Current Ducati Pramac satellite team rider Jorge Martin will make his debut for the official Aprilia MotoGP team in 2025, after being repeatedly ignored by the Ducati factory. An outcome knowing that the importance of being part of a factory team varies from one rider to another, as explained by Ramon Forcada, former MotoGP team leader.
Forked, who has worked with many talents in the premier category, emphasizes that the importance of being in a factory team depends on the mentality of the driver: “ it depends on the mentality of the pilot. For example, at the end of last year, when Martin saw the possibility of winning the title, it distracted him. However, there are other drivers for whom this is not important »
To illustrate his point, Forked mention Marc Marquez, who chose a satellite team Gresini despite the opportunity to continue driving for a factory team Honda : " Marc Marquez was not riding the best bike, but the official bike of the biggest factory in the world. However, he decided to move to a satellite team with a bike from the previous year, which despite having been champion the previous year, was a motorcycle theoretically lower »
Certainly but the same Marquez also made it known that this experience would only be a parenthesis, once again favoring the status of official pilot at Ducati in 2025 rather than moving to Pramac, with the collateral effects that we know.
Ramón Forcada explains that for some riders, being on a factory team is about ego, while for others it's about resources and technical support: “ it's obvious that you feel greater technical support in a factory team, because there are two teams in the same structure. You have the engineers who work for you and the engineers who collect data to create a new motorcycle, who are also part of your team. The pilot is surrounded by
eight engineers. If he is in a satellite team, he will only be surrounded by four, who are those who work directly for him. »
Ramon Forcada: “ basically it's about feeling supported, seeing that you have eight dedicated engineers »
« Fundamentally, it's about feeling supported, to see that you have eight dedicated engineers or, let's say, the best, because the factory team has the best, which does not mean that the others are bad, but they are the ones that the factory has intended for this position " precise Forked.
The financial aspect also plays an important role, although salary differences have been reduced over the years: “ MotoGP has changed a lot in terms of salaries. Contracts of ten, twelve and fifteen million euros no longer exist. Logically, in a factory team, you will be treated better, but there are no longer abysmal differences » assures Forcada on motorcyclesports.
George Martin is set to make his MotoGP factory team debut in 2025, a crucial step in his career. The importance of being on a factory team varies between drivers, with some prioritizing technical support and prestige, while others focus on winning at all costs. Comments from Ramón Forcada provide valuable insight into the internal dynamics of MotoGP teams and rider motivations.
