Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez will feel some frustration that he won’t be able to win his title-winning Ducati machine one last time before the end of the 2025 season.
Unfortunately for him, he has been left to watch the Valencia Grand Prix from the sidelines, as the MotoGP season draws to a close.
The real work starts next week at the post-season test, as Ducati get to work trying to make up for some lost ground.
Not having Marquez’s input on the bike will hurt their preparations for 2026, but risking further injury to their superstar is not worth it.
Jorge Lorenzo thinks Marquez will be lagging behind when he makes his comeback next season. Both Pedro Acosta and Marco Bezzecchi have been in good form and may be ahead.
According to ex-Honda boss Oscar Haro, Marquez should ‘fear’ Acosta, even though he’s yet to take his first MotoGP victory.
READ MORE: Marc Marquez proposed a ‘pact’ with Alex Marquez before they dominated the 2025 MotoGP season
Marc Marquez’s ‘talent’ and ‘focus’ make him just like Max Verstappen
Marquez has ‘masked’ Ducati’s problems with his expert riding in 2025. At least that’s exactly what the man he replaced, Enea Bastianini, thinks.
Despite suffering a gut-wrenching season-ending injury, Marquez chose not to ‘crucify’ Bezzecchi in Indonesia, knowing that it was a mistake he could have made.
Even though he may feel the impact of the clash, his talents remain and are something that he will be able to rely on during his title defence next year.
Now, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali has compared the Spaniard to Formula 1’s Max Verstappen, who believes that they share similar traits.
“Motorsport is ruthless,” he told Cycle World. “Only one can win. Marc, like Max Verstappen in Formula 1, combines immense talent, focus, and an aggressive will to win.
“Competing alongside him isn’t simple, even for a world champion like Pecco, but I believe this experience will help him grow even more.”
READ MORE: Andrea Dovizioso shares what Ducati ‘didn’t realise’ about Marc Marquez until he joined
Why Ducati should be quick to offer Marc Marquez a contract for 2027
It’s clear that even at the age of 32, Marquez remains the best rider on the grid. Having turned up at Ducati, he now rules the roost within 12 months.
He made life tough for two-time champion teammate Francesco Bagnaia immediately, and at one point, it didn’t look like he could stop winning.
That was on a GP25 bike that some of his rivals just couldn’t get a handle on. For next year, his team aims to bring the best parts of the bike back.
But when the new regulations for 2027 arrive, nobody knows what the pecking order will be. Having someone who can make a difference, like Marquez, could be critical.
That’s why Ducati would be wise to offer him a new deal as soon as possible. He has plenty of good years left in him.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
