Marc Marquez steps as much as the manufacturing unit Ducati MotoGP staff in 2025 alongside double world champion Francesco Bagnaia.
Eight-time world champion Marquez made his debut on the factory-spec Ducati final week on the post-season Barcelona take a look at and was fourth quickest behind his new team-mate.
After a 2024 season spent with the satellite tv for pc Gresini squad on year-old equipment, on which he nonetheless received three grands prix, Marquez is anticipated to combat for a ninth world title subsequent 12 months.
However the Marquez that dominated MotoGP on the Honda is kind of totally different to the rider he’s now, after going by way of his damage woes in 2020.
So simply how will Marquez method his return to a manufacturing unit staff in 2024?
“I believe clearly from the get go, even from the second he jumped on that bike final November, the aim was clearly get again to a manufacturing unit staff, get to that manufacturing unit Ducati,” Crash Senior Journalist Lewis Duncan says.
“And I believe the way in which we noticed him deal with his future earlier within the 12 months, there was a really clear imaginative and prescient of what he needed to occur.
“I believe the Marquez we’ll see subsequent 12 months received’t be just like the manufacturing unit Honda model, as a result of the manufacturing unit Honda staff and manufacturing unit Ducati are simply two fairly totally different propositions anyway.
“However we are going to see a way more severe aspect to Marquez, as a result of no matter what he says about taking it step-by-step, the expectation will probably be to combat for the champion.
“If he can do what he did on a GP23, that actually was lengthy within the tooth by the point the chequered flag fell in Barcelona, on the brand-new manufacturing unit bike that appears prefer it’s taken one other massive step ahead, for those who hearken to what Pecco Bagnaia has stated.
“I believe there will probably be a extra severe Marc there, however one who will probably be a bit extra thought-about in his method to racing as a result of he’s spoken about it earlier than that when he was successful races pre-injury he took it without any consideration.
“Now he’s gone by way of what he has, each win means slightly bit extra and that’s one thing that can include the manufacturing unit transfer, that each massive result’s an enormous day.
“I believe preserving ahold of that aspect of issues and preserving that enjoyment of racing will solely elevate him.”
Crash Social Media Supervisor and podcast host Jordan Moreland provides: “The mixed expertise of getting that environment, he loves racing, and the individuals round him nearly purchase into it with him, I believe he’ll be capable of do it at Ducati.
“It’s wanting on the different aspect of the storage, too, as a result of with Bagnaia it’s his staff. Ducati has been his staff for the previous few years and, it’s a bit totally different to match, however Marquez went to Repsol Honda as a rookie at Dani Pedrosa’s aspect, the place Casey Stoner was in all probability the man as a result of he was beating Pedrosa.
“It’s a bit totally different now as a result of he’s older, you see his feelings a bit extra now, he’s capable of actually let you know how he’s.
“Marquez of outdated had the identical look: he wouldn’t give something away. How does that method work going into going into Bagnaia’s staff?
“We’ve solely seen it for a day in testing, however he’s going to must possibly play the sport a bit longer and await his second to put his authority down.”
Peter McLaren, Crash’s MotoGP Editor sees similarities between the place Marquez is at now in his profession and Valentino Rossi within the latter levels of his time in MotoGP.
“It’s fascinating once you look again like that and also you keep in mind how lengthy Marc has been in MotoGP.
“Issues change, riders change as properly. Marc’s now 31, he’s a veteran.
“He’s modified from the tremendous explosive, quick rider of the early years, simply as Valentino Rossi went by way of that evolution.
“He had that unhealthy damage, however let’s face it, for those who’re going to race in MotoGP for that lengthy you’re going to get injured at some stage.
“So, it was all the time going to occur at some stage. And this evolution the place the expertise replaces the velocity.
“We noticed it for Rossi, you may nonetheless combat for titles – Rossi got here shut in 2015. And that’s the place Marc is at in his profession, and we noticed that this 12 months, the place he wasn’t going all out, he was ending much more races.
“He had a number of accidents, however they have been in apply, and he was head and shoulders away from the others guys on the identical bike.
“I believe that’s what we’re seeing, we’re seeing that evolution of Marc as a rider.”
