The Ducati bosses are not worried about internal team quarrels and emphasize that Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez will receive the same support
With Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez, Ducati has the strongest driver pairing in the MotoGP field in terms of world championship titles since Yamaha lined up with Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo in the 2010s.
Many will still remember the internal team rivalry that developed between the two at the time – including a partition wall in the pits. Quite a few believe that the Bagnaia-Marquez combination could also be quite explosive.
But the Ducati bosses, when asked about this at the recent team presentation, were deliberately calm. Team manager Davide Tardozzi is even confident that it will be “very easy” to manage the two multiple world champions.
Tardozzi praises the respect of the drivers for each other
“I won’t change my approach, because after all, it’s much easier to work with champions than with young people,” says the Italian, adding: ”I think it will be very easy to manage them. What strengthens my opinion is the respect that can be seen between them.”
“They talk to each other a lot, they work together to improve the bike. In the end, it will be decided on the racetrack who is in front and who is behind.”
Bagnaia’s advantage: He knows Ducati inside out and has been a mainstay of its success in recent years. Marquez may have been riding last year’s Ducati for Gresini in 2024, but he is still new to the factory and may shake things up a bit to assert his position on the team.
But Tardozzi assures that both drivers will be equally supported and treated fairly – just as Ducati allowed Pramac driver Jorge Martin to fight Bagnaia for the world title on an equal footing.
“It’s not a problem for us to support both drivers. We will support both drivers as we have in the past and meet their needs. We are able to do that. We not only have two drivers, but two champions on the team. This makes us very proud,” says Tardozzi.
Dall’Igna: So far similar feedback from both
In this respect, both riders have an equal say in the development of the new GP25, even if their demands differ. However, Gigi Dall’Igna, Managing Director of Ducati Corse, reveals: “At the first test in Barcelona, we got the same feedback from both of them regarding the new bike.”
And Tardozzi also confirms: “We will support them in the best way. If one or the other wants to take a different path, we will try to help them as much as possible.” The goal for 2025 is clear. The drivers’ title should go back to the factory team – whether with Bagnaia or Marquez.
“The road to get there will certainly not be easy,” says Dall’Igna. ”But we have a clear idea of the situation and many things to test. I think we also have to keep in mind that last year’s bike was pretty good.”
“So we are not in a rush to bring something new as quickly as possible. We have a lot in the pipeline and have to choose what will be the basis for the start of the season.”
