Marquez: It’s “dangerous” to think Ducati will keep dominating MotoGP

New Ducati signing Marc Marquez believes it is going to be “harmful” to imagine the Borgo Panigale marque will stay the benchmark in MotoGP for 2025 and past.

The Italian outfit had been making main strides because the latter a part of final decade, but it surely was solely after the arrival of Francesco Bagnaia within the manufacturing facility crew for 2021 that it grew to become the powerhouse that it’s at this time.

Bagnaia gained back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023 on the fast Desmosedici amid a decline in fortunes of Japanese giants Honda and Yamaha, whereas Jorge Martin added one other championship to Ducati’s tally in 2024 with the satellite tv for pc Pramac crew.

Given six-time champion Marquez has joined Ducati to companion Bagnaia this yr, many count on Ducati’s dominance to proceed till the tip of the present rule cycle in 2026, if not longer.

Marquez feels it might be unwise to get complacent although, having witnessed how rapidly Ducati rose up the pecking order whereas he was racing for Honda within the late 2010s.

“It may be a harmful environment pondering that Ducati will win the championship [every year],” he mentioned on the crew’s 2025 bike launch.

“However we will see that every one our improvement elements are on the identical degree as a result of we’re in MotoGP.

“Yamaha final yr made a step. They will arrive within the Malaysia [test] with a brand new bike and so they have [Fabio] Quartararo who’s a brilliant good rider. [With] KTM, [it is the] similar. [And there is] Aprilia [and] Honda. 

“We’re in MotoGP. What I discovered after I was preventing towards them, with [Andrea] Dovizioso, in 2017, is that you must handle everyone as a result of one level to a different they’ll change the state of affairs.”

Ducati loved a record-breaking 2024 season because it gained 19 out of 20 grands prix and swept the highest eight positions within the dash race at Buriram.

Though Marquez has joined the manufacturing facility crew, Ducati has misplaced Martin in addition to race winners Marco Bezzecchi and Enea Bastianini from its roster to rival groups. 

Pramac additionally ended a two-decade partnership to hitch forces with Yamaha, leaving Ducati with six bikes on the grid this yr versus eight in 2024.

Jorge Martin, Aprilia

Photograph by: Aprilia Racing

The Italian producer has additionally slashed the provision of factory-spec equipment this yr, with VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio the one rider aside from Bagnaia and Marquez to have entry to the newest GP25.

Within the wake of the present state of affairs, Bagnaia admitted that Ducati is unlikely to dominate the championship in the identical manner this yr – with Aprilia and KTM anticipated to be its greatest challengers.

“I feel that with a crew much less in Ducati [roster after Pramac’s exit], it is going to be tougher to do like we did final yr – lockout of the rostrum and races,” the double world champion conceded.

“KTM riders are tremendous aggressive, particularly [Pedro] Acosta. However we have now to see the [financial] state of affairs [of KTM]. 

“Aprilia lastly have a world champion [Martin], and likewise Bezzecchi – two new riders and with loads to realize. Bezzecchi desires to enhance the outcomes from final yr and Jorge desires to stay primary. So Aprilia can be aggressive. 

“[With] Honda and Yamaha [it] is troublesome to know. Yamaha final yr was already a superb step in entrance. Within the final races they had been extra shut, so they are going to enhance [further]. 

“[For] Honda it is going to be troublesome to proceed in the identical state of affairs so I count on additionally a step in entrance from them. However the primary ones are Ducati, Aprilia and KTM in the mean time so let’s have a look at.”