Jorge Martin may not have fully recovered from his time at Ducati yet… What if the history of modern MotoGP had taken a decisive turn in 2022? According to the Spanish world champion, Ducati had already given him a factory ride for the 2023 season. The contract was signed. The deal seemed done. Then everything changed. At the last minute, Ducati reportedly chose Enea Bastianini to partner Francesco Bagnaia in the factory team, leaving Martin at Pramac despite the initial agreement. A decision whose consequences are clearly still being felt today.
« In 2022, I had already signed my contract for 2023 with the factory team. ", found Martin in the podcast Gypsy TalesThen came the sentence that surprised the entire paddock. At one point, they told me, "OK, you're not coming. We don't want you. We want another driver." It was crazy. I don't think anyone knows. »
For years, the official story simply stated that Ducati had preferred bastianini after its remarkable 2022 season. The version of Martin is much more brutal. It suggests that the decision was not limited to a simple sporting choice but that it came about while a commitment already existed.
The Spaniard now admits to having accepted the situation. Then we signed another contract, and that's fine. I accept the situation because I was happy at Pramac, with a factory bike. In the end, it wasn't that different.t. »
Only on the surface. Because behind this calm discourse, one can still sense a deep frustration. Martin has always felt she had to prove herself more than others to gain the same recognition. I always really wanted to prove to Ducati that I was the right man for the job."A determination that probably fueled part of his incredible progress."
Jorge Martin: “ For the big factories, a contract is worthless. They're playing us pilots for fools. »
Having been ruled out for 2023, Martin He came incredibly close to the world title that same year before becoming MotoGP world champion in 2024. Exactly what he was aiming to prove. And yet, even that title wasn't enough to definitively open the doors to the factory team for him.
When Ducati had to choose its driver for 2025, it's finally Marc Marquez which was preferred. A second slap. A second time where Martin He saw the handlebars he coveted slip away from him. This time, the break was final. If Ducati doesn't want me, I'll put my talent at the service of someone else. »
This phrase, uttered before his departure, resonates differently today. For it now appears less as a reaction to the arrival of Marquez that it was the culmination of frustration accumulated over several years. The harshest remark, however, remains this: For the big factories, a contract is worthless. They're playing us pilots for fools. »
A serious accusation. And one that raises a question: what would have happened if Ducati Had he kept his word in 2023? Martin Would he have won the title a year earlier? Would he have kept his place on the official team until now? Would we have witnessed a duel in 2026? Martin Marquez under the red colors rather than in the current battle between Ducati et Aprilia No one will ever be able to answer that with certainty.
But one thing now seems clear: for Jorge Martin, the story with Ducati It never ended when he left Borgo Panigale. It probably ended the day he learned that a signed contract was no longer enough to guarantee his place.
