Marc Marquez has been ‘suffering’ with one aspect of Ducati’s MotoGP bike which may affect him in 2025

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Marc Marquez has inherited his best opportunity to chase a MotoGP title since he claimed his last crown back in 2019 with Honda.

He joins a factory Ducati team for 2025 that clearly has the best bike in the sport and is aiming to go one step further with their GP25 machine.

The main challenge of the move may be new teammate Francesco Bagnaia, who has been a contender for the championship in each of the last four seasons.

Roberto Rolfo believes that Marquez is more error-prone than Bagnaia and the Spaniard admitted that he had made too many mistakes in 2024 after September’s San Marino Grand Prix.

Ducati’s management were against singing Marquez for 2025 over fears that it could upset the established order within the team.

They may also be giving up his successor and reigning champion Jorge Martin during some of his prime years – a bold decision to say goodbye to a talent of his calibre.

Marc Marquez has been ‘suffering’ with Ducati’s MotoGP bike on new tyres

Martin’s effective demotion to Aprilia Racing means that there will almost certainly be a new champion in 2025 based on last year’s order of merit.

The Italian team haven’t finished inside the top three of the championship in the last three seasons and they have to face a mighty Ducati with what is considered to be the best rider pairing on the grid.

Michelin is MotoGP’s sole tyre provider and will continue to be so until at least the end of the 2026 season.

READ MORE: Marco Melandri believes Ducati’s ‘main loss’ is not Jorge Martin

The French company enters their tenth season supplying the sport this year and their fresh rubber is something that Marquez has struggled to come to terms with on his new Ducati bike, according to TR MotoGP’s Lluis Zuniga.

“Marquez, we have seen suffering in the shields because with the new tyres that is already hell,” he said. “Marquez feels tied there to the asphalt without power.

“When the tyre goes down [in grip], he feels more comfortable. The bike starts to wrap up a little.”

Why the 2025 MotoGP season may not be as easy as anticipated for Ducati

Bagnaia has admitted that Ducati have suffered a big loss for 2025 as Pramac opted to enter an agreement with Yamaha.

It means that there are now two fewer riders for Ducati to learn and gather data from, while their Japanese competitors gain a new advantage.

Bagnaia felt he gave off bad vibes when pressured in 2024 and that’s something he may look to correct this year.

READ MORE: Ducati chief Luigi Dall’Igna saw something ‘amazing’ in Marc Marquez’s data before snubbing Jorge Martin

He will want as many of his colleagues on his side as possible before facing Marquez. The 31-year-old Spaniard is eager for a shot at a seventh championship.

They are set for an exciting battle this season and it’s incredibly tough to predict. If history is anything to go by, then Bagnaia will be in the fight during the last race of the season at the very least.