Marco Bezzecchi
Although Ducati’s GP25 bike might have been a step up from its predecessor, there was only one man who managed to master it.
Marc Marquez won’t mind if that happens to be the case this year, but his colleagues will be hoping for a different outcome.
This winter was always going to be a test for Ducati. Without the feedback of their reigning champion at the post-season test, sidelined by injury, how will their development be?
They have Francesco Bagnaia’s struggles to see to as well, but it’s a tough balancing act. The priority, as ever, is to be MotoGP champions again.
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Marquez is hiding his complaints at Ducati and never vents his frustrations to the media. It’s a wise move from a wise rider.
Ahead of the pre-season test in Sepang, Marquez is set for ‘crucial’ Ducati laps to determine whether he’s fit enough to risk a return in a few weeks. There’s a lot of optimism around his recovery, though.
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Luigi Dall’Igna reveals the encouraging ‘numbers’ behind Marc Marquez’s 2026 Ducati bike
Marquez’s Ducati extension is nearly ‘finalised’, with reports suggesting that he’s set to be the first skittle to fall in the MotoGP rider market.
Staying with the team that he has had nothing but success with is the right move to be making heading into a regulation change.
However, Marquez must watch out for the ‘very strong’ Aprilia, who have come on leaps and bounds over the last 12 months.
As long as he has the bike to compete, he should be ok. Luigi Dall’Igna’s pre-season ‘numbers’ admission is encouraging for the time being.
“From my point of view, the 25 was still better than the 24,” he told Moto.it.” That’s the goal [for the GP26 to be better]. On paper, it is.
“The numbers say that. In reality, we will then have to go to Sepang test it, and decide which ideas will actually be confirmed and which ideas instead will be discarded.”
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Why Marc Marquez could be even stronger in 2026
Looking at the last two seasons, Marquez has had to absorb a lot around him. New teams in consecutive years was a lot of information to take in.
For 2026, he has some continuity, and that should slightly make up for not being quite as involved in their preparations with the GP26.
Now, Bagnaia has an ‘excellent’ relationship with Marquez, and it’s clear that the two work fairly well together, there’s one less thing to worry about within the team.
Instead, they can focus on extracting performance from their bike and making sure that they don’t allow Aprilia to snatch a title from them.
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