Marco Bezzecchi
Luigi Dall’Igna has established Ducati as the brand to beat and is on course to watch Marc Marquez secure the Borgo Panigale crew’s fourth riders’ title in as many years.
No rival constructor has clinched a championship since Fabio Quartararo denied Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia the 2021 title for Yamaha. Bagnaia responded to win the title in 2022 and 2023, before Jorge Martin won the 2024 title for Pramac riding a Ducati Desmosedici GP24.
Now, Marquez can make history with Ducati in 2025 by winning the title at the earliest point of a MotoGP season to date. Valentino Rossi has the record as he won the 2002 title after 12 of the 16 races (75%), but Marquez could win the 2025 title after 16 of the 22 races (72.7%).
Ducati had to wait until the final race of 2022 and 2023 to see Bagnaia win each of his titles. Martin also beat Bagnaia by 10 points to win the 2024 title for Pramac on his Ducati GP24 at the final race. But Marquez could win the 2025 title at the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano.
Luigi Dall’Igna fears Ducati will become ‘unpopular’ if they make winning look ‘easy’
The 32-year-old will only need to leave Misano leading his brother, Alex Marquez of Gresini, by 222 points for Marc to secure his seventh premier class title on Ducati’s home turf. Marc Marquez aims to win the 2025 title in Japan or Indonesia in the following two races, though.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Ducati from the MotoGP team’s riders to hierarchy
But the manner in which Marquez is steamrolling his way to his first title since 2019 may yet realise a big fear of Ducati general manager, Dall’Igna. According to MOW, the 59-year-old is concerned that Ducati will become ‘unpopular’ if they win to the extent that it seems ‘easy’.
Dall’Igna wants Ducati to win, but he is operating with ‘meticulous precision and a strategic approach’ to ensure the Bologna Bullets only win with a small margin to protect the team’s reputation. Ducati have won all but two of the first 14 Grands Prix through the 2025 season.
Johann Zarco of LCR Honda won the flag-to-flag French Grand Prix at Le Mans in May after Marquez opted to start with the wrong tyres, but recovered to P2. Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi also won May’s British Grand Prix after the ride height device on Quartararo’s Yamaha failed.
Marc Marquez is making Luigi Dall’Igna’s fears a reality by winning at ease in 2025
Beyond Ducati bikes winning 12 of the first 14 Grands Prix, the way that Marquez has scored 10 of those wins risks Dall’Igna’s fears coming true. The 32-year-old has also won 13 Sprint Races, with Alex Marquez winning the Silverstone Sprint with Gresini riding his Ducati GP24.
Dall’Igna admits Ducati risk becoming “unpopular” if the Borgo Panigale brand “crush” their opposition. So, the Italian only wants the Bologna Bullets to win by the smallest margin and thus avoid further deteriorating how rival manufacturers look upon Ducati’s recent success.
“The important thing is to win, not to crush,” Dall’Igna told Motorsport.com last December. “When you crush, you become unpopular. In fact, I think that the other brands see me like that, and that makes me feel bad.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend
“I work to continue winning, although it may happen that sometimes we exaggerate a little and find ourselves in a situation like the current one. But my objective is not to surpass the previous year each year; but to win, ‘simply’.”
Marquez survived Bezzecchi’s stalking to win the Dutch Grand Prix at the TT Circuit Assen in June. The layout of the iconic circuit ensured the Aprilia rider could not get close enough to try an overtake into the corners like Turns 1, 6, 9, 15 or 16 where moves are really possible.
Marquez also looked unbeatable once he secured the lead during the Grands Prix of Aragon, Italy (Mugello), Germany, Czechia, Austria and Hungary amid his run of seven-straight Sprint and Grand Prix doubles. Now, the 2025 title could also await Marquez at Misano next week.
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