MotoGP | Ducati is betting on Martin and hoping that Marquez will accept Pramac

On Thursday the Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the Borgo Panigale brand has finally decided to entrust Jorge Martin with the task of working alongside Pecco Bagnaia in the company’s official garage starting next season. The talks have intensified in recent days with Albert Valera, Martin’s agent, who will be present at Mugello, where the Italian Grand Prix will take place in the next few days.

However, Motorsport.com understands that the contract between the two parties has not yet been signed, which is likely to happen this weekend, provided a number of factors that do not yet fit together align. The first is that Marc Marquez, with whom Martin competed in the red Desmosedici GP, agrees to join Prima Pramac Racing, which would extend his relationship with the Bolognese manufacturer until at least 2026.

Martin is the solid championship leader, with an advantage of more than one Grand Prix (39 points) over Bagnaia, who is his closest rival in the standings. Third is Marquez, two points behind the reigning champion.

Since the start of the season, Martin’s main goal has been to be promoted to the Italian manufacturer’s official team, after losing the battle with Enea Bastianini two years ago. Since the beginning of this year, the Spaniard has made it clear to Ducati officials that he would give them time until this round at Mugello. If he had not received a satisfactory offer, he would have joined another project. In this sense, GasGas has been knocking insistently on his door in recent times.

If the deal were to go through, it would cause a chain reaction that would likely lead to the rest of the vacancies on the grid being filled quickly. The first derivative of this would be to know what Marquez will do, which Ducati does not want to lose, given the speed exhibited in his first season astride the Desmosedici GP and his media power.

Until now, Marquez has always maintained that his priority was obviously to return to racing for an official team, with the latest evolution of whatever prototype it was. At this point, it remains to be seen whether the change of scenery will lead him to conclude that it is more advantageous for him to have a Desmosedici GP25 with Pramac colors rather than face a new process of adaptation to a new bike, most likely one from the Pierer Mobility group (KTM or Gas Gas), who follows him and who presented him with a very attractive offer.

Another of the victims of Ducati’s possible decision is Bastianini, who would be welcomed by Aprilia, who would like to be able to count on an Italian rider.