Francesco Bagnaia’s four-word reaction after crowd started booing Marc Marquez at fan event

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Ducati, the flagship Italian team on the MotoGP grid, have signed Marc Marquez for the 2025 season. It’s a move that will split opinion among their fanbase.

Marquez is the most successful rider in the field, having won six titles in the premier class. If he can make it seven this year, he’ll match the all-time haul of Valentino Rossi.

But Marquez’s rivalry with Rossi is still a source of ill-feeling among some Ducatistas. It’s now been more than three years since ‘The Doctor’ retired.

Significantly, Rossi is closely aligned with Francesco Bagnaia, Marquez’s teammate. He brought him into Grand Prix racing through the VR46 academy.

There’s a theory that Rossi could enlist press allies against Marquez this year if prompted by Bagnaia. Thus, the rivalry remains active, just in a different form.

It arguably peaked with Rossi’s controversial ‘kick’ at Marquez at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix. There’s still debate around the incident nearly a decade later.

Francesco Bagnaia rebuked fan club after boos for Ducati teammate Marc Marquez

Ahead of the season-opening Thailand Grand Prix, Bagnaia appeared in front of his fan club in Piemonte. Inevitably, he was asked about Marquez on stage.

“What do you expect from this season – new teammate?” said the host.

Even though the Spaniard hadn’t even been mentioned by name, this prompted strong booing in the crowd. Bagnaia quickly tried to silence the jeers.

“There is no need,” he said.

Marquez was also booed at the San Marino Grand Prix last autumn. He won the race from ninth on the grid, beating home heroes Bagnaia and Enea Bastianini.

Francesco Bagnaia admits he may never find out one thing about Marc Marquez

Bagnaia and Marquez have been compared to Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, the legendary Formula 1 teammates at McLaren. They were involved in one of the greatest rivalries in motorsport history.

Bagnaia insists he and Prost aren’t alike, even though Marquez sees similarities between himself and Senna. Dorna and MotoGP’s sponsors will certainly hope it’s a battle for the ages.

The Spaniard appeared to have a clear edge in pre-season testing. But Bagnaia perhaps didn’t pursue headline lap times with the same vigour.

Only he will know whether he can match his new partner, having studied his data. Bagnaia fears he’ll never discover Marquez’s secret in left-hand turns, which could hurt him at the anti-clockwise venues on the calendar.