The second seat in the Ducati factory team is vacant and three riders are on the shortlist – How they comment on their future and what is important to Gigi Dall’Igna
It is the most hotly debated topic in the current MotoGP Silly Season: Who will be Francesco Bagnaia’s teammate in 2025? While the reigning world champion extended his contract with Ducati until the end of 2026 before the start of the season, the second seat on the factory team is still vacant
The contract of Bagnaia’s teammate Enea Bastianini ends with this season. And he faces tough competition from Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez.
Both in 2022, when Bastianini was promoted from Gresini to the Ducati factory team, and last year, he was given preference, even though he missed most of the season due to injury and Martin took the runner-up title
After four events this season, Martin is also ahead of Bastianini in terms of points. The Pramac rider leads the championship standings ahead of Bagnaia, with Bastianini in third place. He has recorded two podium finishes in Portimao and Austin so far.
“It will be important to start strongly,” he says ahead of the weekend in Le Mans. “Physically, I feel good and I have a good feeling for the bike. I’m still lacking a bit of explosiveness, but it was important not to overdo it at the start and to get the feeling back. It was a good start to the season.”
Asked about his future, Bastianini added in an interview with Sky Italia: “A decision will be made soon, but I’m relaxed.” According to Ducati, a decision will be announced at the home race in Mugello at the beginning of June
Martin: Factory team the logical next step
Will the choice fall on Martin this time? The Spaniard himself says: “For my part, I’m really happy where I am, but considering that I’ve grown up in the Ducati family throughout my MotoGP career, the next natural step would be to move up to the official factory team.”
“I was really close in 2022. It was also possible last season until the last race. It’s my goal to get there and I hope I can achieve it soon, but if not, we’ll see what happens,” Martin also keeps the option of switching brands open for the 2025 season.
In the battle for the factory position at Ducati, Marquez could become a threat to him. After eleven years at Honda, he has not been riding the Desmosedici – last year’s model, mind you – for long, but celebrated his first Grand Prix podium in Jerez with second place.
“I arrive here in a very special situation,” he said on Thursday in Le Mans. “Now, step by step, I feel better on the track, I feel stronger and much more confident, and that was my goal for this year.”
“Of course, if I continue like this, it would be a different goal in 2025/26. The goal would be to fight for the championship. And if you want to fight for the championship, you have to have the latest material in your bike to have more chances.” Of course, Marquez would get that in the works team.
“But if I get faster on the race track, I have more opportunities for my future. And if I have the chance, I will go for the best. “
Who does Bagnaia prefer as a team-mate?
At Gresini, Marquez rides the world champion bike from 2023 and can (still) keep up with the successor ridden by Bagnaia and Martin. The collaboration is a stroke of luck for both him and the Gresini satellite team.
However, Marquez had planned from the outset to stay for just one year before rejoining a factory team. For Gresini team boss Nadia Padovani, it would of course be “wonderful” if he were to stay after all, she told Marca, “but the contract runs for one year, so we’ll see what Marc has in mind. “
And Bagnaia? The Italian has heard the question of who he would prefer as his team-mate at Ducati next year several times in recent weeks, including on Thursday. It is important for him to make one thing clear.
“I’ve seen a video these days in which a journalist says he’s heard that I don’t want Marc in the factory team, but that’s complete nonsense,” said Bagnaia.
“It doesn’t matter to me. I just want to beat everyone, always be the best and carry on as before. To be honest, I don’t have a preference. I work well with Enea and if the team changes teammates, we’ll have to start all over again. But my goal is to be stronger in any case.”
Ducati Race Director Gigi Dall’Igna has the final say when it comes to rider selection. He said in an interview with MotoGP.com: “It’s a really difficult decision. I think it’s important to consider not only the 2024 races, but the complete history of all our riders. As I said, it’s difficult.”
“All three drivers are real champions. So let’s see. We have to be fair with all the riders to give them the chance to find the best possible bike for them, as long as it’s not a Ducati. The time frame until Mugello seems reasonable to me. “
