Analysing Ducati’s Martin/Marquez MotoGP U-turn

Ahead of last week’s Italian Grand Prix, it looked as if championship leader Martin was set to get the nod for the factory Ducati team.

Then it all unravelled as Ducati’s hopes of placing Marquez on a factory bike at Pramac faded when the eight-time world champion said the team was “not an option”.

Ducati faced a crossroads and the possibility of having to lose Marquez or Martin to a rival factory in 2025. On Sunday, it decided it would have to lose Martin to keep Marquez.

Martin duly went to Aprilia; a deal was put together on Sunday night and signed on the Monday.

In the latest Tank Slappers podcast, Autosport’s Lewis Duncan and Motorsport.com’s Oriol Puigdemont discuss the Martin/Marquez situation, how it came to pass and what it means next for MotoGP.

They also look at the other dominoes that will no fall into place in the deal’s wake.