Why Ducati must now show what lengths it is willing to go to to keep Marc Márquez

In recent weeks, Ducati has developed an ideal scenario for the future two years from now, which, according to its leaders, would ideally correspond to its will, as well as that of Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin, whose upgrades became a priority after the Ducati dispute was resolved by Pecco Bagnaia .

This idea was to promote Martin into the official team as Banaya’s partner and place his rival in Pramak, where he would be considered a works driver for all purposes. However, the ideologists of this strategy did not count on the reaction of Marquez, who very vehemently refused to join the formation Paolo Campinoti. “Pramak is not an option for me. And this is not because I am a person with very clear ideas, but because I will not leave one satellite team to contact another,” he published this Thursday in a statement that, as expected, did not please the Campinoti troops. . “We lived without Mark for more than 20 years and we can continue without him.”– answered the businessman.

Motorsport.com understands that Ducati tested both riders on Wednesday evening, a few hours before Gazette dello Sport announced Thursday morning that Martin was the chosen one.

Regardless of where the leak came from, it is clear that Marquez’s power has stirred up an already quite tense atmosphere. At this stage, it is necessary to find a solution to solve the equation that seriously jeopardizes the goal that the Bologna offices have set for themselves: prevent #93 or #89 from increasing competition

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Claudio Domenicali, the CEO of the red motorcycle brand, now seems to have realized the growing power of the boy from Cervera (Lleida) at the media level and the reach that the union of two such powerful images can have. “It will never cease to amaze us,” agree several voices coming from the official workshop of the team that this Sunday completed a thunderous double on the dedicated Mugello circuit.

Jorge Martin, Pramac Racing

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Yes, just a few weeks ago Gigi Dall’Igna, the genius who gave birth to the most dominant prototype in the history of the championship, was one of the main supporters of the election of Marquez, the situation changed. Now Domenicali is an excellent promoter of his arrival thanks to the opportunities he offers at the advertising level. This is, of course, not to mention the speed that the former Honda rider has regained, which has him considering an attack on the title this year, despite competition from last year’s prototype: it made its seventh stop on the calendar. is in third place in the general classification, 35 points behind the leader, with whom this GP25 is playing.

Marquez is upset not only because he was not initially chosen to land in the reference structure.. In addition, he believes that the record that preceded him should allow him to be the master of his future and be able to choose where to run. Since Thursday, the multiple champion has, with his smile and very flattering speech, used all the elements at his disposal to increase the level of pressure on those who must make the final decision. Martin, for his part, doubts the words received from the bosses of the Bolognese firm and fears that all the heavy equipment deployed by the heir to Valentino Rossi could force them to retreat.

Gigi Dall’Igna, CEO of Ducati Corse

Photo: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

“I’m very happy to compete with the titans of Ducati and with everyone who has 2024 bikes,” the Gresini rider, who finished fourth, recalled on Sunday. In more or less subtle ways he made it clear that is able to minimize the technical difference between the Desmosedici he uses, the one released in 2023, and the one used by Bagnaia, Martin and Bastianini, which can only be assessed by technicians with access to the data.. “I have very clear ideas in my head and I am calm. I have three plans and I will be satisfied with the one I choose,” he replied when asked about his future.

Ducati is in a mess that many within the company don’t know how to get out of. The disorder that still results from opening the doors to such an insatiable element as Marquez, who in three months turned over an ecosystem that was under complete control. The problem for the Italian designer is that there are players with a very high ability to influence everything that can happen. Gino Borsoiteam manager Campinoti, assured this Saturday that he will again have two Desmosedici of the latest specification in his squad in 2025 and 2026. Soon after it Mauro GrassilliDucati’s sporting director, said Pramac had not yet exercised its contractual extension rights until the end of July next year.

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In addition to being angry at the belief that the treatment he is being offered is not worth the effort he has made in recent years, Campinoti has an attractive offer on the table from Yamaha, which is eager to have four M1s on the grid again.

. Assuming he stays as he is, it’s very hard to think Marquez would agree to race there after everything that was said in Italy.

If the tuning fork brand is chosen, this will also not clear the way for the native of Lleida, given that the preferential status still enjoyed by Pramac will go to VR46. In this case, It’s even less realistic to think that Rossi would agree to give the GP25 to his nemesis., so he could pass it on to Gresini. Hypothesis fifth official Desmosedici is not appreciated at the moment in the offices of Borgo Panigale for the policy of recycling resources (motorcycles), although given the level of complexity to which this whole mess has reached, It is also possible that the criteria will change..

Enea Bastianini, Ducati Team, Francesco Bagnaia, Ducati Team

Photo: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images