Tardozzi: Alex Marquez "a top rider” - but Aldeguer "surprised" in MotoGP 2025

Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi insists Alex Marquez’s breakthrough MotoGP season “wasn’t a surprise” given his earlier career achievements.

However, Marquez’s race-winning rookie Gresini team-mate Fermin Aldeguer did deliver “more than we were expecting”.

It was “love at first sight” for Alex Marquez and the year-old GP24, who doubled his previous career tally of five podiums - in five seasons - during the opening eight rounds.

That included a debut MotoGP victory at Jerez, later followed by further wins at Catalunya and Sepang.

Alex was the only rider other than brother Marc to briefly lead the world championship, and comfortably claimed the title runner-up spot.

“Alex confirmed that he is a top rider. Alex has been already twice world champion, so we are not talking about a surprise,” Tardozzi told MotoGP.com.

“The Gresini team has shown since the beginning with us that they are a fantastic team because they have won races every year with several riders.

“So I think that the feeling inside the team and the professional guys that are working there is something that can’t bring anything other than winning and fast riders.”

Aldeguer arrived on the other side of the Gresini garage, in place of Marc Marquez, after a disappointing final year in Moto2.

But he took his debut MotoGP podium at Le Mans, was runner-up in Austria, then won in Mandalika on his way to eighth in the world championship and top rookie honours.

“Fermin, I think that he surprised us,” Tardozzi admitted. “We were investing in him, signing him in January ‘24. So that means that we trusted him.

“But in the end, I think that he gave us back a bit more than what we were expecting from him this year.”

"Ups and downs" for Diggia and Morbidelli

Ducati’s other MotoGP team, VR46, was promoted to official satellite status after Pramac’s defection to Yamaha - and given a factory bike for Fabio di Giannantonio.

However, Valentino Rossi’s outfight was last of the Ducati line-up in terms of results, being the only Desmosedici team not to win a race.

However, both di Giannantonio and team-mate Franco Morbidelli took podiums on their way to sixth and seventh in the world championship.

“On VR46 that is our first satellite team, we are absolutely happy about the work of the team,” Tardozzi said of their season.

“We care about them, and they showed us how professional they are.

"But for some reason Franky and Diggia didn't perform in the proper way during the season.

“They have some ups and downs, and that's something that doesn't give the team what they deserve. 

"Because again the team was working very, very good.”

Alex Marquez will join di Giannantonio and official team riders Marc Marquez and Francesco Bagnaia on a factory-spec bike in 2026, leaving only Aldeguer and Morbidelli with an older 'satellite spec' machine.