For years the Pramac team has weaned young riders, who then became official Ducati riders. The list is long and detailed and started with Andrea Iannone, Danilo Petrucci, Jack Miller and ended with the most successful team of all, that of ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia. All young and hungry riders who had collected podiums and placings in the satellite team. Then Jorge Martin arrived, who meant business. The Spaniard was not satisfied with gaining experience, he tried to win: he gave the first overall success to Pramac in 2021, he repeated it four times in 2023 and on two other occasions in this first part of 2024. Helped by a Ducati that has grown exponentially, becoming the bike to beat.
Martin has set his sights on winning the world championship: he came close to the title last year and is leading the current championship. A dynamic dreamed of but not foreseen by Ducati top management has been created: a friend-enemy in the house. A victory for Martin and Pramac always seemed to be a slippery slope, despite the smiles on the surface.
Last year Pramac snatched the team world championship from the official Ducati. Unexpectedly. And Martin fought Bagnaia for the championship until the last chapter of an exciting world championship. Can Ducati afford to let a customer team win? From a sporting perspective, yes, but it’s no secret that sponsors wouldn’t be jumping for joy and they do not invest with a Coubertinian spirit.
“I decided when I saw that Bastianini’s overtaking of Martin at Mugello aroused incredible enthusiasm in the Ducati garage. I understand Tardozzi, but there were also Claudio Domenicali, Francesco Milicia, everyone in short… but why? Isn’t Martin one of their pilots?“, he thought about tearing away the veil of hypocrisy Paul Campinotinumber one Pramac, in a nice interview given to Paolo Scalera of GPOne. He felt like an enemy at home. And he chose to leave the trouble.
Two opposite paths. On the one hand KTM and Yamaha explain that from 2025 the two satellite structures Tech3 and Pramac will be fully factory teams. On the other hand Ducati with Marquez’s choice he destroyed all current architecture. He chose to focus strongly only on the official team: Bagnaia and Marquez chosen to win. VR46 and Gresini will return to doing what Pramac once was, that is, training young riders without too many ambitions of victory.
With its move, Ducati makes its strategy clear: the official team must win.
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