Marco Bezzecchi
Ducati test rider Michele Pirro will contest his first race of the 2025 MotoGP season at the Australian Grand Prix as a replacement rider for injured champion Marc Marquez.
But the Borgo Panigale natives have only confirmed that Pirro will replace Marquez at Phillip Island this weekend. Marquez is due to miss the Australian GP and the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang next week after undergoing surgery on his shoulder injury sustained in Indonesia.
Marquez sustained a complicated injury on his right shoulder when the 32-year-old tumbled through Mandalika’s controversial gravel trap after a collision with Aprilia’s Marco Bezzecchi. The Spaniard was the innocent victim of the Italian misjudging their speed braking at Turn 7.
Questions now persist about when the Spaniard will return to action, with Ducati only ruling him out for the next two rounds. Alex Marquez says Marc is not in “any rush” to return from his injury, having already won the 2025 riders’ title. He is simply focusing on his full recovery.
Ducati choose Michele Pirro as Marc Marquez’s replacement for the Malaysian Grand Prix
Ducati only confirming Pirro as Marquez’s replacement for the Australian GP also left a door open for Nicolo Bulega to debut in MotoGP in Malaysia. Bulega was not an option for Phillip Island due to the final round of the World Superbike Championship being this week at Jerez.
READ MORE: Everything to know about Ducati test rider Michele Pirro from age to stats
Yet while it has been suggested that Ducati could name Bulega as Marquez’s replacement at the Malaysian GP next week, that door is closed. According to Motorsport.com, Ducati have now decided that their test rider Pirro will again stand in for the injured Marquez at Sepang.
Pirro has been Ducati’s test rider since 2013 and he will continue in the role through at least the 2026 MotoGP season. Yet the 39-year-old will only make his 2025 season debut at the Australian GP as Ducati cannot offer any wildcard outings due to MotoGP’s concession rules.
Davide Tardozzi admits Ducati ‘hope’ Marc Marquez returns from injury in Valencia
Ducati might also face another decision about a replacement rider for Marquez ahead of the Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao on November 7-9. Team manager Davide Tardozzi admits Ducati now “hope” that Marquez can return from his injury for the season finale in Valencia.
It is also believed that Marquez hopes to return from his injury at the Valencia Grand Prix on November 14-16, so he can ride in the post-race rest. Ducati will get their 2026 bike on track for the first time in Valencia, but Tardozzi notes that Marquez’s absence would not be costly.
Tardozzi told DAZN: “Our hope is to have him at least in Valencia for the last race of the year. But he must first pass a medical check before understanding if that possibility exists. But it’s not a problem if he doesn’t make it.
“If not, we’ll wait for him in Sepang [for the first 2026 pre-season test on February 3-5]. The most important thing is that he recovers 100% physically.”
READ MORE: Marc Marquez’s five biggest MotoGP crashes
Marquez only returning from his collarbone injury in Valencia would open a door for Bulega or Pirro to replace the Ducati rider at the Portuguese GP. Tardozzi adds that Ducati will make that decision nearer the time, and that they may also arrange a MotoGP test for Bulega first.
Tardozzi told DAZN. “It’s a possibility and we’ll consider it. We’ll see. We haven’t decided anything yet, and we’ll wait. Niccolo needs to be fully focused for the final Superbike race, and then we’ll talk.
“No decision has been made at the moment. It’s clear that a test beforehand would be useful, but first he needs to finish his season in Jerez.”
Ducati World Superbike rider Bulega is fighting BMW’s Toprak Razgatlioglu, who will debut in MotoGP with Pramac Yamaha in 2026, for the 2025 WSBK title. He trails the Turkish racer by 39 points with only two feature races and a Superpole race remaining at Jerez this weekend.
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