This is an established fact, since it was developed by Mauro Grassilli, successor to Paolo Ciabatti as Ducati's sporting director: in the current context of MotoGP, Ducati plans to rationalize its expenses by reducing the salaries of its riders. A choice which puts Jorge Martin in a delicate situation, but not only…
Various sources in the MotoGP paddock, including that of Motorsport reports that the Italian brand wishes to continue the momentum of cost reduction initiated after the departure ofAndrea Dovizioso, by reducing the budget allocated to pilot salaries by 50%.
« We are in a period where salaries must be adjusted to economic reality. There is no longer any question of paying a base of 2 million euros to a driver of a satellite team,” reveals an internal source at Ducati. This approach comes at a time when Francis Bagnaia has sealed a long-term contract of up to 10 million euros, on condition of winning the championship, establishing a precedent to which Ducati does not wish to give in for other drivers.
George Martin, currently at Pramac and whose contract expires this year, has expressed his intention to stay with Ducati, subject to promotion to the factory team for 2025.
Ducati sends a signal to MotoGP: “ we are still trying to find common ground that respects our financial constraints »
Mauro Grassilli, sports director of Ducati Corse, underlines : " Martin is free to choose the direction for his career. However, our economic situation forces us to fiscal prudence. We are still seeking to find common ground that respects our financial constraints."
The rumor also highlights the planned arrival of Fermin Aldeguer at Pramac in 2025, with an announced salary of 300 000 euros, illustrating the strategy of Ducati to contain its costs in the future. George Martin, looking for a contract comparable to that of bagnaia, could thus be led to explore other horizons, despite the attraction of a factory motorcycle Ducati.
Ducati, whose Desmosedici is considered the benchmark on the MotoGP grid, does not seem to want to compromise financially, even in the face of proven talents like Martin.
This situation questions the will of the pilots, including fabio quartararo et Marc Marquez, to favor the competitive potential of a motorcycle over economic considerations. The last city has already taken on this new situation by giving up a final year of a marvelous contract with Honda to join the commando Gresini-Ducati. Is the 2021 World Champion ready to take on such a challenge?
