Alvaro Bautista ‘hoping to see’ Marc Marquez at Lenovo Ducati team in 2025

Set for his second title defence in WorldSBK, Alvaro Bautista will be hoping to put aside pre-season testing woes to make it three in a row this season.

Potentially joining Bautista in becoming a Ducati world champion at the end of the year is Marc Marquez, who sealed a stunning switch from Honda to Gresini last year.

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Marquez will have to do something no one has ever done before, which is win the MotoGP title on a satellite bike, however, this is Marquez we’re talking about.

An eight-time world champion and a rider that many still believe to be the best in MotoGP, with the right bike.

And Bautista is hoping to see Marquez go as well as expected, which could result in a switch to the red of Lenovo Ducati in 2025.

Speaking about Ducati’s stunning line-up to DAZN, Bautista said: “They must be proud of it. This will allow them to raise the bar even further, if possible.

“Last year they were unbeatable and won everything. And this year, with a rider like Marc... It will be nice, but at the same time very complicated to manage.

“Because he is not an official rider. I sincerely hope to have him wearing red with me during the presentation of Ducati in 2025.

“Because that would mean that he will be part of the official team and that I too will continue to be in WorldSBK at Ducati."

Bautista did warn that tension and jealousy could boil over though as the likes of Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi won’t want to be outdone by the incoming Marquez.

Bautista added: "It will be interesting because there there will be a lot of competition. I think there will come a time in the season when the tension will be palpable, as in 2024 almost all the riders will end their contracts.

“There will definitely be feelings of jealousy at Ducati, because it has happened in the past.

“By mid-season, everyone will start fighting with determination and there will be incredible duels to try to show off."