It is that time of the year when motorsport team factories are beehives of activity in preparation for the new season. Having slogged through the winter, engineers try to fit the final pieces of the jigsaw puzzle before pre-season testing begins.
A sense of anticipation fills the air, as teams and athletes hope to be at the sharp end of the field. There is also a palpable increase in excitement when there are big storylines to follow.
The hype is real
This is one of those years in which a multiple world champion joining forces with a pedigreed Italian manufacturer, identified by its iconic red livery, has created enormous buzz. Much like Formula One, where Lewis Hamilton’s jaw-dropping switch to Ferrari has whetted the appetite of fans, the world of two-wheeler racing will change dramatically when six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez boards the Ducati.
Red ambition: Backed by Ducati’s might, Marquez will relish his biggest opportunity to clinch a record seventh title.
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The 2024 season was already a watershed year, with Jorge Martin becoming the first rider in MotoGP history to win a premier class title riding for a satellite operation. In a thrilling campaign that went down to the wire, Martin, representing Prima Pramac Racing, finished ahead of Ducati’s factory rider, Francesco Bagnaia, by just 10 points.
Though Bagnaia won 11 races to Martin’s three, the latter consistently banked the podiums on days when he was not winning. Bagnaia, in contrast, had a lot of non-finishes through a mix of his errors and bad luck when he got taken out by rivals. Martin was also particularly impressive in the sprint events, winning on seven Saturdays.
For years, Martin had been expected to earn a promotion to the factory Ducati team, having fought for the title in 2023 before losing to Bagnaia. He had almost agreed a deal to become a Ducati rider before it fell through at the last minute. In June 2024, the Spaniard announced he would leave the Ducati family to join rival Italian manufacturer Aprilia’s factory operation.
Martin’s move was triggered by what had happened a year earlier: in 2023, Marquez left Honda for a satellite Ducati team in Gresini Racing after his patience with the Japanese manufacturer that had powered him to six world titles ran out. Despite riding the ’23 Ducati last year, Marquez finished third overall and won three races, ending a three-year winless run. It showed that he was still on top of his game and, given the right machinery, could fight for the championship.
Marquez’s satellite deal was only ever meant to be a temporary fix before securing another factory-backed ride. This put Ducati in a tough spot. The only way to keep the 31-year-old in its ranks and prevent him from riding a rival’s bike was to offer him the factory deal and let go of Martin.
Post the rider musical chairs, MotoGP is set for an exciting season. We now have the prospect of the best rider on the best bike with the full might of a factory unit backing him.
Chasing Valentino Rossi
For Marquez, it is his biggest chance to clinch a record seventh premier class title, which will get him on level terms with Valentino Rossi. While it is tempting to assume that Marquez will cake-walk his way to his first crown since 2019, it might not be that straightforward.
Bagnaia has been criticised for not cruising to the title despite having the best bike, for being a little too error-prone for a title-contender. The two-time champion has also been seen as timid in combat, which could cost him against Marquez, who does not yield an inch on the track.
Plenty at stake: This year could determine Bagnaia’s legacy. If he gets soundly beaten by Marquez, there will be renewed questions about his capabilities and titles.
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However, Bagnaia has shown that he is no pushover. He is seriously quick. And on days when the 28-year-old is in sync with the bike, few on the grid can match his speed and consistency. His winning 11 out of 20 races last year is a testament to his capabilities.
Rajini Krishnan, a 10-time Indian national racing champion, offered some insight on how Marquez and Bagnaia compare as riders and how the intra-team battle could shape up.
“Bagnaia is a cool rider and is very smooth in his style. It doesn’t feel like he is pushing and can reel in consistent lap times without much variation for 15-20 laps. He is not very aggressive and is a smart rider,” said Rajini.
This year could determine Bagnaia’s legacy in the sport. If he gets soundly beaten by Marquez, there will be renewed questions about his capabilities and two titles.
“Marquez is much more aggressive with his acute lean angle that sees his elbow scraping the track. He has excellent control of the bike and can even pick the bike up using the elbow to avoid a crash,” said Rajini.
“At the same time, it won’t be easy for Marquez to come and win a title just because he has a factory Ducati. Things are different from when he was with Honda and won titles. There are fast riders like Bagnaia, Martin and even Pedro Acosta. Bagnaia has known the Ducati team for a few years, while for Marquez, it will be a new environment,” he added.
Fighting Ducati’s dominance
Although the focus this year will be on Marquez vs. Bagnaia, it will be interesting to see whether rival manufacturers can threaten Ducati’s dominance.
Formidable challenge: Martin’s arrival at Aprilia should help the Italian team’s fortunes, but it remains to be seen whether the defending champion can consistently challenge the Ducati riders.
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Martin’s arrival at Aprilia should help the Italian team’s fortunes. He will have another fast rider, Marco Bezzecchi, as his teammate. Last year, Aprilia, in the hands of Maverick Vinales, was the only non-Ducati bike to win a race, and the expectation is that Martin could eke more out of the bike than Vinales and the now-retired Aleix Espargaro.
“Aprilia can be a strong contender for Ducati because they have a better line-up, especially with Martin. Last year’s riders were strong in certain tracks and even had a few pole positions. But in Martin, they have a rider who can be strong on all tracks throughout the season,” explained Rajini.
The other team that can take the fight to Ducati is KTM, which finished second in the manufacturers’ standings. The Austrian team has promoted young challenger Pedro Acosta from its satellite team (Red Bull GasGas Tech3) to the factory.
Acosta is regarded as one of the most talented riders among the next generation. The 20-year-old finished fifth in the standings in his rookie season, just two points behind KTM factory rider Brad Binder, and could be the one to watch out for.
Last year, Ducati took a massive step up from 2023, significantly enhancing its top speed, and dominated the championships. While it might not be able to make the same improvement this season, it has set the bar so high that its rivals could find it hard to push the Italian squad off its perch. But for the sake of the sport, fans will pray that the other manufacturers can close the gap and not let Ducati and its customer teams dominate the championship as they did in 2024.
Published – February 08, 2025 08:20 am IST
