Marco Bezzecchi
Marc Marquez’s 2025 title triumph was an incredible accomplishment after years of injury setbacks, and somewhat perplexing for Ducati.
The Spaniard was tipped as a favourite for the championship after joining the Borgo Panigale factory team, but even they could not have expected the season he would go on to have.
Where does Marc Marquez’s 2025 rank among the best seasons by a rider in MotoGP history?
Davide Tardozzi knew Marquez was a ‘phenomenon’ after he produced an outstanding save in pre-season testing. It set the tone for the 2025 season; his quality shone through as no one could get near him.
Marquez adapted seamlessly to the GP25 and claimed 25 wins across the season, wrapping up his seventh MotoGP title by the Japanese GP. But his dominance created a confusing situation, as no other Ducati rider could extract the same performance from the new Desmosedici.
Manuel Poggiali heard Marc Marquez say not to improve Ducati’s bike as he needed to ‘work on some details’
Teammate Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Di Giannantonio struggled to find feeling from the GP25, while Marquez saw little to no issues. In fact, he preferred to focus on himself and his riding, rather than his machinery.
Ducati rider coach Manuel Poggiali told La Gazzetta dello Sport that the 32-year-old would tell the team to ‘leave the bike as it is’ as he was the one who needed to improve. It was ‘unusual’ to hear from a world champion.
He said: “Marc has an exemplary ability to understand what he needs. Sometimes his aggressiveness leads him to make mistakes, like in Austin, Jerez, or Silverstone.
Marc Marquez cancels his holidays to make sure he returrns for testing in 2026
“But he never gives up, and he’s proven it throughout his career. He’s a leader, he gets those around him involved. And he’s often joking.
“On several occasions, he’s questioned himself, saying: ‘Leave the bike as it is. I’m the one who needs to work on some details.’ It’s unusual to hear that from a champion. And, from my point of view, this very characteristic has made him even stronger in 2025.”
Poggiali added: “During his career, Marc crashed often. This year, however, he made very few mistakes. He was competitive and very clear-headed.
“In two races, he had to deal with front tyre pressure issues. Marc even had the composure to know when to let himself be passed so as not to lose ground. And then he won…”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Marc Marquez from net worth to girlfriend
Marc Marquez had a completely different approach to Ducati’s GP25 than Francesco Bagnaia
Marquez is renowned for being able to ride around problems with his bike and adapt to any machine. The same could not be said for his teammate, who endured a nightmare season on the GP25.
Although the GP25 was not much different to the GP24, for whatever reason, Bagnaia could not get comfortable with the bike. He struggled to compete with the GP24 riders, and his form totally collapsed after the summer break, with just one top-five finish in the last ten events.
As frustrations grew, Bagnaia gave Ducati an ‘ultimatum’ and demanded the team give him GP24 parts. They obliged, and it looked to have worked, with Bagnaia dominating in Motegi to claim his second win of the season.
But with the same setup, he did not score points again in 2025, running in last place in Indonesia and Australia before crashing out of the race. Finishing P5 in the standings and 238 points behind his teammate on the same bike does not make for good reading, even if he is Marc Marquez.
Receive racing news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
