Claudio Domenicali returned to the signing of Marc Marquez for one of his two factory Ducati in MotoGP. It has been noted that the speed with which the deal between Marc Marquez and Ducati was concluded stands in stark contrast to Valentino Rossi's painstaking process to finalize his latest MotoGP contract. Rossi spent months negotiating his 2021 deal with Yamaha's satellite team Petronas after leaving the factory team. On the other hand, Marquez and Ducati sealed their agreement in just a few days, after a dramatic turnaround involving Jorge Martin.
Initially, Ducati had offered its factory handlebars for 2025 to George Martin and proposed to Marc Marquez to drive a GP25 at Pramac. But Marquez refused this offer, forcing Ducati to rethink its strategy. Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati, explained the speed of these negotiations during an interview with MOW : " in truth, everything went very well. There are of course a lot of details, but Ducati and Marquez's team were quick in this area too. There were no particular difficulties."
The arrival of Marquez, a legendary figure with a famous rivalry against Red, could cause a shock wave in Italy, the native country of Ducati. " He is a great champion and, like all great champions, he is both adored and criticized“, admitted Sundays. “ Some people think we couldn't have made a better choice, while others say the opposite. A decision had to be made and we are convinced that it is the best one for Ducati to remain competitive."
Claudio Domenicali: “ in our sport, you have to make choices and it is not always possible to continue together »
This bold decision cost Ducati not only Martin, who will join Aprilia, but also the current factory driver Enea Bastianini, who will go to Tech3 KTM. Sundays spoke of his moving farewell to bastianini : " goodbye is a word I don't like. Maybe it was just goodbye. In our sport, you have to make choices and it is not always possible to continue together."
Sundays underlined the difficulty of these decisions: “ If it were up to me, I would send dozens of Desmosedici to the track to guard all the drivers who passed through Borgo Panigale. But that is not possible. Enea is a great pilot and an extraordinary boy, and it is clear that at the moment we are suffering. But it's sport."
Thus, the union between Marc Marquez et Ducati marks a bold new chapter for the Italian brand, determined to remain at the top of MotoGP competition. However, the redcoats pay a high price. Because for one Marquez won, two pilots were lost to which could be added a third with Bezzecchi leaving for Aprilia according to rumor and even a stable with Pramac which Yamaha waits with open arms.
