Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati chose to promote Marc Marquez over Jorge Martin to join Francesco Bagnaia in their factory rider line-up for this year, and continue to reap the rewards of their pick.
The Bologna Bullets elected to create a vacancy in their garage for the 2025 MotoGP season as Enea Bastianini failed to offer enough to get a new contract. But while Martin believed he was the favourite to join Bagnaia for 2025, Ducati shunned him and signed Marquez instead.
Ducati’s rejection tempted Martin to sign a two-year contract with their Italian rivals, Aprilia, before beating Bagnaia to the 2024 MotoGP riders’ title for Pramac. The 27-year-old was the first rider to win a premier class title for an independent team since Valentino Rossi in 2001.
Yet while Martin tried and failed to get out of his contract with Aprilia to join Honda in 2026, Ducati continue to reap the rewards for promoting Marquez from Gresini. The 32-year-old is now 95 points clear at the top of the 2025 standings ahead of the Czech Grand Prix at Brno.
Fabiano Sterlacchini is ‘absolutely positive’ that Marc Marquez and Ducati can be beaten
Marquez won the Czech GP Sprint despite Ducati’s front tyre pressure blunder this Saturday, as well, for the Spaniard’s 11th Sprint Race win this year. Victory on Sunday would also mark the six-time champion’s eighth Grand Prix win and eighth double of the 2025 season so far.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend
Ducati also dominate the teams’ championship with 556 points, while Aprilia sit in fifth with 144 thanks in part to Martin missing 10 rounds due to his injuries. Marco Bezzecchi won the British Grand Prix and came second to Marquez in the Dutch GP to prove Aprilia’s potential.
The Noale outfit have also improved their package throughout the year, and Martin believes Aprilia’s bike is ‘much better’ than when he crashed in Qatar. So, Aprilia’s technical director Fabiano Sterlacchini has no reason to doubt they can end Marquez and Ducati’s dominance.
“In MotoGP, things can change quickly,” Sterlacchini told GPOne about whether he feels the Marquez-Ducati combination is beatable. “I think so, I am absolutely positive.”
He added: “All projects in motorsport have to be developed in all areas. If you remain weak in one area, it’s always a problem. So, we focused a little bit on many areas.
“We worked on the engine as much as possible because, as you know, it is frozen. Fluid dynamics, airbox, exhaust, aerodynamics [and] electronics, so many things.
“In my opinion, the two important moments were the tests after Jerez and after Aragon. The guys at home had done an incredible job because to bring certain parts there was a major push, and these things worked well. You start to see important results.”
Jorge Martin will love Fabiano Sterlacchini’s optimism and Aprilia’s dedication to improving
Now that Martin has surrendered to staying at Aprilia in 2026, the Spaniard will surely love the optimism Sterlacchini voiced and the dedication the Noale natives are showing to beat Ducati and Marquez. Once he is fully fit, Martin will want nothing less than to beat them.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Jorge Martin from net worth to girlfriend
Martin has returned from injury at the Czech GP for only his second appearance with Aprilia after missing the previous seven rounds. He also missed the first three rounds of the season after requiring surgery on his fractured left hand after crashing on a Supermoto in February.
His crash in the Qatar GP also played a role in Martin’s failed attempt to use an exit clause in his Aprilia contract. The Madrid native broke 11 ribs and suffered a hemopneumothorax. Yet he is now back on the RS-GP25, and Marquez expects Martin will fight for race wins in 2025.
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