Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati are 2025 constructors’ champions. Their triumph has been a foregone conclusion since the early rounds, and it was confirmed after the Sprint at the Catalan Grand Prix.
The Borgo Panigale outfit have now won the title for six straight seasons. This extends their record for the longest streak by any team in the MotoGP era.
Carlo Pernat has called Ducati ‘paradise’, but there are problems for the brand to address heading into next year.
Marc Marquez says Ducati’s advantage is shrinking as their rivals inevitably work out and replicate the secret of their success.
And while he and his brother, who rides for Gresini, are on course for a one-two finish in the championship, Francesco Bagnaia is in crisis. The two-time world champion is enduring one of the worst weekends of his career in Barcelona.
Ducati must go all-out for Fabio Quartararo in next year’s rider market
Bagnaia qualified P20, his lowest starting spot for three years, and only made up six places in the Sprint. If this unrecognisable form continues into next year, Ducati must seriously consider changing their factory line-up.
There may be doubts over the internal options. Alex Marquez’s Saturday crash, which cost him a Sprint win, shows why he can’t be elevated into the top band of riders just yet.
Likewise, Fermin Aldeguer showed how much he has to learn by crashing out of the race and taking Marco Bezzecchi with him. Fabio di Giannantonio was on the podium for VR46, but neither he nor Franco Morbidelli have been sufficiently consistent this year.
A recent report indicated that Fabio Quartararo is Ducati’s top target if Marc Marquez leaves. But even if he stays, they should go all out for the Yamaha rider.
Quartararo was superhuman again in Barcelona, progressing from Q1 to the front row. He held onto second place in the Sprint, and no other Yamaha rider was higher than 10th in either session.
Why Dorna may object to Fabio Quartararo joining Ducati
The 2021 world champion has proven this year that he’s the closest to an ‘alien’ on the MotoGP grid, Marquez aside. He’s currently ninth in the standings on 118 points, while Yamaha’s other three riders have combined for 107.
He has more pole positions (four) than his teammate Alex Rins has top-10 starts (two). The list of remarkable statistics goes on.
If Ducati want to extend their dominance into MotoGP’s new era, and beyond Marquez’s retirement, then they must spare no expense with their offer to El Diablo next year. Quartararo reportedly earns £10m per year, the same as Marquez.
Dorna would push back on Quartararo leaving Yamaha because they want superstar riders to be spread between the manufacturers. But it’s clear at this stage that if the V4 engine doesn’t put Paolo Pavesio’s squad in the position to fight for victories next year, they will lose their biggest asset.
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