Ducati vow to back Jorge Martin with “everything he needs” despite 2025 exit

Ducati Lenovo team manager Davide Tardozzi insists MotoGP title leader Jorge Martin ‘will have everything to fight for the title’ despite signing for Aprilia.

Martin, currently leading Ducati’s reigning double champion Francesco Bagnaia by 18 points, had been battling Marc Marquez for the prized official seat alongside the Italian in 2025.

The Mugello weekend began with rumours that Martin had been picked but sensationally ended with the young Spaniard signing for Aprilia after Ducati switched its preference to Marquez.

But if Martin, runner-up to Bagnaia last season, hangs on at the top of the standings, he will take the #1 plate to Aprilia for 2025.

“Gigi (Dall’Igna) said it clearly and I stress it again: Martin will have everything he needs to win as it has been till now. He will have everything to fight for the title,” Tardozzi told CycleWorld.com.

Martin is not the only young Ducati race winner leaving the Desmosedici at the end of this season with Bagnaia’s current team-mate Enea Bastianini also departing. Bastianini is rumoured to be joining KTM.

“We are really sorry to lose Martin and Enea, two strong riders in which we believe a lot,” Tardozzi said.

“Jorge is leading the championship and Enea did great things with us: first in the satellite team and then in red. But he was unlucky last year with the incident he had in the first race and couldn’t fully recover until the end of last season.

“We would love to keep them, but in the end we had to make a choice.”

Although Martin, Bagnaia and Marquez currently lead the title chase, Tardozzi isn’t ruling out a championship challenge by Bastianini, currently fourth and 57 points from Martin.

“We don’t have to rule out Bastianini for the title fight. It’s true that we have everything to win this year and it’s a package of a very competitive bike and strong riders racing with us.”

Asked directly, who will win this year’s MotoGP World Championship, Tardozzi replied:

“The season is still long and many things may happen. Martín is leading, while Pecco has shown how strong he is. He carries the #1 and we hope he can confirm it for a third time.”