Alex Marquez may have a ‘tinge of regret’ after seeing Ducati’s engine decision for 2025 season

Add as preferred source on Google

Pre-season testing for the 2025 MotoGP season brought no surprise that Ducati are the manufacturer to beat. What was surprising was which of their riders were at the front.

At the three-day test in Sepang, it was the year-old GP24s that set the pace. The bike won 16 out of 20 races last season as Jorge Martin won the title with Pramac.

Franco Morbidelli went fastest on day two for VR46 while Alex Marquez topped the time sheets on the final day for Gresini. This season is the first year for the latter on the GP24.

Malaysia proved that last year’s Ducati is still the one to have in MotoGP. Morbidelli says victories are ‘definitely’ possible on the GP24 in the early stages of 2025.

The factory Ducati team will move to the GP25 bike this season. But after seeing the performance of its predecessor in testing, they had a decision to make with their engine for 2025.

Alex Marquez may have a ‘tinge of regret’ now Marc Marquez will have a more ‘GP24 bike than GP25’

Alex Marquez was seriously impressive throughout pre-season as he set a blistering time in his Sprint simulation in Sepang. Brother Marc Marquez felt his Sprint simulation was ‘super good’ – the fact that Alex beat it makes his run so noteworthy.

At the test in Buriram, the factory Ducati team decided they would run with the 2024 engine this year – with the 2025 spec needing to be polished. Jack Appleyard says Ducati ‘standing still’ may cause complications as it will allow their rivals to close the gap.

It is also a great opportunity for the satellite Ducati riders on the GP24 to battle at the front. Alex Marquez stood out as one who could challenge, with his brother Marc saying he was the ‘biggest surprise’ of pre-season.

However, in a report by The Race, the Gresini rider may have a ‘tinge of regret’ that the factory Ducati riders will be on a ‘more GP24 than GP25 bike.’

The ‘scope of opportunity’ would have been much higher for the 28-year-old had Ducati opted for a 2025 spec. Now with Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia effectively on equal machinery to the other satellite riders, the red team are overwhelming favourites.

What are Alex Marquez’s chances in 2025?

Alex Marquez is not looking to focus on others – a mistake he admitted to in 2024. The Spaniard’s performance in Sepang and Buriram suggests he could be a regular frontrunner.

The Gresini rider was second on both days in Thailand to his older brother, finishing just under two-tenths behind on day two. Michelle Masini is excited by Marquez’s start to the year on the GP24.

As Morbidelli pointed out, Marquez has a great chance to grab his maiden win in MotoGP. But the Spaniard is not getting ahead of himself.

Marquez says Gresini are ‘not ready’ to fight for the championship with the factory Ducati team still proving to be too strong for the rest of the field.