Ducati risk MotoGP rivals closing gap but hold Marquez trump card
With Marc Marquez now donning Ducati factory red alongside twice champion Francesco Bagnaia, the team have a wealth of winning experience in the eight MotoGP titles between the two riders.
Upon realising that the newly-developed GP25 bike failed to meet performance standards, Ducati chose to rely on the proven prowess of the GP24 machine and harness the power of its engine for the next two years with specifications frozen until 2026.
"The engine for the 2025 and 2026 season will be the '24. I think that 2024 bikes are very difficult to improve," Ducati's race team manager Davide Tardozzi said when making an honest assessment of their machines during pre-season testing.
The bike is very much an evolved version of the 2024 bike which Bagnaia dubbed the 'GP24.9' - a name that has stuck.
There is an element of risk with Ducati standing still with their development that could allow their rivals to regain lost ground.
But what the grid saw in 2024 was the Italian team setting such high benchmarks, with a superior level of craftsmanship and the use of technology, that they almost built the perfect racing machine.
Such was their dominance last year that a Ducati bike won 19 of the 20 races while six different riders achieved 53 podiums, as they sealed the constructors' title with six rounds to spare.
HUNGRY MARQUEZ
With very marginal gains expected in engine development before new bikes are introduced in 2027, Tardozzi said he was "absolutely confident" their riders would be competitive and vie for the championship.
Marquez is also hungry to add to his tally of six MotoGP championships, having lost time with Honda when the Japanese manufacturer fell behind in the last five years and the Spaniard hopes taking the factory seat with Ducati is the right call.
Although one of the oldest riders on the grid at 32, Marquez was fastest on the final day of testing ahead of the season-opening Thailand Grand Prix this weekend and he has no qualms competing with Bagnaia for the title.
"I have a very strong teammate," Marquez said. "The target for Ducati is to try to paint the championship red at the end of the year.
"For me, if we are fighting with Pecco (Bagnaia), it means that we are fighting for the championship. He's the rider to beat."
MARTIN MISSING
When the customary photo of all riders was taken ahead of the season's first Grand Prix, one rider was conspicuous by his absence as the Aprilia with the number one plate parked front and centre was riderless.
Defending champion Jorge Martin, who made the switch to Aprilia after being snubbed by Ducati, will miss at least the first two races in Thailand and Argentina as he recovers from surgeries following a heavy crash during testing.
How the Spaniard bounces back having tested his new bike for just 13 laps is a cloud hanging over the Aprilia garage.
"For the first time in my life, I will miss the opening race of the season. The year is not starting out the way I would like it to," Martin said.
"Now my only goal is to recover to 100% so I can go back to racing."
Even Marquez, who is no stranger to season-ending injuries, advised the 27-year-old Martin not to rush back.
"Following my bad experience, I told him, 'Listen to your body, respect your body. You are young, you have many races to go'," Marquez said.
"Unfortunately, we will not have the world champion in the first race, but I wish a good comeback for him."
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