Andrea Dovizioso sees an opportunity for Francesco Bagnaia if Marc Marquez joins the Ducati factory team – How he rates his chances of winning the title before the final.
Andrea Dovizioso, former MotoGP rider and multiple runner-up in the world championship, knows from his own experience what it’s like to have to hold his own against Marc Marquez in a title fight. For years, the Italian fought against the Spaniard, who was then dominating with Honda, in the Ducati factory team.
Marquez has been riding a Ducati himself since this MotoGP season – still with the Gresini team, but he will switch to the Ducati factory team in 2025. There he will become the new teammate of Francesco Bagnaia, who is fighting Jorge Martin for the title this season.
“This year, Marc has done very well,” Dovizioso said of his former rival’s first season with Ducati at GPOne.com. ”He made some mistakes, but they were all mistakes to prepare for next year. He needed time to get used to new situations and the bike.”
“In my opinion, he worked well and improved in many ways by the end of the season. Now he has a consistent performance, which is very good for Ducati, but he still has to take further small steps forward.”
With this, Bagnaia would remove all doubts
By joining the Ducati factory team, Márquez has not only outbid Martin, who was long considered the favorite for the promotion, but has also put himself in a position to win further titles, Dovizioso knows: “Marc has created exactly the situation he wanted, which opens the way to further world championships for him.”
For Bagnaia, who has already won two titles with Ducati, he sees Márquez’s arrival as a test. “Bagnaia would clear up any doubts around him if he beats Márquez, even though he is already a top rider,” the Italian analyzes.
He also draws a comparison between the future team dynamic of Bagnaia and Marquez and his situation with Jorge Lorenzo in 2017. When Ducati brought Lorenzo into the team during the season, Dovizioso said it was a sign that there were doubts internally about the current driver line-up.
“The situation may seem similar now, but it is different. Lorenzo was brought in because there were people at Ducati who didn’t believe in the riders they had originally set their sights on,” he reflects. With Marquez, on the other hand, it is ‘a simple preference’ because they already have a champion on board with Bagnaia.
When asked what he would recommend to Bagnaia with the 2025 season in mind, Dovizioso advises not to be too unsettled by Marquez’s presence. “Pecco has to do what he did this year, which is to focus on himself, his own strengths and his potential,” says “Dovi”.
Dovizioso: I also benefited from Lorenzo
Since he himself “grew” with the competition with Lorenzo, he is convinced that the fight with a strong teammate can be an opportunity for further development, but only if Bagnaia is careful not to look too much at Marquez.
“It’s useful to have a point of reference to improve, but the important thing is to always focus on yourself, because if you look too much at the other guy, you risk being left behind.”
Aside from these discussions, Dovizioso also looks ahead to the ongoing 2024 title fight between Martin and Bagnaia. “You could say that the situation is relatively clear now. But in motorcycling, you never say never,” he emphasizes ahead of the season finale in Barcelona, which will decide the title.
Factors such as Michelin’s tire choice and the weather in Barcelona could yet turn the tide. Nevertheless, Dovizioso sees Martin as having a slight advantage: “In my opinion, Martin is in control of the situation and can manage it.”
