Markus Zoerweg
Head of Motorcycle Department
With the outstanding MSM motorcycle gang, Markus keeps things running at MotoGP, WSBK & Co. He likes to irritate people with his Austrian accent.MORE
Time travel back to May 30th, the Thursday before the Italian Grand Prix. The Gazzetta dello Sport, which has excellent connections in the Ducati environment, reports that the decision was made in Borgo Panigale. Jorge Martin is to be Francesco Bagnaia’s new teammate in the factory team in 2025. A report that now sounds like false information, but was probably correct at the time. The plan of the Ducati bosses was to bring Martin into the factory team and to promote Marc Marquez from Gresini to Pramac. This would have fulfilled both drivers’ previously expressed wishes: Martin would be promoted to the factory team and Marquez would be promoted to a motorcycle from the latest model year.
But Marquez and manager Jaime Martinez thwarted this plan. They went on the offensive. “Pramac is not an option for me,” Marquez suddenly declared publicly, surprising CEO Claudio Domenicali and the racing board around Gigi Dall’Igna. They sought talks with Marquez, who now adopted the same strategy as Martin before. He threatened Ducati with the worst possible scenario, a switch to the competition. “Factory team or nothing,” was Marquez’s new demand.
Ducati was forced to act and gave in to pressure from MotoGP superstar Marquez. He was given the factory seat from 2025. Martin, who was once again not considered, is said to have already been informed of this. His departure from the Ducati camp is therefore probably unavoidable. Aprilia or the Pierer Mobility Group with the brands KTM and GasGas are now likely to be his new point of contact. The same is said to apply to Enea Bastianini, who is leaving Ducati’s factory team after two years.
The deal between Marc Marquez and Ducati is not official yet. However, this confirmation should not be long in coming.
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