For a few weeks the rumor has been simmering, but now it is official: Marc Márquez will be an official Ducati rider during the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The official statement comes only two days after, practically by surprise, Aprilia announced the signing of Jorge Martín.
Thus ends the fight between Martín, Bastianini and Márquez for the second official motorcycle. Because the first, that of the current World Champion Pecco Bagnaia, was already awarded. Also, although this did not even seem like a possibility, the options for Márquez to return to Honda at some point in his racing career fade, despite the fact that in last year's contract breaking message it was a door that was left open.
In any case, we must not ignore that despite the great performance that Bagnaia and Martín are showing and, even if Bastianini is a little more decaffeinated, Marc Márquez is putting them on the ropes in the last Grands Prix with a 2023 motorcycle, when the 2024 motorcycles are being much faster.
Therefore, and although it is always difficult to measure a signing solely by results, it could be said that on a sporting level, Marc Márquez could take Ducati's performance one step further. At least the theory says that if a rider who has just arrived at the brand, and with a bike that is obviously less fast than the official ones, is with them or close to them, with a superior bike he should aspire to everything.
Marc Márquez arrives at a box that has Pecco as a reference
And that is, precisely, the most complex side of the equation. Because we must not forget that Bagnaia has already won two MotoGP titles and is fighting for the third. Therefore, putting another rooster in the henhouse could complicate things within Ducati.
Even so, for now everything is conjecture, because we will have to wait to see Marc dressed in red to see what he can do and how far he can go with an official Desmosedici. What is certain is that the most competitive Marc is back, that he is still young and that he will have everything he needs to fight to win new titles.
Accompanying the official announcement, we also find the statements of Dall'Igna and Marc himself, which we transcribe in full below:
Luigi Dall'Igna (General Director of Ducati Corse):
«First of all I want to thank both Enea Bastianini and Jorge Martín for all the work done with us in recent years and I wish them the best for the future. This season they are showing a truly incredible level and we are sure that they will fight for the world title until the end. Deciding on Bagnaia's new teammate in the Ducati Lenovo Team has not been easy because we had a really strong list of riders to choose from. In the end our decision fell on an undisputed talent like Marc Márquez. In just a few races he has been able to adapt perfectly to our Desmosedici GP and his innate ambition pushes him to continually grow. In the box we will have two drivers who, so far, together have 11 world titles and being able to count on their experience and maturity will be very valuable for our growth. Welcome, Marc.”
Marc Márquez:
“I am very happy to wear red next season with the official Ducati team in MotoGP. Practically from the first contact with the Desmosedici GP I enjoyed riding and my adaptation has been very good. From that moment I understood that my goal was to follow the natural path, continue growing and move to the official team where Francesco Bagnaia has been World Champion two years in a row. I am really happy to be able to meet this great challenge starting in 2025 and very grateful for the trust that Ducati has placed in me. Finally I want to thank Nadia, Carlo, Michele and the entire Gresini Racing family for opening the doors of the team to me at a delicate moment in my career. “We are going to continue enjoying and giving our best for the rest of this season, that is my priority right now.”
