Reigning double MotoGP world champion Francesco Bagnaia believes Marc Marquez “is smart and he’ll understand” how to maintain Ducati’s success in 2025.
Following the Italian Grand Prix, Ducati announced it has signed Marquez to a two-year contract to join its factory team from 2025 alongside Bagnaia.
Marquez’s refusal to take a factory bike at Pramac next year scared Ducati management into a U-turn on its original decision to give the works team seat to Jorge Martin, who will now ride for Aprilia.
That moment proved a major powerplay for the eight-time world champion, showing the influence he holds within MotoGP despite a difficult four years prior at Honda.
It is understood that the Valentino Rossi camp was angry at Ducati’s decision to promote Marquez into the factory team, wary of the destabilisation he could cause as he seeks a ninth world title.
Asked for his perspective about it in the pre-event press conference at Assen on Thursday, Bagnaia said: “From my perspective I wasn’t included in the decision because it’s something that I asked, I just wanted to be focused on the race track.
“In both cases was more or less the same situation because Jorge and Marc are super-fast. In this moment Jorge has more of a feeling with the bike, more experience with the bike, so he is faster.
“But in any case, was more or less very similar in terms of speed of team-mates.
Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team, Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
“So, for me it’s a new challenge, a new team-mate to beat. And it will be fun. Marc is very smart guy and we will understand very perfectly the way to adapt to the team and to work to improve our situation again.”
This was a toned-down version of a comment of veiled caution Bagnaia projected to DAZN at Assen, in which he said: “I found out about Marc’s signing on Monday at Mugello. I already knew it was a possibility. I think Marc is a smart rider, and he knows how to adapt to the situation.
“We are the strongest team of all at the moment, and if we want to continue like this, improving the bike and growing, we have to continue like this. But Marc is smart and he’ll understand that.”
Reading between the lines, this is Bagnaia laying down a clear message to Marquez: do not upset the balance of this team.
Marquez’s domination years on the Honda came with very little in the way of intra-team rivalry,…
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