the arrival of Aprilia's sporting director Massimo Rivola (photo) sees the beginning of a game of musical chairs.
M. Marquez: The declaration that precipitated everything?
Since the weekend, it's been clear that Marc Marquez wouldn't be joining Pramac either if he didn't have a place in the factory Ducati team. The veteran has spoken, and the Martinator quickly realized that he would have to exploit his immense potential elsewhere.
Things were moving in his favor, so it was safe to assume that Marc Marquez would be the rider chosen by the reds for 2025. It's now official!
Wealthy problems for Ducati
Although the process was speeded up, it was certainly not easy to turn one's back on the current championship leader. Nevertheless, it's a safe bet that Marquez's media influence and marketing clout clearly weighed in the Bologna-based manufacturer's decision. Now it's up to Martinator to prove them wrong (again) by putting the Noale-based brand on top of the world.
Marc Marquez, after the race at Mugello
We're in the battle with 2024 bikes, and that's what makes me proud.
It's a safe bet that Mr Marquez on a 2024 bike would be even higher, given what he's already achieved on the GP23. But what about his partnership with 'Pecco' Bagnaia? Will they form a formidable duo, or will they get in each other's way? Leaving aside the drivers' skills, how harmonious will the team be? Could drivers' egos get in the way of productivity?... These are just some of the questions other manufacturers would like to ask themselves.
The transfer market as a whole
For the sake of completeness, Aleix Espargaro is retiring at the end of the season, with the declared aim of becoming a test rider. He had joined Aprilia with a view to accompanying it to the throne of best manufacturer, bis repetita with Honda, currently in difficulty? This is the direction the rider would take, much to the chagrin of his technical director, Romano Albesiano: For me, it will be difficult because he was with us for eight years... It's a great loss. (GP inside) It would be an eminently sensible choice for Honda to grant a wild-card - currently to Stefan Bradl - to the Spanish rider, based on his ability to evolve as a development rider.
On a completely different issue, however, would Honda be inclined to lose the LCR team to Yamaha? The future remains uncertain on this front, while its rider Johann Zarco has confirmed that he will make his endurance debut at the Suzuka 8 Hours. This will be under the aegis of Team HRC, the official Japanese team which has won the last two editions. As we're no longer one move away, we'll also have to keep an eye on the future of Maverick Viñales, who has made a promising start to the season. All in all, we're in for a tense few months ahead. Wait & See!
