Tobias Mühlbauer
Formula 1 & Motorcycle Department
MotoGP and Formula 1, that’s my thing. I turned my passion into my job at MSM and have been there for you ever since when engines roar.MORE
It is the eagerly awaited decision in the MotoGP: Who will be Francesco Bagnaia’s teammate in the Ducati factory team? Only when this question is answered can the driver market gain momentum. Jorge Martin, Marc Marquez and Enea Bastianini are in the running. But fans will have to wait a little longer for a decision.
Difficult decision: No announcement at home race in Mugello
Ducati’s home race would actually be a good time to present Bagnaia’s teammate. But that won’t happen. “There will be no announcement in Mugello,” said Ducati’s sports director Mauro Grassilli in an interview with gpone.com.
This means that there will be speculation after the classic next weekend. “The decision is just as difficult as it was at the start of the championship,” says Grassilli. Ducati does not want to be pressured by the date of its own home race when making this important decision.
Jorge Martin vs. Marc Marquez: Who will be Francesco Bagnaia’s teammate?
Nevertheless, a decision does not seem too far away. “We are already laying some important foundations and we are on the right track,” assures Grassilli. Apparently there will be further steps in Mugello. Jorge Martin’s manager Albert Valera revealed on the ServusTV microphone in Barcelona: “We have agreed with Ducati to wait until Mugello. And we will keep our word.”
In the end, the choice will be between Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez. Enea Bastianini may have performed much better in 2024 than in the difficult previous season, but even his manager hardly believes the Italian has a chance.
Martin definitely wants a factory seat. If Ducati decides to go with Marquez, the world championship leader would probably not be able to stay with Borgio Panigale. Aprilia will have a free spot for 2025 following the retirement of his friend Aleix Espargaro. Noale is also said to have his eye on Bastianini. So everyone is waiting to see what Ducati decides. In Mugello, however, it will remain a sporting decision for now, but these have recently been no less exciting than the driver market.
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