Alex Marquez hints that Ducati factory riders are ‘lying’ about one thing after MotoGP Sepang Test

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Ducati duo Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia remain the favourites for the 2025 MotoGP title after the Sepang Test. Only a disastrous showing could have threatened that status.

Ducati won all but one Grand Prix during the 2024 season, with the current-spec bike responsible for 16 of those victories. Marquez is the most successful rider on the grid with six championships in the premier class, while Bagnaia has two MotoGP titles to his name.

Statistically, it’s the best line-up in MotoGP and, over the full season, the GP25 will almost certainly be the best bike. But that may not be true at the start of the year.

Alex Marquez showed a tremendous turn of speed for Gresini on the final day of testing. He outpaced Bagnaia by just seven-thousandths of a second.

He partnered his brother last year but will now race alongside rookie Fermin Aldeguer after Marc’s ascent to the factory squad. Ducati are still refining the GP25, which could feasibly make the GP24 the bike to beat in the early flyaways.

VR46’s Franco Morbidelli was another rider who impressed. Morbidelli says victories are ‘definitely’ his target in the opening rounds before the development race takes effect.

Alex Marquez believes Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia gave it ‘their all’ during time attack

Both Ducati Corse riders played down the significance of their single-lap pace after Friday’s running. Marquez says he took a cautious approach, using only one set of tyres and trying to avoid any offs that could derail the run plan.

The Spaniard suffered a relatively minor accident on the second day of running, as did teammate Bagnaia. The 2024 runner-up told GPOne he was ‘not able to push as he would have liked’ and said Ducati were ‘more focused on working’ than chasing headline times.

But the younger Marquez brother isn’t convinced. Speaking to MARCA, he shared his determination to beat the works team duo.

And he’s adamant that every rider pushed flat-out during the morning spree of qualifying simulations. If that’s true, then he’s in an excellent position for Buriram.

“On one lap [the pace] is important,” he said. “It was good, because I was in the box, I saw Pecco’s, then I saw Marc’s and I said: ‘Well, it’s my turn, we have to go there.’

“I think everyone has given it their all. Whoever says they haven’t is lying.”

The frightening comparison between Alex Marquez and Jorge Martin on Ducati GP24

Marquez was just a tenth slower than Bagnaia’s mighty 2024 pole lap, a promising sign as he pursues his first MotoGP win. These were different track conditions – perhaps with more rubber – and the bike may now be fully optimised, but this was a commendable effort.

Turning to the longer runs, Marquez blitzed Jorge Martin’s times during last year’s Sprint. Martin battled Bagnaia for multiple laps, which would have slowed him down, but that might not account for the six-tenth difference.

When the pecking order settles, the Gresini ace should still be able to compete for podiums. But Ducati are wary of Fabio Quartararo, dubbing him their biggest challenger after Yamaha’s standout test performance.

The next MotoGP test takes place in Thailand on Wednesday and Thursday.