With the arrival of Marc Márquez, Francesco Bagnaia will have the strongest teammate he has ever had since he made his MotoGP debut in 2019. Currently, he is managing to beat the Spanish rider in direct duels, but with a small difference – the rival is on a Ducati Desmosedici GP23 from last year and in the satellite team Gresini.
In 2025, both will be at Ducati, being a test of Bagnaia’s qualities. However, Ducati Corse’s general manager, Gigi Dall’Igna, rejects the idea that the Italian has anything to prove, stating to Sky Sport:
– I don’t think Pecco needs any more tests. He has already shown extensively what he is capable of, he has already won two world titles, and on the bike he does fantastic things, like that start in the first two corners we saw in Mugello. Honestly, I don’t think Pecco has anything else to prove, he is our flag, that’s why we signed with him before the championship started.
Asked if he sees Bagnaia and Márquez fighting at a similar level, the manager stated: ‘I think so, they are two champions. Both have determination, both know how to suffer. Marc suffered a lot in these years, Pecco suffered last season and reacted. In those moments you can see the spirit of the champion, and in my opinion they will fight on equal terms’.
Dall’Igna has no doubts that Ducati will have a pair that will allow them to continue competing for titles: ‘It is not an achieved goal, our goal has always been to win the World Championships, and having Marc and Pecco allows us to try to achieve these goals. Our opponents have now strengthened with the arrival of our current riders, so next season it will definitely be more difficult to be able to pursue that goal‘.
