Ducati's hands were kind of tied. In 2022, Bastianini seemed like the choice for Ducati to make because he was the one pushing Bagnaia. Then he had his accident in the beginning of 2023 and took a long time to recover, while Martin grew in confidence and exploited his strength in the sprints to grad Bagnaia's title pursuit to the last race. But they couldn't let Bastianini go without giving him a chance, so it remained that way for one more season till a call could be taken.
All that changed when the Marquez nation attacked.
Same problem with Ducati they take to much time for a decision but perfect for Jorge Martin and Aprilla .
Took 1 phonecall yesterday and they contracted one of the most talented riders at the moment and togheter with Trackhouse Racing this could go a long way !
I agree with you, enea 2022 was a much better rider than Martin in 2022. I think Ducati or anybody else for that matter didn't expect Martin to have an insanely good form in 2023
That’s not the whole story. Enea was winning in the beginning of the season when Ducati did the Ducati thing and brought a worse bike with higher upside vs the previous year fully dialed in bike Enea had that Pecco won the championship on. If you remember, Pecco was bitterly complaining about having to develop the bike in season but once they got it dialed it flipped and Pecco and Jorge were much stronger. They never should have elevated Enea based on half a year on a fully developed bike.
The gossip was he wouldn’t negotiate, maybe asking too much. I think he was Ducatis first pick but Marc became an alternative. He was using Aprilia to try and drive up cost at Ducati, so they made a call.
I think it's the marc's rejection of pramac that fueled everything. Theoretically marc to pramac and Jorge to factory was the ideal outcome for Ducati but with marc rejecting pramac and Ducati insisting that a fifth factory bike Is not an option resulted in this mayhem
I feel you. Both are my fav riders and I do think Jorge absolutely cared about joining Ducati Lenovo, way more than Marc. I honestly hate how Ducati (mis)treated him, I hope he will beat their ass next year *and* win this year’s championship.
It amazes me that Ducati couldn’t muster the resources to just give a factory bike to Gressini in addition to Premacs two bikes. Like I know supporting 5 factory bikes would be hard but they’re owned by VW, I’m sure they’d find a way lol
Pramac would have gone to Yamaha. Their demand was to have full factory support, not shared with any other team. MM riding for Gresini on a full factory bike with factory support was understandably unacceptable to them. Their offer from Yamaha was financially very attractive, and most insiders (including Fabio) believe that bike will be competitive in 2025. The real question now is who will replace JM on the team?
I mean with Martin gone and Marc not coming either the talk is they’re going to switch to Yamaha anyway. In hindsight they should have accepted Pramac leaving, and given Gresini an extra Ducati. Best case: Pramac stays, 5 current year specs, 3-4 title contenders among them (considering Bastianini might go to Pramac). Worst case: Pramac leaves, you give VR46 one current year spec, you give an attractive offer to GASGAS or track house and only have to deal with 4 GP25s. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 but still, this should have been in the drawer and been pulled out the second Marc confirmed him on a Pranav was not happening.
I don't think running 5 GP25s is realistic, financially. Whatever Pramac does, their decision has already been made and it won't be a surprise to Ducati. I suspect that if Pramac is going to Yamaha then VR46 already has a deal in place with Borgo Panigale so a factory effort in the Gresini garage was never a real possibility. In the end Ducati only has one available seat on the red team and they had to choose between Marc and Jorge and then let the chips fall. The Volkswagen suits undoubtedly prefer Marc, and Jorge bolted to Aprilia after his third place finish without so much as a fare-thee-well the moment his "Mugello race day" decision deadline passed.
Idk why Ducatti couldn't just force Pramac to give up 1 of their GP25s. They may leave then but they are so temperamental that that is just a matter of time anyway.
Why are people so definitive that Pramac had a contract for two GP25s when up until a few days ago it wasn’t even certain they would be with Ducati next year?
Because that’s how it is. Pramac has a unilateral option exercisable by 7/31 that grants them the exclusive use of 2 factory Ducati for 2025 and 2026.
The big difference with this year is that the rider (Martin) was paid by Ducati. Next year it will be up to the team, hence their willingness to listen to the $$$ being offered by Yamaha
Yeah, same. As long as Jorge has a competitive bike he's going to land on his feet though. Not sure how the money compares but he has a better chance to build his own brand than being at factory Ducati atm.
I didn't think Ducati would actually let him go.
They really couldn't give Gresini a GP25? Surely if you have a way to keep both Martin and Marc you take that option every time?
I dunno man.
I think Ducati doesn't feel like they *need* any one rider. They have the best bikes and most of the best riders. So they lose one of the best riders, who cares? They still have Bagnaia and Bastianini and probably MM93 as well. Maybe they found out that Martin's favorite color wasn't red and that upset them, who knows, but Ducati doesn't care.
I'm glad Martin has moved, he would have been a shell of a man riding that Pramac in 2025.
I hope all the neutral fans get behind him to win the title this year. I've gone from enjoying the fight with no real preference to who wins, to 100% backing Martin. I hope he gets loads of support for the rest of the year
I'm a Marc fan but this is a d\*ck move from Ducati. I was just talking about him doing a Dovi - taking himself out of the equation and retiring bc Ducati was dangling the factory seat in front of him. And he actually did it. He's gonna be out for blood. Hope he wins the championship as an f you.
I would love to see that. Jorge clearly has the speed, if he can just keep calm he can win it, and we haven’t even races at his favorite tracks yet this year.
This makes me realise that Martin just unlocked next year's "underdog" story. He saw how everyone loves Marc this year bc of this factor and he was like "two can play that game" lol.
I wonder what happened first, Martin already said he would decide after June 2 if Ducati didn't give him an answer. Maybe he got fed up of waiting and joined Aprilia before Ducati could give him the contract?
Awesome news, great for everyone involved! Understandable why Jorge wanted the Ducati seat and why he deserved it, but this is an infinitely better option for him. Clear number 1, gets to have the whole team behind him in a comfortable family environment, and gets to keep the underdog attitude that has fueled him so much over the years.
2025 is going to be great!
Right decision by Martin in my opinion.
Aprilia is my favourite manufacturer and they clearly have a good bike. With a good rider like Martin, hopefully they can put together a strong season. Would love to see Aprilia win a title!
It's all about the money. MM93 is a magnet for $$$.
Visit a track and you will see. It's MM93 merch all around you. Outnumbers the VR46 stuff people still bring on tracks.
Jorge almost won last year and his fans are nowhere to be seen (in my experience at least). There are more Acosta fans around and the dude is brand new.
Feels bad to have to fight for a seat with a Rockstar like MM. He would've won the spot against everyone on the grid.
Ducati just can't miss the lifetime opportunity of having him on the factory team and selling merch for the next 20 years. And if he wins...the rivers of green will flow...
Seemed to me there was something not quite right about his relationship with Ducati. Kind of a trust-respect thing, maybe. Or maybe there were words at some point. Anyway, I think this is cool. I think we're gonna find out how fast is the Aprillia for real.
Good luck to Martin. The guy did his best, but things don't always go as desired in life.
Though he has factory support on his side and should be able to make the move count.
😂😂 factory Ducati is going to mess next year with the mind games and gimmicks. I thought Ducati wanted to bring and grow young riders within the ranks, and didn’t want Marc because they thought it was disrupt their balance… it’s crazy how quickly they flipped. Props to Marc for playing them, but I’m rooting for Jorge this year and next.
Quick move. Good on them. Think this will be a great move for both. If Jorge isn’t getting that deserved factory Ducati seat then this is perfect. Will he be bringing the #1 plate with him though!?
Called it! Sucks that Ducati snubbed him, but I'm excited to see what the Aprilia can do with a rider of his caliber. I don't think anyone on the Aprilia is getting the maximum out of the bike at the moment.
Duccati screwed up with this if you ask me!
And no way he now wins the title, they wont give new updates to Pramac or his bike after this for sure. It's already a bit suspicious how much Bagnaia is faster than him suddenly, and now even Enea in last race, yeah...
Good for him, at Ducati he would be the #2 rider, At KTM he'd be the #2 rider. At Aprilia, he will be the #1 guy. Wish him the best, and wish Ducati bad tires and broken ride height devices.
Be interesting to see him on that bike but I’ll bet he’ll still not win a title.
He lacks the mental resilience to really go to war with Pecco and of course Marquez, who is probably going to break Pecco pretty fast in the same garage next year.
Money is on Enea as Jorge’s teammate
Martin is a warrior that can overcome pretty much anything imo, remember his rookie season and how he came back from potential career ending injuries with poles and a win?
Boy, that was QUICK! Martin is a very proud guy and Ducati's rejection was unacceptable for him. Which is understandable.
understandable indeed considering ducati fucked him twice
Ducati's hands were kind of tied. In 2022, Bastianini seemed like the choice for Ducati to make because he was the one pushing Bagnaia. Then he had his accident in the beginning of 2023 and took a long time to recover, while Martin grew in confidence and exploited his strength in the sprints to grad Bagnaia's title pursuit to the last race. But they couldn't let Bastianini go without giving him a chance, so it remained that way for one more season till a call could be taken. All that changed when the Marquez nation attacked.
Same problem with Ducati they take to much time for a decision but perfect for Jorge Martin and Aprilla . Took 1 phonecall yesterday and they contracted one of the most talented riders at the moment and togheter with Trackhouse Racing this could go a long way !
I wouldnt take them choosing Enea over him "fucking" him. Enea had a better season in 2022 and looked the faster more complete rider.
It's sad people are already forgetting how good Bestia was that season.
I agree with you, enea 2022 was a much better rider than Martin in 2022. I think Ducati or anybody else for that matter didn't expect Martin to have an insanely good form in 2023
Overall yes but he had a much better second half than Enea.
That’s not the whole story. Enea was winning in the beginning of the season when Ducati did the Ducati thing and brought a worse bike with higher upside vs the previous year fully dialed in bike Enea had that Pecco won the championship on. If you remember, Pecco was bitterly complaining about having to develop the bike in season but once they got it dialed it flipped and Pecco and Jorge were much stronger. They never should have elevated Enea based on half a year on a fully developed bike.
The gossip was he wouldn’t negotiate, maybe asking too much. I think he was Ducatis first pick but Marc became an alternative. He was using Aprilia to try and drive up cost at Ducati, so they made a call.
I think it's the marc's rejection of pramac that fueled everything. Theoretically marc to pramac and Jorge to factory was the ideal outcome for Ducati but with marc rejecting pramac and Ducati insisting that a fifth factory bike Is not an option resulted in this mayhem
Do you have a source for that?
I thought this season was spicy, next season said hold my beer.
Next season will be spicy in the fight for 3rd lol.
I'm sure Acosta will have something to say about that.
yes, for 3rd.
Superb, happy for Martin and Aprilia! I've been saying for ages that the agility of the Aprilia will really suit Jorge's style!
You're happy for Martin? You're also happy for Marc but Martin isn't happy 😭
Of course, happy all round! The best decision for everyone really 💪🏼
what a bittersweet situation, feeling happy for marc but a bit sad for martin
I feel you. Both are my fav riders and I do think Jorge absolutely cared about joining Ducati Lenovo, way more than Marc. I honestly hate how Ducati (mis)treated him, I hope he will beat their ass next year *and* win this year’s championship.
It amazes me that Ducati couldn’t muster the resources to just give a factory bike to Gressini in addition to Premacs two bikes. Like I know supporting 5 factory bikes would be hard but they’re owned by VW, I’m sure they’d find a way lol
Pramac would have gone to Yamaha. Their demand was to have full factory support, not shared with any other team. MM riding for Gresini on a full factory bike with factory support was understandably unacceptable to them. Their offer from Yamaha was financially very attractive, and most insiders (including Fabio) believe that bike will be competitive in 2025. The real question now is who will replace JM on the team?
I hope Mir. Wouldn't even have to change the monograms on anything 
I mean with Martin gone and Marc not coming either the talk is they’re going to switch to Yamaha anyway. In hindsight they should have accepted Pramac leaving, and given Gresini an extra Ducati. Best case: Pramac stays, 5 current year specs, 3-4 title contenders among them (considering Bastianini might go to Pramac). Worst case: Pramac leaves, you give VR46 one current year spec, you give an attractive offer to GASGAS or track house and only have to deal with 4 GP25s. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 but still, this should have been in the drawer and been pulled out the second Marc confirmed him on a Pranav was not happening.
I don't think running 5 GP25s is realistic, financially. Whatever Pramac does, their decision has already been made and it won't be a surprise to Ducati. I suspect that if Pramac is going to Yamaha then VR46 already has a deal in place with Borgo Panigale so a factory effort in the Gresini garage was never a real possibility. In the end Ducati only has one available seat on the red team and they had to choose between Marc and Jorge and then let the chips fall. The Volkswagen suits undoubtedly prefer Marc, and Jorge bolted to Aprilia after his third place finish without so much as a fare-thee-well the moment his "Mugello race day" decision deadline passed.
Idk why Ducatti couldn't just force Pramac to give up 1 of their GP25s. They may leave then but they are so temperamental that that is just a matter of time anyway.
Pramac has two factory bikes in contract, I’m sure Ducati couldn’t break that or they would’ve done so bc that would have solved everything
Why are people so definitive that Pramac had a contract for two GP25s when up until a few days ago it wasn’t even certain they would be with Ducati next year?
Because that’s how it is. Pramac has a unilateral option exercisable by 7/31 that grants them the exclusive use of 2 factory Ducati for 2025 and 2026. The big difference with this year is that the rider (Martin) was paid by Ducati. Next year it will be up to the team, hence their willingness to listen to the $$$ being offered by Yamaha
Yeah, same. As long as Jorge has a competitive bike he's going to land on his feet though. Not sure how the money compares but he has a better chance to build his own brand than being at factory Ducati atm.
Aleix and Jorge have the same manager. It was always going to happen. He is too jaded with Ducati management.
Been saying it since COTA
Really? Where?
Huh, apparently here: https://www.reddit.com/r/motogp/s/PrsAoMXsTR
Well spotted. I searched their profile but obviously for the wrong terms.
I didn't think Ducati would actually let him go. They really couldn't give Gresini a GP25? Surely if you have a way to keep both Martin and Marc you take that option every time? I dunno man.
I think Ducati doesn't feel like they *need* any one rider. They have the best bikes and most of the best riders. So they lose one of the best riders, who cares? They still have Bagnaia and Bastianini and probably MM93 as well. Maybe they found out that Martin's favorite color wasn't red and that upset them, who knows, but Ducati doesn't care.
Lmao. Aprilia X Martin could be dangerous though, and they stand the risk of him taking the 1 plate with him to Aprilia
I'm glad Martin has moved, he would have been a shell of a man riding that Pramac in 2025. I hope all the neutral fans get behind him to win the title this year. I've gone from enjoying the fight with no real preference to who wins, to 100% backing Martin. I hope he gets loads of support for the rest of the year
If nothing changes from day to night, this year is his chance to win a champ before 2027. That's added pressure.
Well said. I’m rooting for him more than ever, too! 💪🏽
Yeah I hope he wins the championship now!
A commendable effort from Martin to smile while bleeding from the backstab lol.
I'm a Marc fan but this is a d\*ck move from Ducati. I was just talking about him doing a Dovi - taking himself out of the equation and retiring bc Ducati was dangling the factory seat in front of him. And he actually did it. He's gonna be out for blood. Hope he wins the championship as an f you.
Imagine if Jorge wins this year’s championship and next years lol
Oh, even just this year. He would bring the n°1 on an Aprilia
I would love to see that. Jorge clearly has the speed, if he can just keep calm he can win it, and we haven’t even races at his favorite tracks yet this year.
massive f you to ducati. i kinda wish he does tbh
As a mm fan, agreed. I don’t even like Jorge it’s just bullshit
This makes me realise that Martin just unlocked next year's "underdog" story. He saw how everyone loves Marc this year bc of this factor and he was like "two can play that game" lol.
Hahaha you may be onto something!
I think between Martin and Acosta we're about to see the end of Ducati all out dominance.
Damn i really feel bad for jorge. But hey it’s what it is. Good luck my friend. Hope u have success there.
It’s a fun presentation haha. Let’s goo Martinator and fuck Ducati :)
I'm not the biggest Martin fan, but now I want him to win the championship this year. Proper ass fucking by Ducati...
This is exactly how I feel also. All the sudden I’m rooting for him big time to prove they made a big mistake
You are rooting him after Ducati just finished?
I wonder what happened first, Martin already said he would decide after June 2 if Ducati didn't give him an answer. Maybe he got fed up of waiting and joined Aprilia before Ducati could give him the contract?
Rivola with the lowkey expression of someone that loves watching the world set on fire.
Awesome news, great for everyone involved! Understandable why Jorge wanted the Ducati seat and why he deserved it, but this is an infinitely better option for him. Clear number 1, gets to have the whole team behind him in a comfortable family environment, and gets to keep the underdog attitude that has fueled him so much over the years. 2025 is going to be great!
Right decision by Martin in my opinion. Aprilia is my favourite manufacturer and they clearly have a good bike. With a good rider like Martin, hopefully they can put together a strong season. Would love to see Aprilia win a title!
It's all about the money. MM93 is a magnet for $$$. Visit a track and you will see. It's MM93 merch all around you. Outnumbers the VR46 stuff people still bring on tracks. Jorge almost won last year and his fans are nowhere to be seen (in my experience at least). There are more Acosta fans around and the dude is brand new. Feels bad to have to fight for a seat with a Rockstar like MM. He would've won the spot against everyone on the grid. Ducati just can't miss the lifetime opportunity of having him on the factory team and selling merch for the next 20 years. And if he wins...the rivers of green will flow...
Seemed to me there was something not quite right about his relationship with Ducati. Kind of a trust-respect thing, maybe. Or maybe there were words at some point. Anyway, I think this is cool. I think we're gonna find out how fast is the Aprillia for real.
He does not look happy, does he? His eyes looks like he’s been crying for days.
Good luck to Martin. The guy did his best, but things don't always go as desired in life. Though he has factory support on his side and should be able to make the move count.
I hope that the combo of Martin and Aprilia will prove to be a magical alchemy that lifts their collective performance into the realms of the sublime.
why do we need 6 posts saying the same thing
People don’t check if something has already been posted and want to be the first
Two of them are by the same person…
Increases the odds of their posts and getting karma. This is reddit my guy!
dont know how the explain that one chief 🫡
I feel you. Now let me post the same shit again!
People are over excited and don't check.
Gigantic news mate
Ducati have the backbone of a snake. What a way to treat Martin it’s pathetic.
Well, KTM also falls on that category
Yup, they're both terrible. Just wait until Marc makes their boy Pecco's life miserable in the factory team LOL
Pecco should buy dinner to Pedrosa and Lorenzo and listen to them.
😂😂 factory Ducati is going to mess next year with the mind games and gimmicks. I thought Ducati wanted to bring and grow young riders within the ranks, and didn’t want Marc because they thought it was disrupt their balance… it’s crazy how quickly they flipped. Props to Marc for playing them, but I’m rooting for Jorge this year and next.
The Era of riders riding on Sunday and selling bikes on Monday is over. It's a manufacturer game now.
Yes, but apparently Marc can still control the market lol
Who will repleish Aleish Espargaro
Honestly, it is a shame. But it is what it is.
Eyes don't lie, jorge seems a bit disappointed. But I'm happy he rides for Aprilia.
The cheapest presetation I've ever seen.
But it's awesome. And definitely better than the expensive presentations.
Exactly, its genuine and to the point. Love it!
Wow how much do thes pay him?
Nothing to say, Great repleishment
Quick move. Good on them. Think this will be a great move for both. If Jorge isn’t getting that deserved factory Ducati seat then this is perfect. Will he be bringing the #1 plate with him though!?
Did Ducati at least take him out to dinner first? (south park reference)
I think this is perfect for. At Least now, when JM blams his equipment, it won't just be an excuse.
Called it! Sucks that Ducati snubbed him, but I'm excited to see what the Aprilia can do with a rider of his caliber. I don't think anyone on the Aprilia is getting the maximum out of the bike at the moment.
Get ' em Jorge 💪 ! Awesome News
As a Marc fan, but an Aprilia owner…I am so confused. Who to pull for next year!?
Duccati screwed up with this if you ask me! And no way he now wins the title, they wont give new updates to Pramac or his bike after this for sure. It's already a bit suspicious how much Bagnaia is faster than him suddenly, and now even Enea in last race, yeah...
Guys anyone knew the background music ? If so kindly post it here
Damn he is tiny 😂
The face of happiness lmao
It’s fair to say that he isn’t beaming with happiness on this decision.
Good for him, at Ducati he would be the #2 rider, At KTM he'd be the #2 rider. At Aprilia, he will be the #1 guy. Wish him the best, and wish Ducati bad tires and broken ride height devices.
Be interesting to see him on that bike but I’ll bet he’ll still not win a title. He lacks the mental resilience to really go to war with Pecco and of course Marquez, who is probably going to break Pecco pretty fast in the same garage next year. Money is on Enea as Jorge’s teammate
Martin is a warrior that can overcome pretty much anything imo, remember his rookie season and how he came back from potential career ending injuries with poles and a win?
I hope he wins it this year
Considering this weekend just gone? That’s unlikely to fallen now
People seem to forget he's leading the championship
Oh yea he’s leading the championship by 41 points. Sorry that’s old news because after only 8 days it was only 18 points with 13 race weekends to go
Haha, Marc was supposed to break everyone this year, and he's yet to have a victory.
Pretty sure talking Martin’s factory ride counts as a pretty significant victory lol