Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez will be on the hunt for his seventh MotoGP title in 2025 as he joins the factory Ducati team.
The Spaniard enjoyed a successful first season on a Ducati bike last year with satellite team Gresini. Marquez finished third in the Riders’ Championship with three wins and 10 podiums – his best result since his sixth title win in 2019.
The 31-year-old endured a difficult end to his stint with Honda – whom he won six titles with and spent his entire MotoGP career until 2024. Marquez does not regret the timing of his Honda exit as he now embarks on a new adventure.
After a solid campaign last year, Marquez will partner with Francesco Bagnaia at the works Ducati team for 2025. The Bologna-based outfit were looking at signing the 2024 champion Jorge Martin but opted to bring in the six-time champion.
Ducati dominated the premier class in 2024 as they won the constructors’ title by 203 points. As a manufacturer, they won all but one race all season and they will be looking to continue the momentum into 2025.
Naturally, there will be pressure on Marquez to deliver results. But the history between himself, Ducati and the fans will also be playing on his mind.
Ducati fans welcomed Marc Marquez to the team at their 2025 bike launch
Marquez’s relationship with Ducati has been frosty over the years, particularly during his rivalry with Valentino Rossi. The Italian raced with the Bologna-based team in 2011 and 2012 and finished runner-up to the Spaniard in 2014 and 2016.
The ‘eternal battle’ between the two riders is hard to forget for some Ducati fans. Marquez received ‘some whistles’ when he stepped onto the podium at Misano.
But it seems the vast majority of the Italian faithful have moved on. Fans clamoured to see Marquez dressed in red for the first time as Dycait unveiled their 2025 bike.
And in a report from Marca, the 31-year-old received a positive reception from the ‘Tifosi’ at the team’s traditional skiing event for the launch of the Desmosedici GP25.
The report says that ‘it didn’t matter that it was snowing’ as fans flocked to take photos and welcome Marquez to the team ahead of the 2025 season.
Several fans wore caps with the number 93 – Marquez’s race number – and one even had a banner saying ‘Welcome Marc’. It seems that despite the friction between the two parties in the past, Ducati fans are delighted to have the six-time champion on board.
Can Marc Marquez challenge for the title in 2025?
The question everyone will be asking ahead of the new season is whether Marquez can get the better of his Ducati teammate Bagnaia and challenge for the championship.
Bagnaia is the favourite for the title in 2025. After all, he did win 11 out of the 20 races last season as he missed out on Martin by 10 points.
Marquez is in the best position to win the championship since leaving Honda. But the Spaniard is keeping tight-lipped on his targets for 2025.
Marquez ‘tried quite hard’ not to say he is a title contender this season at the bike launch. He claims that his target is a top three finish in the championship.
But the Spaniard will have to be on top of his game to get the better of Bagnaia. Marquez wants to implement the ‘Max Verstappen formula’ by being seen as the ‘terminator’ and stamp his authority at Ducati out of the gate.
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