The puzzle regarding the future of the Lenovo Ducati factory team rider is over, after Jorge Martin officially joined Aprilia Racing on a 2 year + multi year contract, now the long-awaited news has finally been officially announced. Marc Marquez will join the official Ducati MotoGP team on a 2-year contract until the 2026 season.
Ducati Corse has announced that an agreement has been reached with Marc Marquez for the eight-time World Champion to race in the colors of the Lenovo Ducati Team for the next two years. At the end of the 2024 season, the current Gresini Racing MotoGP™ rider will replace Enea Bastianini and be joined by two-time consecutive premier class World Champion, Francesco Bagnaia, in the famous Bologna red.
Luigi Dall’Igna (General Manager Ducati Corse): “First of all, I would like to thank Enea Bastianini and Jorge Martín for all their work with us over the last few years, and I wish them all the best for the future. This season, they have shown that they have reached an extraordinary level, and we are confident that they will be in the title race until the end. Deciding on Bagnaia’s new teammate at Ducati Lenovo Team was not easy, as we have a lot of very strong riders to choose from.
“In the end, our choice fell on an unquestionable talent like Marc Marquez. In just a few races, he managed to adapt perfectly to our Desmosedici GP, and his great ambition drives him to continue improving. Within the team, we will have two riders with 11 World Championship titles under their belt, and being able to rely on their experience and maturity will be invaluable to our development.”
Marc Marquez: “I am very happy to be able to wear the red colors of the factory Ducati team in MotoGP next season. Basically, from the first time I came into contact with the Desmosedici GP, I really enjoyed driving it and immediately adapted well. From that moment on, I knew that my goal was to continue on this path, to continue developing, and move to the team where Francesco Bagnaia has been World Champion for two years in a row. I am happy to be able to take this big step in 2025 and grateful for the trust that Ducati has placed in me.
“Finally, I would like to thank Nadia, Carlo, Michele and the entire Gresini Racing family for opening the doors of their team to me at a difficult moment in my career. Now, we will continue to have fun and give our best for the rest of the season, which is my priority at the moment.”
After much speculation, Marc Marquez will officially become a factory Ducati racer in 2025. Who would have thought that Marc would partner with Bagnaia, who is Valentino Rossi’s protégé? The Spaniard was a Repsol Honda legend, winning six premier class titles with the Japanese team during his 11-year stint, but things went south when the RC213V struggled and Marquez struggled to battle on the business side. It’s certainly been a tumultuous year – relive the big moments that changed Marc’s career.
Just days after Martin’s shock announcement, the Ducati conundrum found resolution when Márquez signed a deal with the factory team. In the space of a year, Marc transitioned from a tumultuous weekend in Germany on a Honda that proved difficult to tame, to securing a coveted spot alongside the World Champion on the most coveted team in the paddock – Lenovo Ducati.
