In simply 4 days, Marc Marquez has introduced Ducati to its knees, irritated reigning double world champion Francesco Bagnaia and certainly his mentor Valentino Rossi, and redoubled his probabilities of profitable this title to justify his alternative forward of Jorge Martín.
As a lot as there have been folks inside the paddock who felt that the Spaniard had misplaced affect because of the ordeal he went by during the last 4 years, with a badly damaged arm at Jerez in 2020 adopted by Honda’s waning competitiveness, the transfer that may see him put on pink for the following two seasons confirms that he stays the cornerstone of the championship.
Marquez is the proper product if we keep in mind that he mixes the elements that any model seeks to undertaking itself to the world. In his new stage on a Ducati that’s not even the most recent specification at Gresini, he has proven that on the observe he’s nonetheless the identical as all the time, a aggressive animal with an enormous skill.
As well as, when he will get off the bike nobody sells the world championship just like the Catalan. Ducati couldn’t miss such a chance and went for him, even when it meant sending its cautious coverage of coaching younger abilities for a trip.
The methods of executing the offensive weren’t one of the best if we think about the remedy given to Jorge Martin. Nevertheless, Ducati gave in to a determine as shut as Machiavelli, who mentioned that the top justifies the means. Lastly, the Borgo Panigale firm has already tied up the multi-champion after signing a contract that has a collection of implications that give an thought of the ability of #93.
Even though he won’t be part of the official workshop till subsequent yr, his incorporation in 2025 is so related that it’s going to certainly have quick results which will even outline the present marketing campaign.
In simply 4 days, Marquez has been capable of bend the need of Ducati executives, who of their heads had imagined a technique that may permit them to maintain him and Martin by selling the latter and providing the previous a works bike at Pramac.

Marquez has successfully pressured Martin out of Ducati
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos
Then again, the one plan that labored out completely was that of the boy from Cervera – who pressured these in command of the staff that has gained the final two crowns to interrupt the phrase they’d given to present championship chief Martin after the problem that Marquez made final Thursday when he publicly refused to hitch the model’s second staff: “Pramac shouldn’t be an choice for me. I am very calm about my future, as a result of I’ve three choices with which I might really feel snug.”
The Spaniard’s forcefulness brought about the Ducati bosses to panic about the potential for him becoming a member of a rival producer – particularly Aprilia. From the second Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali arrived at Mugello on Saturday, the precedence of the pink bike firm modified radically: the one factor that mattered was to get Marquez’s signature, which the agency introduced on Wednesday morning.
The signing goes a lot additional than it appears. In these 4 days, those who handed since Marquez mentioned no to Pramac till Mauro Grassilli, Ducati’s sporting director, was pressured to inform Martin that Ducati couldn’t fulfil what he had promised him on Sunday afternoon, the previous Honda rider achieved rather more than securing one of the best prototype on the grid for the following two years.
“Once we instructed Pecco he had a champion’s response. He sees it as an important motivation, to continue to grow as a rider.” Ducati
When the operation was underway, Pecco Bagnaia, the flagship of the ‘Reparto Corse’, merely requested that the particular person chosen to occupy the alternative aspect of his storage ought to respect the “concord” established within the staff. Contemplating the gibberish that Marquez has set as much as get his approach, it is extremely doubtless that the two-time world champion senses that this isn’t going to be the case.
“Once we instructed Pecco he had a champion’s response. He sees it as an important motivation, to continue to grow as a rider,” Ducati instructed Motorsport.com.
It’s also troublesome to suppose that Valentino Rossi is leaping for pleasure. For 2 causes: with Marquez at Honda, the MotoGP legend’s inheritance within the championship was assured, as Bagnaia set the tempo on the observe and the staff that bears his title – VR46 Racing – more and more tightened its ties with Ducati.
In truth, it is smart that the group led by Uccio Salucci would inherit Pramac’s standing, ought to Pramac determine to make the change to Yamaha. However that is to not point out the uneasiness that may have entered the Tavullia, contemplating the likelihood that his enemy will add two extra titles to his tally and outnumber his premier class report of seven.
However there’s extra. Marquez has pushed Martin to signal with Aprilia along with his push to safe the manufacturing unit Ducati seat. At this level, it’s not unusual to conclude that Domenicali wouldn’t be very pleased if the #89 rider took the #1 plate to the Noale model subsequent yr ought to he go on to win the title in 2024.
Marquez has not solely eradicated from the equation a really robust opponent in his quest to win championships in 2025 and 2026, however has very a lot unsettled Martin within the 2024 battle. With Ducati not desirous to see a possible world champion go to a rival in 2025, Marquez has ensured that the Italian marque will spare no assets to assist him achieved a ninth grand prix title in complete and seventh within the premier class to assist justify its choice to decide on him and never Martin.

Bagnaia can now show his value towards Marquez on equal phrases
Photograph by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Photos