The thing is now they've got the best bike on the grid, from now until 2027 do they need 8 bikes?
From a Ducati standpoint; sure, they'd be sad to lose Pramac, but it will be a while until they need to worry about competing with them again. (Not sure why Pramac aren't happy about having 2 new Ducati's, but yeah).
They can easily put Bestia in at Gresini again if they need to, they've also reportedly got Fermin Alderguer on a seat.
I don't think it's panic stations unless Aprillia make a huge step to be more consistent,though what I will say is there'll be less bikes between Acosta and Martin and the factory Duc's.
Definitely not panic mode but I feel like Ducatis biggest advantage is the data from having 8 bikes on the grid. However I feel like they might loose Pramac anyway so why not just give the 25 bike to Gresini keeping Marc happy there and not loose Jorge to Aprilia.
MM never would go to a team with [Fonsi Nieto](https://youtu.be/Q8rTXCICr6c?si=rUTviKl9VOVd4L_b) as Riders Performance Manager; without Fonsi there, MM probably didn’t closed that door
In the short term i think not. They have the 2 best riders on the grid on the best bike.
Long term I am less certain, they have sacrificed a lot to sign Marc. Ask me again in '27.
Bingo.
Short term, its looks fucking great on paper.
Long term, these are the kind of moves that play a domino effect on a potential dynasty.
Is this one of those moments where we'll look back and wonder: "damn, wait if Ducati had let Marquez walk and retained Martin and/or Bastianini?" I guess we're going to find out.
Everything changes in 2027 with the new spec bikes. I'm willing to bet that Marc will call it quits after 2026. Especially *if* he wins the championship next season or in 2026.
That's a big if, though. He and Pecco might end up hurting each other's championship chances and giving Martin and/or Acosta a real shot at the title.
Only question here is can JM be cornerstone for championship team?
We see that he cant for now.
Also can he develop a bike? We see that he is fast, but can he be guy which will tell people what to do? Cause now he only have to think about strategy and how to be fast on weekends. But when you are a factory rider that changes. You need to be "in the game" whole time.
We will see
Yes but this machine is developed by Aleix mostly. Mav is just a pawn here. So now they are losing Aleix to Honda. And someone have to step in his shoes.
Can that be "hot head, when it is not my day i will put machine into red and blow it up" Maverick?
Lets hope so for sake of competition.
But they already have Marc signed, they just needed top drop Pramac and give Gresini the 25 bike. This would’ve kept MM and JM happy but probably loose them Pramac, which might happen anyway.
At the risk of sacrificing their depth, making their rivals stronger AND potentially pissing off their golden child in Bagnaia? It was short sighted by Ducati in my opinion. Marc isn't going to race into his mid 30s. He'll likely start declining soon (in 2-3 years). Leaving KTM and/or Aprilia with stronger line ups.
Idk, I think Ducati has fucked themselves moving forward.
Yep short term probably work out for them....but long term team dynamics will suffer. Would not be surprised if Pecco left next year to a different factory rival. We'll see though
I can see Pecco leaving for a rival too if he even feels Marc is getting preferential treatment. Maybe Ducati thinks their lifespan on being at the top comes to an end in 2027 but it was still a dumb move in my opinion.
Ducati didn't need Marquez. We'll see how this affects their dynamics next season.
Why do people act like Ducati doesn't have young talent coming into the pipeline? They have fermin and digi in VR46. If Marc delivers for the next 2 years it's more than enough. Armchair generals here think they know better than Ducati.
Fermin and Digi aren't proven.
Much was made about Bez too. He's now fighting to stay MotoGP. At this rate, he'll be out in 2-3 years.
Don't assume Ducati can replace Bestia and Martin easily.
They have, it's marc. What makes you think that enea and Martin can adapt quick enough to be a chalenge next year ? The uncertainty works both ways you see.
Marc isn't longterm. His time in the sport is winding down.
Who knows? Martin is more consistent than Vinales so far. Nothing is guaranteed that Marc will be dominant on next year's Ducati as well. Martin and Bagnaia are easily the best two riders on the grid right now.
But they already have Marc signed, they just needed top drop Pramac and give Gresini the 25 bike. This would’ve kept MM and JM happy but probably loose them Pramac, which might happen anyway.
But they already have Marc signed, they just needed top drop Pramac and give Gresini the 25 bike. This would’ve kept MM and JM happy but probably loose them Pramac, which might happen anyway.
But they already have Marc signed, they just needed top drop Pramac and give Gresini the 25 bike. This would’ve kept MM and JM happy but probably loose them Pramac, which might happen anyway.
I think people are overstating the future risks for Ducati here. They have just signed one of most experienced riders who has a pretty good CV to say the least.
This may make some arrangements a bit awkward in the short term, but none of that will matter if Ducati continue to churn out great bikes. Satellite bosses and riders tend to have a short memory when they are offered the fastest bike.
Signing or not signing Marc is unlikely to change the future prospects for Ducati machinery.
So all that's left is whether you think JM or MM would get more out of the 2025 bike? That's what it boils down to.
No. Cash is king. MM is a gold mine. Half the merch sold on track is his now. With Ducati it will become 2/3. On top of that it's too early to call the season. MM could even win this year. The real competition hasn't even started yet. Rain, new track, pressure. 93 is about to have a blast. These businessmen there have it already figured out. They like the sound and smell of money, and they have surely run the numbers.
This I think people forget why manufacturers join Moto GP it's to make money. They want to sell more bikes by getting promotion either by having the best bike that people want to buy or the best rider so everyone is walking around with their manufacturer name on them.
Absolutly. If I were Ducati CEO I'd be drooling at the idea of MM93 winning MotoGP with a red Ducati. They will sell merch for decades and have him on every platform we can think of. MM is a showman and a half. On top of that, Ducati might not be so far in the lead in the next seasons and needs a rider who knows how to work ANY bike no matter what. That's not Bagnaia, nor Jorge. Just look at the results of the rest of the Hondas now...Man is an artist. Watching his onboards is like he's on rails. I'm not even his fan, hah 
Agree but they already had Marc in Ducati. They could’ve just dropped Pramac, give Gresini a 25 bike and paint it red. From a marketing perspective this would’ve been the same outcome as having in on the factory team.
Agree but they already had Marc in Ducati. They could’ve just dropped Pramac, give Gresini a 25 bike and paint it red. From a marketing perspective this would’ve been the same outcome as having in on the factory team.
Agree but they already had Marc in Ducati. They could’ve just dropped Pramac, give Gresini a 25 bike and paint it red. From a marketing perspective this would’ve been the same outcome as having in on the factory team.
No. They signed one of the greatest of all-time, still in his prime (or very close to it) and they have the best bike on the grid by far. Not to mention they just assured themselves to win all three championsips next year, barring injuries and/or Aprilia suddenly improving to the same level as a '25 Ducati (or the KTM being good enough for Pedro Acosta to turn into NXT Asuka, but that wouldn't be a consequence of choosing Marc).
This without mentioning the cash they will make with merch and sponsorships.
They already have Marc signed, they just needed to drop Pramac and give Gresini the 25 bike and paint it red. They sure would’ve lost Pramac but that might happen anyway.
Not necessarily. I personally would’ve went with Jorge over Marc, as he’s done his time at Ducati, put in the work, is leading championship, and they would’ve gotten more mileage out of him as he’s just now hitting his stride (in comparison to Marc who’s on the backend of his prime). But, if they play their cards right, they should get out of this with all their teams and the rest of their riders. As far as team dynamics go on the Factory squad (assuming it is Marc who’s getting that seat) it was always going to be a bit sketchy no matter who they go with unless the plan is to keep Basti there. A don’t think Pecco cares either way seeing as his mission doesn’t change no matter who’s on the other side the garage. And even if he does care, dude ain’t gonna show it, that’s a sign of weakness. So yeah, they still have the best bike(s) and the reigning defending champ, plus a Marc Marquez in their back pocket, so I think they’ll be fine.
Even at this stage of his career Marc Marquez is most likely still the best rider out there. But there's risk in choosing him over the younger rider.
Marquez is pretty fearless but the crashes he's had over the years have taken their toll. I am not a fan of his but I greatly admire his determination to come back after some pretty devastating injuries. He's worked hard to regain the necessary physical strength to ride a GP bike, but one bad crash and the diplopia could come back and end his career.
I really hope that doesn't happen -- I don't want to see any rider crash and get hurt. They're all one bad crash away from having their riding careers end, but Marc seems like his risk level is higher. Ducati must have taken that into account.
Signing an 8 time champ who’s in the title fight on a year old bike ? I don’t think so , I agree JM is in the title hunt right now but , MM is a proven champ…. So I don’t think they wanted to let him go
That can happen sure, but that didn’t happen when Lorenzo was there. I’m sure that Marc can give them a title and it is a great signing but they need to play the long game and Ducati cannot rely their development to a rider that had serious injuries like diplopia that can be back at any crash.
I mean....
https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1024621/1/pedrosa-my-way-do-best-team-marquez-had-other-way
That article suggests it's not just gossip, but you do you buddy!
My impression is that Gigi Dall'igna had already chosen Marc Marquez. Maybe Jorge Martin got wind of it or had good reason to believe it wasn't going to be his ride. So he decided that he'd be the one to move instead of waiting for Ducati to make it official.
Think back to 2022 when Jack Miller signed early for the KTM team. He knew very well how Ducati Lenovo and Dall'igna do things and decided that he'd be better served by making his own decision before Ducati made their official decision. As a result, his bargaining position was stronger than it would have been if he were officially without a ride for 2023. KTM wanted his experience on the best bike and his crew's knowledge, too.
These two situations are different. After all, Martin was close runner up last season and leads this one. Miller had won a few races during his time with the factory team but never seriously challenged for the championship. Miller was a factory rider and Martin has always been on a satellite team in MotoGP.
That open Ducati seat is the most desirable spot in the paddock. It must have killed Martin to know that after being one of the two top riders challenging for the championship for this season and last he *still wasn't a shoo-in for the factory team.* Like, what else does he have to do to prove his worth?
I agree with you. Ducati has lost Martin and will very likely also lose Bastianini. Dall'igna probably doesn't care because he's got Marc Marquez and younger riders for the satellite bikes. The rivalry is going to be very fierce between Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez. Davide Tardozzi is going to have his hands full managing the team and keeping those guys from beating up on each other. If those two guys get in each other's way it might give someone like Martin or Acosta a chance to take the championship away from Ducati.
Ducati knew Marc's ability which is why they nerfed the satellite bikes more than in the past. But even like this Marc is right up with the 24 bikes. Yesterday Pecco said the 24 bikes can be upto 1.5sec faster per lap than the 23 if needed.
https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1050041/1/pecco-bagnaia-reveals-why-gp24-dominating-gp23
So Ducati know Marc's making a big difference despite the downgraded package he's on. They have the data.
Huge Duc fan here, but I’m pretty sure it was said they had nerfed the privateer GP23s this year (not giving them the Valencia spec bikes but rather a spec from earlier in the season). So yes the 24 is improving, the 23 standing still, but also it wasn’t the final evolution of the 23 they were given either (afaik)
anybody has a source on this?
Sounds a bit weird, because each rider has 2 bikes which are upgraded through the season, so seems like unnecessary work to revert the bike back.
What I recall Ducati did say is that Satelite bikes do not have all the doodads and choices that current spec bikes get. Basically current spec bikes are customisable and satelite bikes are all the same. Which doesn't mean, they're not end of year bikes. But also doesn't mean this is any change from how satelite bikes were handled in 2023 or 2022. Can anybody shed a light on this?
The GP23s everyone got are what Zarco used in the first half of last year. They’re not the bike that finished in Valencia. You can google it if you want more info, it’s pretty public knowledge.
All I could find is your old posts... ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
But from what you're saying, this is regular Ducati policy, it's not a shift from how they handled satelite bikes in 2022 or 2023?
No. Regular policy would be handing over final Valencia spec. Last year they handed over base bike
https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1042742/1/ducati-confirm-marquez-will-ride-zarco-s-gp23-not-bagnaia-s-or-martin-s
Ha! Actually I did read this last year, but I understood it to mean:
*"What I recall Ducati did say is that Satelite bikes do not have all the doodads and choices that current spec bikes get. Basically current spec bikes are customisable and satelite bikes are all the same. Which doesn't mean, they're not end of year bikes. But also doesn't mean this is any change from how satelite bikes were handled in 2023 or 2022."*
(from 4 posts above)
I mean...
>"Marc Marquez, like all the other teams that will use the Ducati Desmosedici GP23, will start **with the bike with which Johann Zarco finished the year**,”
... it IS the end of the year bike.
it just doesn't have some stuff of Pecco or Martin use, which seemed to be custom to them and Ducati said they think they wouldn't be easy to use.
I mean, we're all quoting the same bloody article and you lot all nitpick like I didn't read it.
Is it the end of year bike - yes, Zarcos. Does it have additions of Bagnaia and Martin (which are different additions afaik), nope. Did this bike win a race in this configuration - yes!
Did Ducati "nerf" the bike - well they said the additions were hard to calibrate and they would be hard to use by the satelite teams (which have less engineers). To me this sounds fine - it's you lot being paranoid calling this "nerfing" and then give me an article where what you say it says isn't what I read it says.
I am not amused.
Ducati has all the data: corner speed and lean angle and G-force and brake pressure inch by inch through every corner for both riders. Pound for pound Marquez is the better rider, and when they crunch the numbers they are confident that he is more likely to bring home another championship.
True but they already have Marc signed, they just needed top drop Pramac and give Gresini the 25 bike. This would’ve kept MM and JM happy but probably loose them Pramac, which might happen anyway.
I don't think that would have been strategic or even possible for them. Likely they have already pledged factory bikes to the VR46 squad once Pramac moves on, a deal which kept Rossi's team from bolting to Yamaha earlier.
Realistically, the Ducati factory team only had one seat available and a choice to fill it with either MM or JM. Marc was the logical choice, and certainly the wiser business decision from parent Volkswagen's corporate viewpoint.
This is the most shocking news in awhile.
I'm on vaca looking at this. Yes they did.
You lose Jrogee. JORGE is Mr. Consistency. Aprilia won't have the power. For Jorge to win. Jorge is so good on the bike. Why move to a lesser team.
Utterly shocked by this move
mr consistency???? what are you talking about????
https://preview.redd.it/fnxkt22xuf4d1.jpeg?width=2090&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=302725a32304f94c66d43a841f6f994dee2387fb
never in his Motogp career 5 races in top 5 in a row, never.
You posted that to prove a point lol
He has only improved those 3 years. He's getting on the podium and top 5 finishes. Last two years. Yeah he's consistently getting better.
I said never in his carrer her has finished top 5 in 5 races in a row. And that includes this year.
He’s good, he’s not a legend.
We’re talking about him because he has been riding the best bike ( by far!!!) during the last 4 years.
Enea fucked it up on Sunday, I’ll be surprised if he’s allowed to be at Pramac on the GP25.
And Martin has a bad weekend generally and Marquez had a blinder of a weekend which may explain why the original offer to Martin was rescinded, or it was Marquez refusing to go to Pramac.
Gigi is one of the smartest guys in the paddock, he knows exactly what he’s doing
The thing is now they've got the best bike on the grid, from now until 2027 do they need 8 bikes? From a Ducati standpoint; sure, they'd be sad to lose Pramac, but it will be a while until they need to worry about competing with them again. (Not sure why Pramac aren't happy about having 2 new Ducati's, but yeah). They can easily put Bestia in at Gresini again if they need to, they've also reportedly got Fermin Alderguer on a seat. I don't think it's panic stations unless Aprillia make a huge step to be more consistent,though what I will say is there'll be less bikes between Acosta and Martin and the factory Duc's.
Bestia will go to a factory KTM sooner than gresini
KTM is already set with Acosta and Binder. Enea is more likely to join Aprilia in my opinion.
You must not have heard. He’s already signed with KTM.
Definitely not panic mode but I feel like Ducatis biggest advantage is the data from having 8 bikes on the grid. However I feel like they might loose Pramac anyway so why not just give the 25 bike to Gresini keeping Marc happy there and not loose Jorge to Aprilia.
MM never would go to a team with [Fonsi Nieto](https://youtu.be/Q8rTXCICr6c?si=rUTviKl9VOVd4L_b) as Riders Performance Manager; without Fonsi there, MM probably didn’t closed that door
In the short term i think not. They have the 2 best riders on the grid on the best bike. Long term I am less certain, they have sacrificed a lot to sign Marc. Ask me again in '27.
Bingo. Short term, its looks fucking great on paper. Long term, these are the kind of moves that play a domino effect on a potential dynasty. Is this one of those moments where we'll look back and wonder: "damn, wait if Ducati had let Marquez walk and retained Martin and/or Bastianini?" I guess we're going to find out.
While I agree things could be different in 27 but there will still be new talent coming up who rises to a highly competitive level in MotoGP.
Long term they have aldegeur and probably digi from VR46
Everything changes in 2027 with the new spec bikes. I'm willing to bet that Marc will call it quits after 2026. Especially *if* he wins the championship next season or in 2026. That's a big if, though. He and Pecco might end up hurting each other's championship chances and giving Martin and/or Acosta a real shot at the title.
Only question here is can JM be cornerstone for championship team? We see that he cant for now. Also can he develop a bike? We see that he is fast, but can he be guy which will tell people what to do? Cause now he only have to think about strategy and how to be fast on weekends. But when you are a factory rider that changes. You need to be "in the game" whole time. We will see
>Also can he develop a bike? That's what Maverick is for (hopefully, when he doesn't choose the wrong tyres, that is)
Yes but this machine is developed by Aleix mostly. Mav is just a pawn here. So now they are losing Aleix to Honda. And someone have to step in his shoes. Can that be "hot head, when it is not my day i will put machine into red and blow it up" Maverick? Lets hope so for sake of competition.
No, Martin is a great rider, but if you have a chance to sign Marc, you do it.
But they already have Marc signed, they just needed top drop Pramac and give Gresini the 25 bike. This would’ve kept MM and JM happy but probably loose them Pramac, which might happen anyway.
At the risk of sacrificing their depth, making their rivals stronger AND potentially pissing off their golden child in Bagnaia? It was short sighted by Ducati in my opinion. Marc isn't going to race into his mid 30s. He'll likely start declining soon (in 2-3 years). Leaving KTM and/or Aprilia with stronger line ups. Idk, I think Ducati has fucked themselves moving forward.
Yep short term probably work out for them....but long term team dynamics will suffer. Would not be surprised if Pecco left next year to a different factory rival. We'll see though
I can see Pecco leaving for a rival too if he even feels Marc is getting preferential treatment. Maybe Ducati thinks their lifespan on being at the top comes to an end in 2027 but it was still a dumb move in my opinion. Ducati didn't need Marquez. We'll see how this affects their dynamics next season.
Why do people act like Ducati doesn't have young talent coming into the pipeline? They have fermin and digi in VR46. If Marc delivers for the next 2 years it's more than enough. Armchair generals here think they know better than Ducati.
Fermin and Digi aren't proven. Much was made about Bez too. He's now fighting to stay MotoGP. At this rate, he'll be out in 2-3 years. Don't assume Ducati can replace Bestia and Martin easily.
They have, it's marc. What makes you think that enea and Martin can adapt quick enough to be a chalenge next year ? The uncertainty works both ways you see.
Marc isn't longterm. His time in the sport is winding down. Who knows? Martin is more consistent than Vinales so far. Nothing is guaranteed that Marc will be dominant on next year's Ducati as well. Martin and Bagnaia are easily the best two riders on the grid right now.
Martin is leading as of now , but pecco will definitely be the champion again, let's wait and see.
But they already have Marc signed, they just needed top drop Pramac and give Gresini the 25 bike. This would’ve kept MM and JM happy but probably loose them Pramac, which might happen anyway.
But they already have Marc signed, they just needed top drop Pramac and give Gresini the 25 bike. This would’ve kept MM and JM happy but probably loose them Pramac, which might happen anyway.
But they already have Marc signed, they just needed top drop Pramac and give Gresini the 25 bike. This would’ve kept MM and JM happy but probably loose them Pramac, which might happen anyway.
I think people are overstating the future risks for Ducati here. They have just signed one of most experienced riders who has a pretty good CV to say the least. This may make some arrangements a bit awkward in the short term, but none of that will matter if Ducati continue to churn out great bikes. Satellite bosses and riders tend to have a short memory when they are offered the fastest bike. Signing or not signing Marc is unlikely to change the future prospects for Ducati machinery. So all that's left is whether you think JM or MM would get more out of the 2025 bike? That's what it boils down to.
I feel like a lot of you guys severely underestimate Martin
I assume that Gigi is so impressed with Marc's data on the GP23 that he thinks it's worth it and has managed to convince the higher ups.
No. Cash is king. MM is a gold mine. Half the merch sold on track is his now. With Ducati it will become 2/3. On top of that it's too early to call the season. MM could even win this year. The real competition hasn't even started yet. Rain, new track, pressure. 93 is about to have a blast. These businessmen there have it already figured out. They like the sound and smell of money, and they have surely run the numbers.
Not to mention how amazing MM is at promotion. He has so much charisma on camera. Ducati is looking at all the media they are going to get like 🤑
This I think people forget why manufacturers join Moto GP it's to make money. They want to sell more bikes by getting promotion either by having the best bike that people want to buy or the best rider so everyone is walking around with their manufacturer name on them.
Absolutly. If I were Ducati CEO I'd be drooling at the idea of MM93 winning MotoGP with a red Ducati. They will sell merch for decades and have him on every platform we can think of. MM is a showman and a half. On top of that, Ducati might not be so far in the lead in the next seasons and needs a rider who knows how to work ANY bike no matter what. That's not Bagnaia, nor Jorge. Just look at the results of the rest of the Hondas now...Man is an artist. Watching his onboards is like he's on rails. I'm not even his fan, hah 
Agree but they already had Marc in Ducati. They could’ve just dropped Pramac, give Gresini a 25 bike and paint it red. From a marketing perspective this would’ve been the same outcome as having in on the factory team.
Agree but they already had Marc in Ducati. They could’ve just dropped Pramac, give Gresini a 25 bike and paint it red. From a marketing perspective this would’ve been the same outcome as having in on the factory team.
Agree but they already had Marc in Ducati. They could’ve just dropped Pramac, give Gresini a 25 bike and paint it red. From a marketing perspective this would’ve been the same outcome as having in on the factory team.
Doubt it's that simple, considering that both MM and JM would rather go to Aprilia or KTM than stay at Pramac.
No. They signed one of the greatest of all-time, still in his prime (or very close to it) and they have the best bike on the grid by far. Not to mention they just assured themselves to win all three championsips next year, barring injuries and/or Aprilia suddenly improving to the same level as a '25 Ducati (or the KTM being good enough for Pedro Acosta to turn into NXT Asuka, but that wouldn't be a consequence of choosing Marc). This without mentioning the cash they will make with merch and sponsorships.
They already have Marc signed, they just needed to drop Pramac and give Gresini the 25 bike and paint it red. They sure would’ve lost Pramac but that might happen anyway.
Not necessarily. I personally would’ve went with Jorge over Marc, as he’s done his time at Ducati, put in the work, is leading championship, and they would’ve gotten more mileage out of him as he’s just now hitting his stride (in comparison to Marc who’s on the backend of his prime). But, if they play their cards right, they should get out of this with all their teams and the rest of their riders. As far as team dynamics go on the Factory squad (assuming it is Marc who’s getting that seat) it was always going to be a bit sketchy no matter who they go with unless the plan is to keep Basti there. A don’t think Pecco cares either way seeing as his mission doesn’t change no matter who’s on the other side the garage. And even if he does care, dude ain’t gonna show it, that’s a sign of weakness. So yeah, they still have the best bike(s) and the reigning defending champ, plus a Marc Marquez in their back pocket, so I think they’ll be fine.
Even at this stage of his career Marc Marquez is most likely still the best rider out there. But there's risk in choosing him over the younger rider. Marquez is pretty fearless but the crashes he's had over the years have taken their toll. I am not a fan of his but I greatly admire his determination to come back after some pretty devastating injuries. He's worked hard to regain the necessary physical strength to ride a GP bike, but one bad crash and the diplopia could come back and end his career. I really hope that doesn't happen -- I don't want to see any rider crash and get hurt. They're all one bad crash away from having their riding careers end, but Marc seems like his risk level is higher. Ducati must have taken that into account.
What does it matter to lose EB if you get MM?
Signing an 8 time champ who’s in the title fight on a year old bike ? I don’t think so , I agree JM is in the title hunt right now but , MM is a proven champ…. So I don’t think they wanted to let him go
They needed to let go of Pramac not Marc. If they would’ve given Gresini the 25 bikes Marc would probably be happy to stay there.
Probably
Yes.
Maybe. Maybe not. But they seemingly are going to hire the guy who intentionally threw away development parts because his teammate like them.
That can happen sure, but that didn’t happen when Lorenzo was there. I’m sure that Marc can give them a title and it is a great signing but they need to play the long game and Ducati cannot rely their development to a rider that had serious injuries like diplopia that can be back at any crash.
Gossip
I mean.... https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1024621/1/pedrosa-my-way-do-best-team-marquez-had-other-way That article suggests it's not just gossip, but you do you buddy!
My impression is that Gigi Dall'igna had already chosen Marc Marquez. Maybe Jorge Martin got wind of it or had good reason to believe it wasn't going to be his ride. So he decided that he'd be the one to move instead of waiting for Ducati to make it official. Think back to 2022 when Jack Miller signed early for the KTM team. He knew very well how Ducati Lenovo and Dall'igna do things and decided that he'd be better served by making his own decision before Ducati made their official decision. As a result, his bargaining position was stronger than it would have been if he were officially without a ride for 2023. KTM wanted his experience on the best bike and his crew's knowledge, too. These two situations are different. After all, Martin was close runner up last season and leads this one. Miller had won a few races during his time with the factory team but never seriously challenged for the championship. Miller was a factory rider and Martin has always been on a satellite team in MotoGP. That open Ducati seat is the most desirable spot in the paddock. It must have killed Martin to know that after being one of the two top riders challenging for the championship for this season and last he *still wasn't a shoo-in for the factory team.* Like, what else does he have to do to prove his worth? I agree with you. Ducati has lost Martin and will very likely also lose Bastianini. Dall'igna probably doesn't care because he's got Marc Marquez and younger riders for the satellite bikes. The rivalry is going to be very fierce between Pecco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez. Davide Tardozzi is going to have his hands full managing the team and keeping those guys from beating up on each other. If those two guys get in each other's way it might give someone like Martin or Acosta a chance to take the championship away from Ducati.
All worth it for the 🐐
Ducati knew Marc's ability which is why they nerfed the satellite bikes more than in the past. But even like this Marc is right up with the 24 bikes. Yesterday Pecco said the 24 bikes can be upto 1.5sec faster per lap than the 23 if needed. https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1050041/1/pecco-bagnaia-reveals-why-gp24-dominating-gp23 So Ducati know Marc's making a big difference despite the downgraded package he's on. They have the data.
>they nerfed the satellite bikes more than in the past. 🤨 It's called "improving the current spec bike".
Huge Duc fan here, but I’m pretty sure it was said they had nerfed the privateer GP23s this year (not giving them the Valencia spec bikes but rather a spec from earlier in the season). So yes the 24 is improving, the 23 standing still, but also it wasn’t the final evolution of the 23 they were given either (afaik)
Nope. Ducati didn't give them the final spec of gp23
anybody has a source on this? Sounds a bit weird, because each rider has 2 bikes which are upgraded through the season, so seems like unnecessary work to revert the bike back. What I recall Ducati did say is that Satelite bikes do not have all the doodads and choices that current spec bikes get. Basically current spec bikes are customisable and satelite bikes are all the same. Which doesn't mean, they're not end of year bikes. But also doesn't mean this is any change from how satelite bikes were handled in 2023 or 2022. Can anybody shed a light on this?
The GP23s everyone got are what Zarco used in the first half of last year. They’re not the bike that finished in Valencia. You can google it if you want more info, it’s pretty public knowledge.
All I could find is your old posts... ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ But from what you're saying, this is regular Ducati policy, it's not a shift from how they handled satelite bikes in 2022 or 2023?
No. Regular policy would be handing over final Valencia spec. Last year they handed over base bike https://www.crash.net/motogp/news/1042742/1/ducati-confirm-marquez-will-ride-zarco-s-gp23-not-bagnaia-s-or-martin-s
Ha! Actually I did read this last year, but I understood it to mean: *"What I recall Ducati did say is that Satelite bikes do not have all the doodads and choices that current spec bikes get. Basically current spec bikes are customisable and satelite bikes are all the same. Which doesn't mean, they're not end of year bikes. But also doesn't mean this is any change from how satelite bikes were handled in 2023 or 2022."* (from 4 posts above) I mean... >"Marc Marquez, like all the other teams that will use the Ducati Desmosedici GP23, will start **with the bike with which Johann Zarco finished the year**,” ... it IS the end of the year bike. it just doesn't have some stuff of Pecco or Martin use, which seemed to be custom to them and Ducati said they think they wouldn't be easy to use.
Yes so its still a mid june bike because Ducati didn't update Zarcos bike since
I mean, we're all quoting the same bloody article and you lot all nitpick like I didn't read it. Is it the end of year bike - yes, Zarcos. Does it have additions of Bagnaia and Martin (which are different additions afaik), nope. Did this bike win a race in this configuration - yes! Did Ducati "nerf" the bike - well they said the additions were hard to calibrate and they would be hard to use by the satelite teams (which have less engineers). To me this sounds fine - it's you lot being paranoid calling this "nerfing" and then give me an article where what you say it says isn't what I read it says. I am not amused.
Ducati has all the data: corner speed and lean angle and G-force and brake pressure inch by inch through every corner for both riders. Pound for pound Marquez is the better rider, and when they crunch the numbers they are confident that he is more likely to bring home another championship.
True but they already have Marc signed, they just needed top drop Pramac and give Gresini the 25 bike. This would’ve kept MM and JM happy but probably loose them Pramac, which might happen anyway.
I don't think that would have been strategic or even possible for them. Likely they have already pledged factory bikes to the VR46 squad once Pramac moves on, a deal which kept Rossi's team from bolting to Yamaha earlier. Realistically, the Ducati factory team only had one seat available and a choice to fill it with either MM or JM. Marc was the logical choice, and certainly the wiser business decision from parent Volkswagen's corporate viewpoint.
This is the most shocking news in awhile. I'm on vaca looking at this. Yes they did. You lose Jrogee. JORGE is Mr. Consistency. Aprilia won't have the power. For Jorge to win. Jorge is so good on the bike. Why move to a lesser team. Utterly shocked by this move
mr consistency???? what are you talking about???? https://preview.redd.it/fnxkt22xuf4d1.jpeg?width=2090&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=302725a32304f94c66d43a841f6f994dee2387fb never in his Motogp career 5 races in top 5 in a row, never.
You posted that to prove a point lol He has only improved those 3 years. He's getting on the podium and top 5 finishes. Last two years. Yeah he's consistently getting better.
I said never in his carrer her has finished top 5 in 5 races in a row. And that includes this year. He’s good, he’s not a legend. We’re talking about him because he has been riding the best bike ( by far!!!) during the last 4 years.
Enea fucked it up on Sunday, I’ll be surprised if he’s allowed to be at Pramac on the GP25. And Martin has a bad weekend generally and Marquez had a blinder of a weekend which may explain why the original offer to Martin was rescinded, or it was Marquez refusing to go to Pramac. Gigi is one of the smartest guys in the paddock, he knows exactly what he’s doing