Ducati are already facing a ‘secret’ problem before Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez do battle

Add as preferred source on Google

In recent MotoGP history, Spain and Italy have dominated the premier class and produced close battles for the title.

Since 2012, Spanish and Italian riders have won 12 titles – with Fabio Quartararo of France being the only exception in 2021. Of those 12 titles, Spain have won 10 of them through Jorge Lorenzo, Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin.

Francesco Bagnaia missed out on a third consecutive title in 2024 to Martin by 10 points. The Italian rider will be looking to get back to the top in 2025, but he will face fierce competition from another Spanish rival.

Marquez will join Bagnaia at Ducati this season after Martin was snubbed of the seat. With the defending champion signing a factory contract with Aprilia, Marquez will be the Italian’s biggest title challenger in 2025.

The six-time MotoGP champion returned to form in 2024 in what was his first season on a Ducati bike. Marquez won the same number of races as champion Martin on a year-old Desmosedici GP23 with satellite team Gresini.

Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez’s rivalry has been simmering ‘in secret’ ahead of 2025

The 31-year-old’s performances in 2024 will give Bagnaia a reason to be concerned. Now on equal machinery – which is likely to win the championship after winning the constructors’ championship by 203 points last year – Marquez has a great opportunity to win a seventh title.

Bagnaia called Marquez’s arrival to Ducati ‘very beautiful’ and the two can learn from each other. But their relationship is already rocky heading into 2025.

In a report from Speedweek, Bagnaia and Marquez’s rivalry ‘goes deeper than a simple battle to the chequered flag’. The fight between Spain and Italy in motorcycle racing is huge, making it also about ‘national pride’.

The two have clashed on previous occasions, adding fuel to the fire of an already intense 2025 battle. Bagnaia and Marquez had a heated exchange after the two collied at Portimao – with the former retiring from the race.

The pair blamed each other for the crash, and Speedweek’s report says their rivalry ‘has been simmering in secret ever since’. While this will be an exciting intra-team battle for the title, it is a huge headache for Ducati to cope with.

What have people been saying about the Francesco Bagnaia and Marc Marquez battle at Ducati?

Both Ducati riders will be looking to win the championship in 2025. Uccio Salucci says Ducati must be brave in how they manage Bagnaia and Marquez.

The former won 11 races last season but will be haunted by the mistakes he made that cost him the title, including three retirements and several poor starts.

Bagnaia even thought how his mistakes on his honeymoon, and he will need to move on in 2025 and focus on the season ahead if he is to beat Marquez.

Experienced people in the paddock think Marquez will take Bagnaia apart at Ducati but do not want to ‘go public’ with that opinion.