MotoGP | The immediate effects of Marc Marquez signing for Ducati

While there were those within the MotoGP paddock who thought the Spaniard had lost influence following his ordeal over the last four years, the move which will see him wear red for the next two seasons confirms that Marc Marquez remains the cornerstone of the championship.

Marquez is the perfect product if we consider that it mixes the ingredients that every brand seeks to project itself into the world. In his new stage astride a Ducati which is not even the latest addition, he has shown that on the track he is still the same, a competitive animal with enormous talent. Furthermore, when he gets off the bike, no one sells the World Championship like the Catalan. Ducati couldn’t miss such an opportunity and bet on him, even if it meant putting aside its careful policy of training young talents.

The way the offensive was executed was not the best, if we consider how Jorge Martin was treated. However, Ducati has succumbed to a figure close to Machiavelli, according to whom the end justifies the means. Finally, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer has already tied up the multiple champion after signing a contract that has a series of implications that give an idea of ​​the power of the #93. Even if he will only join the official box next year, his inclusion in 2025 is so important that it will certainly have immediate effects that could even define the current year.

In just four days, Marquez managed to bend the will of the Ducati executives, who in their heads had imagined a strategy that would allow them to keep both him and Martin. Instead, the only plan that worked perfectly was that of the boy from Cervera, who forced the managers of the team that won the last two crowns to break the word given to the Spaniard, after the challenge that Marquez launched on Thursday, when he publicly refused to join the brand’s second team: “Pramac is not an option for me. I am very calm about my future, because I have three options that I would feel comfortable with.”

The Spaniard’s frankness threw the Ducati bosses into panic, who feared his possible entry into the competition, especially Aprilia. From the moment Claudio Domenicali arrived at Mugello on Saturday, the Rossa’s priority changed radically: only the signing of Marquez, announced on Wednesday morning, mattered.

The signature goes far beyond what it seems. In the four days that passed from when Marquez said “no” to Pramac until Ducati sporting director Mauro Grassilli was forced to tell Martin that Ducati could not deliver what it had promised him – on Sunday afternoon – the former man of Honda has achieved much more than securing the best prototype on the grid for the next two years.

While the agreement was being prepared, Pecco Bagnaia, the top man of the Racing Department, simply asked that the man chosen to occupy the opposite side of his garage respected the “harmony” established in the team. Considering the mess Marquez made to get his way, it’s very likely that the two-time world champion senses that this won’t be the case.

“When we told Pecco he had the reaction of a champion. It’s a great motivation for him to continue growing as a rider,” Ducati told Motorsport.com.

It’s also hard to believe that Valentino Rossi is jumping for joy. For two reasons: with Marquez at Honda, the “Doctor’s” legacy in the championship was assured, while Bagnaia dictated the pace on the track and the team that bears his name, VR46, increasingly tightened its ties with Ducati. Indeed, it is logical that the group led by Uccio Salucci would inherit the status of Pramac, should the latter decide to move to Yamaha. Not to mention the itch that the rider from Tavullia must have felt when he considered the possibility that his enemy would add two more titles and surpass him in numbers.

But there’s more. The Gresini Racing rider pushed Martin to sign for Aprilia with his arrival in the Ducati universe. At this point, it is not surprising to conclude that Domenicali would not be happy if the number 89 driver brought the number 1 to the Noale brand. Even more so if it were discovered that he was the pilot rejected to become champion.

Likewise, Marquez has not only eliminated a very tough opponent from the equation in his fight for this World Championship and beyond, as Martín still leads the standings. Furthermore, he made sure that, between now and the end of the season, Ducati will spare no resources to help him win his ninth title, thus justifying the decision to choose him and not Martin.