Marquez, Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini are all in the running for a coveted seat at the works Ducati team next year, as the Italian manufacturer weighs up which rider to put alongside double champion Francesco Bagnaia.
Although Ducati initially had reservations about Marquez joining its satellite Gresini team this year, it eventually gave the Spaniard the blessing to ride a year-old GP23 – and it has only grown fond of him since then.
The 31-year-old’s star status, history of winning multiple titles and his approach towards racing makes him an attractive option for Ducati, although it is also aware of the impact it could have on the harmony of the team.
The Borgo Panigale marque has indicated that the identity of Bagnaia’s team-mate could be revealed as early as next month’s Italian Grand Prix, and one person who will play a key role in the decision is its general manager Dall’Igna.
Petrucci knows Dall’Igna well from his time at Ducati in 2019-20, a stint that yielded race wins at Mugello and Le Mans, and he thinks Marquez is best placed to earn a factory promotion next year.
“I don’t have any inside information, but I have a hunch that Marquez will go there,” Petrucci told GPOne. “I don’t know if there will be any problems with the energy drinks sponsorship [Marquez is a Red Bull-backed rider while Ducati is sponsored by Monster].
“But from what I understand – which I would feel for Enea – Gigi Dall’Igna doesn’t let a rider like Marquez get away.
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“He led Ducati to victory because he is relentless in his method of reasoning, in the sense that he is relentless in pursuing his goal.
“Gigi can be likeable or dislikeable, but he has led Ducati to be the reference in MotoGP. Knowing his way of reasoning, I think he wants to find out what a rider like Marquez can do on his bike.”
Marquez and Bagnaia fought tooth-and-nail for victory in the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez last weekend, with the latter eventually coming out on top in their epic duel by just four-tenths of a second.
Petrucci questioned whether Bagnaia would want his unofficial number-one status at Ducati to be jeopardised by the arrival of Marquez.
“Considering that Pecco is in an incredible moment and that he has always made the difference when needed, I don’t know if he will like Marc’s arrival,” he said.
“Maybe that’s also something to take into account here, the human side inside the box….
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