Jorge Martin delivers update on ‘25 plans amid Ducati recruitment drive

Jorge Martin has watched Ducati sign a highly-touted new rider - but unfortunately, it wasn’t him penning a contract.

Pramac rider Martin has made it very clear that he demands a step up to the factory Ducati team in 2025.

Instead, Ducati have prioritised tying Francesco Bagnaia to a new long-term deal and snapping up Moto2 talent Fermin Aldeguer.

Do these moves impact Martin’s hopes?

He replied: “I don’t know, I don’t know…

“Hopefully they tell me that I will be on the red Ducati!

“But it’s still early.

“For me, it’s good to wait. I think I will demonstrate this season that I deserve that place.”

Ducati sporting director Mauro Grassilli was asked if they had already decided on Bagnaia’s teammate for next year.

“Not yet,” he insisted. “We have to look around.

“There are a lot of riders [who want to] work with us.

“We will take the decision when we have time. When we are ready.”

Yamaha are reportedly keeping a close eye on Martin’s future, if he finds himself wanting a factory bike away from Ducati, although their competitiveness would be a concern to him.

Martin has twice missed out on a factory Ducati promotion.

At the end of 2022, Enea Bastianini pipped him to the position.

He then missed out again on the final day of 2023, when losing out of the championship to Bagnaia meant a contractual clause to automatically promote him was passed over.

Martin enters this weekend’s Portuguese MotoGP at Portimao having won the season-opening sprint race.

The signing of Aldeguer, the teenage talent from Moto2, will see him placed at Pramac at ‘25.

“I think he deserves it, absolutely,” Martin said.

“He demonstrated last season that he’s one of the best riders in Moto2 so he deserves this jump.

“I congratulate him for his new contract.

“He’s a good example, not only for the other young riders, that there is not only one way to arrive into MotoGP.

“He did it the toughest way.

“He’s young, still. He will do a great job.”