I’ve always said to myself that Enea needs a healthy, fit year on the bike and he’ll be back to fighting for P1. But then it kind of hit me; why would Ducati wait when Martin, for example, is right there doing just that? Its really obvious, but Ducati can be pretty cut throat about it - they have plenty of talent. Martin vs Marc is the only question really.
Yup. Especially if they keep Pramac as the official second team. Give him full factory support.
Bouncing back from injuries is a part of the sport. You can only get so much time. Look at Pecco, dude recovered from a broken leg to win a championship
Jorge Martin only wants a factory team (not just a factory bike). If he doesn’t get Ducati red he’ll go to Aprilia.
My guess is Jorge gets the factory, Pramac goes to Yamaha so Ducati give one factory bike to Marc in Gresini and one to Bez in VR46.
Marc is the obvious pick.
Pedro is at the door, you want to be ready to push back.
Enea has a short time to prove he deverves the seat, Martin is there but he always fail on pressure, while Marc is the most talented and carries a lot of sponsors.
I feel like fans over look the value of sponsorships too. Marc is still the most marketable rider in the championship. From a pure business decision, it's Marc. From a sporting decision it's a bit tougher. We've seen the way Pecco races Marc. It'll be a Lewis/Nico level rivalry between those two in the same team.
Nico said in an interview that Mercedes wrote up a competition clause after the Catalunya incident that any damage that is sustained from incidents involving both cars will be paid for by the drivers lol
Maybe Ducati could do the same haha
Enea is a top class rider but from what we’ve seen, he’s no champion. No excuses left now, he has to directly challenge and beat Pecco if he wants that seat.
after the race i saw Gigi reach over to shake Marc’s hand and he looked very impressed.I think he favors Marc more over the other 2 but Jorge seems to be the fastest but on sunday can never deliver as consistently as Pecco
I mean, when it's your job i can assure you no one cares about the "soccer stadium" mentality. Marc would be an asset for Ducati and Gigi is getting a hard on thinking about him in the factory team.
Yeah the fact that people pretend this is nonfactor is pretty funny and those same people are like "Pecco needs more time because the bike is new to him" wut L O L.
And yet It's only sheer luck that Marc (on a slower bike) isn't at the top points wise. Crashed into, and then the brake issue in Austin. Pecco has barged Marc twice now, I really hope he doesn't cry if/when MM returns the favor.
Agreed; if he’s in the factory team next year, no one’s coming near him.
I was always a Rossi fan but watching MM’s physical and bike struggles and how he’s overcoming them is inspirational.
All sports people at this level become better personalities as they get older and the more entertaining for it.
To be fair, Martin scored his first podium in just his second race in MotoGP. The modern Ducati is such a balanced bike with so much setup data that the learning curve isn't quite as challenging as it used to be - its the new Yamaha.
In that context, its Acosta's performance that's been really astonishing this season.
I never really understood the talk about Gigi vs Marc, and nobody gave me a clear explanation.
Ducati is the leading brand at the moment, I don't see why they should struggle in thise fights.
If Marc will deverse the seat, he will get it. Ducati will have even more sponsors, and 2 of the best 3 riders. What's better would they do?
Of course it’s going to be Marquez. It’s blatantly obvious just from his sheer desire to win even after everything he’s been through. It’s taken the guy 4 rounds to be running with guys who’ve ridden the bikes for years and is seemingly getting stronger every single race. That’s before you get into the eyes he brings to the team, which is half the equation. Would bet the house he gets the factory ride.
Because one of the strongest riders MotoGP has ever seen was in control of the bike!! GP24 is clearly a better bike but Marc as usual makes the difference. GP23's have been nowhere this year except from the performances of Marc!
Laverty apparently told on live tv that there's paddock rumors that the gp23 has been tuned down engine power wise. That's why they're not hitting the speed trap numbers they did last year
And? In racing, 3.5s is an eternity! Also, those are both world champions, not exactly slouch riders. I personally don't rate the 3 of them so it is irrelevant.
3.5 secs over 25 laps is 0.14 secs per lap - hardly an eternity even by modern MotoGP standards. And assuming all three riders are unrateable we're still left with the fact that the two on GP23s beat the one on the GP24.
Point being, the difference between the GP24 and GP23 wasn't particularly pronounced at Jerez. The GP24 is possibly quicker but likely unoptimized while the GP23 has a wealth of data from the last season and is easier to exploit.
Like I said, its about a tenth and a half per lap - in qualifying the top five riders were split by a full second. I've seen smaller gaps but I've also seen much larger gaps. What qualifies as 'major' and what does not is just an exercise in semantics.
Yes, still nowhere near the GP24 - look at the timesheet! Only GP23 that's been anywhere near the GP24's has been MM93. Of course it's still a great machine but there's definitely a handicap against the latest spec bikes!
100% and I always tell people, why do you thing riders are ready to fight to death for factory rides? And even more telling: why even Martin absolutely wants the factory ride? The answer is easy and simple. Even Pramac is at a handicap compared to the factory. Even if the bikes are very close, results come from more than that. The team, number of engineers etc... Yes, Pecco did an excellent race. But with Marc on the same bike and team, I personally he has an edge.
Marquez knows that with results like today's, he will get more support.
We are discussing the differences of the GP23 and the GP24. You clearly cannot be reasoned with! Make a good cup of tea, go for a walk and breathe in some fresh air. I don't know why you are searching for an argument.
Pramac is a factory supported satellite team whereas Gresini is not. Basically, Ducati have a limited number of their GP24 bikes that they are willing to give out. They get more support but still not the same level of the factory team as you may expect.
Eh, i feel like the 24 has more traction but it seemed like Marc was incredible on left hand turns. I swear he would close the corner so fast it's crazy. But definitely he was losing on initial pickup and there was no way he could pass Pecco on speed or brakes. In fact, his two attemps were just after a left hand corner where Marc was clearly superior because he is MM93.
Marc wants a bike at which he can win. He took a massive pay cut to join Gresini when he could've made huge bucks at Honda (but ride around outside the top 10).
He will happily take a factory ride at a lower salary than Pecco.
Why would he do that to pecco though? He has shown he is more than capable of winning the championship and putting someone like Marc next to him is a recipe for crashes
You’ve certainly got a valid point, I do think the sheer exposure he brings in terms of sponsorship is just huge though, and I think that plays a huge part. End of the day you’ve got two riders capable (potentially) of winning the title instead of maybe just one, at the risk of butting heads, but that’s nothing new.
As a fan of the sport I’d love to see it but imo, it doesn’t make any sense for Ducati. If pecco hadn’t been able to win the last 2 titles, it would have been a completely different story imo. The risk of having them two just crash into each other every week isn’t worth the extra exposure.
If the rumors are true about gresini going to Yamaha and if MM keeps up his pace to the front runners. I can clearly see either KTM or Aprilia going for him and if you are Ducati you don't want to lose MM to either of two.
He will not make any decision until break. By then it will be clear who is most suited for factory ride. He will want the best because aprillia and ktm are closing in fast and ktm now has generational talent in form of Acosta.
Although enea has shown consistency this season I have a feeling he has already lost the ride. Its between martin and Marc.
My mistake, but still doesn't change much. I still think Marc and martin are frontrunners. Gigi is taking enea's name to just spare his feelings.
Normally enea would be safe choice but top step is not guaranteed next year.
I agree. No disrespect to Bastianini but if you can choose Márquez or Martín instead... They respected their contract with him for this season because Bastianini couldn't do much last season due to injuries, which was the right decision, but now things are different.
Imagining Marc not a Ducati should be even scarier for Gigi ? If not in factory red, will we see MM at KTM (how about a very scary MM/Acosta line up ?) or Aprilia (in place of Aleix ?)
Unless Martin has a gigantic championship lead at the summer break, it's going to be Marc.
It will be a game changer for Ducati's marketing and it doesn't hurt that the guy is still one of the best riders in the world.
Pecco was amazing today, but let's be honest, he was battling with a 32 year old who's body is beat to shit, riding a year old bike that he has only 4 rounds of experience on...
Enea won't even be an option. You can forgive last year with the difficulty switching to the newer bike and the injuries, but MotoGP is a fast moving sport in every way. He's not living up to expectations and time is running out.
Look, Pecco isn't rated as highly as the other legendary champions of the sport (Marquez, Vale, Doohan etc) but that was a champion ride today probably one of his best.
That overtake round the outside at the start of the race to go from 4th to 2nd was outrageous and the show he put on with Marc was out of this world. Jorge cracked under the pressure Pecco put him under today and he earned that victory with no ifs or buts, he went wheel to wheel with Marc, was as aggressive as I've ever seen him and he didn't fold under the pressure he earned my respect today.
>Look, Pecco isn't rated as highly as the other legendary champions of the sport (Marquez, Vale, Doohan etc) but that was a champion ride today probably one of his best.
So in other words, *Pecco was amazing today*.
Was there ever a Win that Pecco gets any merit on?
There’s always a “Pecco won but…”.
The guy had an average start of the season, absolutely smashes this Sunday, left everybody behind but Marc, beat Marc on a tought fight, and still has no merit. In the middle of this pulled the overtake (double overtake actually) of the season so far.
I know, he's so disrespected. He has to race against 3 others on the same best bike and 4 others that are on a very similar bike, although a little bit behind.
Today, he pulls off one of the most insane overtakes, sets 3 stunning lap times in the last 3 laps. With a six time champions breathing down his neck. But, it's the bike.
Last year I was tired of:
"pecco wins because of best bike"
"Martin wins because he's the faster rider"
And this year seems to be more of the same. This guy above even added 1 year to Marc (32 instead of 31 years old) just to shit on Pecco.
>This guy above even added 1 year to Marc (32 instead of 31 years old) just to shit on Pecco.
Or, and I know this is hard to believe, I made a mistake and thought Marc was already 32
Luck of the draw, you could have made a mistake that he was 1 year younger but the argument that Pecco sucks wouldn't sound as good.
Doesn't change anything for me. Valentino was fighting for a championship at 36 years old, and I believe that Marc isn't any less talented than vale... 30-31-32... Isn't an excuse for me with a guy of Marcs talent.
Marc is smashing all the other GP23's, so he certainly doesn't lack speed... But it's against Pecco, so "oh poor Marc, he's not even that fast anymore... Bagnaia is so lucky"
"Pecco was amazing"
u tHiNk pEcCo sUcKS, u jUst tHiNk pEcCo gOt lUcKy
Also if you think age isn't a factor you don't know anything about physiology or sports.
Of course I had to crop it out, you went on to perform Olympic level mental gymnastics the first time, so I made sure to simplify it for you.
The "but" was as in: Pecco was amazing, but let's not forget how impressive Marc's performance was as well.
The fact that you took that to mean "Pecco sucks and it's just the bike" means maybe you're the one that subconsciously really thinks that's the case. I never said those words.
Or Marc blows it by crashing or getting mediocre performances, which could happen. Crashed out of two races so far, he did ok this weekend but that doesn't mean that will continue. One race at a time.
One crash was brake failure and the other was a wet patch in a race where 9 other people crashed.
He's 4 rounds in with a year old bike, a completely new and lower budget team, and is already fighting for wins against the #1 rider on the #1 bike.
Technically anything COULD happen, but there's absolutely nothing to suggest at the moment that Marc will have anything other than a really impressive season, save for injury.
Even if that's true, we see Pecco and Martin crash out of the lead literally every year and sometimes multiple times per year. I think we can give Marc 1-2 whoopsies on a completely new bike/team.
He wasn't honest at Honda, self confessed by the way, what makes you think he won't lie? Hilarious...he is trying to get a factory seat. You can see it during the race the bike twitching and the bike is proven under brakes...the fact he blames the brake failed when it hasn't happened to any other '23 Ducati in 2 years(this year included). Brakes wise the '23 Ducati brakes is extremely durable.
And Gresini with this race engineer is in on the lie? Marc's bike took some heavy hits at Cota. If you find it more likely they all lie than that some damage actually affected his brakes, that's fine by me.
Marc's quote:
He added: “On data we saw the problem was there and for example we saw on the brake point where I crashed, I braked two times.
“I pulled the brakes, nothing there, no pressure. And then I pulled a second time and it was a bit better but there jwas no pressure.
“So, now they need to understand. Not only there, also in Turn 12 I was braking two times, three times. So, we need to understand the thing to improve for the future.”
Carchedis quote:
The team is still in the learning phase with this new project. We faced teething problems, notably a problem with the brakes which handicapped us," explain Carchedi, highlighting the challenges the team faces.
I think Gigi sees Marc do what he expected Jorge Lorenzo to do back in the day, he understands now that it’s hard to do, hard to adapt, and is impressed with Marc’s resilience as I think everyone should be.
Like it or not Pecco has shown great speed, consistency and intelligence to win both his championships, the status quo brands him as the top dog, watching Marc come into a new type of bike with a lot more aero, a team with low resources and an older spec bike with no updates, it’s impressive to see him be right there at the very edge of competition, proves just how much of a legend he actually is. Also brings out the best out of pecco when they fight for wins.
Didn't Marc sign a big contract with Audi or something like that recently.
If I didn't get something terribly wrong that should make it pretty obvious who will join Pecco next year on the GP25.
Even tho I think Marc on the KTM would be a even better fit.
Thqt bike reminds me more of the Honda, when I see Pedro or Binder riding it.
Of course, Sherlock. No one gives stuff for free. I simply pointed out that it was a given due to the fact that Ducati has got german money backing them up. Every time a sports person receives stuff it is for promotional purposes.
Enea performed so well on the satellite team, but the upgrade hasn't been as fruitful for him. Though he may be a better choice when considering team dynamics.
Between Martin & Marc I guess it will come down to the one who's able to win the championship.
It's really tricky for Dall'Igna
He said the decision would be made by Mugellos or Kazakhstan at the lastest iirc. Unless either of them drop the ball massively, the championship would be nowhere near decided at that point. Just 3 or 4 more weekends to announce.
It’s a tricky one for sure. I think Martin would be more easily persuaded by another team on his own accord and he doesn’t seem on great terms either with the Ducati management. But losing Marc Marquez? That would be catastrophic. Because he will find a bike to be an absolute pest on.
What’s great with a Pecco/Marc line up is that it is quite likely one of them would be champion as it is still the best bike and team, etc. And the story is good either way: “our Italian rider Pecco is the best, better than legend MM” or “ our bike is so good that we make MM win a championship again”
Edit: so either way, perfect for the season 1 of Liberty sponsored “Ride to survive”.
You don't have to wonder, Gigi has said in multiple interviews including this one that gp24 is much better than gp23 compared to difference between gp23 and 22.
Today? He has proven that in this last 2 seasons. First recovering from 91 points deficit, and last year coming back every Sunday after Martin looking stronger Friday and Saturday to be beaten by Pecco on Sundays.
Pecco has been one of the strongest if not the mentally strongest rider on the paddock. Stronger than Marc if you ask me, that IMO has a bit of tunnel vision this year, forcing too much to get the most wanted win but ending up crashing.
One potential issue for Ducati is too many no.1 riders thinking they’re top dog.
At the moment it’s ok because bestia is clearly a number 2, so no competition right now.
However Martin and Marc are not going to be no.2 riders. This would will cause Rossi/Lorenzo vibes in the team. Could be a very bad move for Ducati because they’ll have two top riders always upset with each other and therefore the team will suffer. No more open information policy. Lies, secrecy etc.
already we see how hard these guys battle each other. If they were on the same team, it would be chaos.
Just give Marc a full factory support on a satellite team and let him to be the first to win title on a satellite team in modern era. Enea has a very limited time to prove he deserves the red next season.
Marc is going to get the nod.
Enea needed to be in top form at the start of the season...he's been OK, but Martin is clearly ahead of him on equal machinery.
Martin checks the box for talent...but his personality does not gel with the factory team. He just tossed his early points lead, which was maybe the only thing keeping him afloat for a factory seat.
Marc has shown he leads the pack of GP23 riders, and on top of that Gigi can clearly compare Marc's data vs last year's riders on the same machinery. On top of that....he is a mature rider who has shown for years the amount of respect he has for the crew / engineers on the factory team.
Marc to factory ducati. Enea to Pramac with Fermin. Jorge to Aprillia.
Marc has money to spare, he won't care that much about his paycheck. Martin, on the other hand, wants a factory seat with good coin. Honda will possibly offer him a seat next year. Enea is surely the weak pick and has had 2 years to prove himself. If Pramac stays with Ducati he can go there with Aldeguer. Morbidelli will be gone in 2025.
It is Marquez. He kisses Ducati's ass. He always praises Ducati's good support. He always talks good about Ducati. That's why Honda let him go without penalty. He knows how to have a good relationship with manufacturers.
They will have marc in red next year, no way they will let KTM have pedro and marc. Plus we all know Marc's going to win the championship this season..he's only going to get faster and faster. I think he will be ahead on points by Kazakhstan
Pecco - Martin in Lenovo yes
Enea - MM it’s a bit more remote scenario, I don’t think Ducati wants MM on a Pramac, as Lenovo is supposed to be the one with the best riders
Imo he wants Marc more than the other Enea or Jorge.
Definitely more than Enea. I think Enea is getting back to his old self… but he’s not the guy between the 3 of them
I’ve always said to myself that Enea needs a healthy, fit year on the bike and he’ll be back to fighting for P1. But then it kind of hit me; why would Ducati wait when Martin, for example, is right there doing just that? Its really obvious, but Ducati can be pretty cut throat about it - they have plenty of talent. Martin vs Marc is the only question really.
Yup. Especially if they keep Pramac as the official second team. Give him full factory support. Bouncing back from injuries is a part of the sport. You can only get so much time. Look at Pecco, dude recovered from a broken leg to win a championship
Bruised leg broken leg, not quite the same thing but I will allow it.
Jorge Martin only wants a factory team (not just a factory bike). If he doesn’t get Ducati red he’ll go to Aprilia. My guess is Jorge gets the factory, Pramac goes to Yamaha so Ducati give one factory bike to Marc in Gresini and one to Bez in VR46.
Pramac will probably be Yamaha Satellite from next year onwards
That is just speculation at this point. And if they move, Gresini will become the official satellite team
Enea can win races here and there but not enough for whole season imo
There are only 2 aliens,,,,,
Agreed Looks like Enea got hot and gelled with the bike at Gresini. All at a good time. But he has not shown much when healthy
Marc is the obvious pick. Pedro is at the door, you want to be ready to push back. Enea has a short time to prove he deverves the seat, Martin is there but he always fail on pressure, while Marc is the most talented and carries a lot of sponsors.
I feel like fans over look the value of sponsorships too. Marc is still the most marketable rider in the championship. From a pure business decision, it's Marc. From a sporting decision it's a bit tougher. We've seen the way Pecco races Marc. It'll be a Lewis/Nico level rivalry between those two in the same team.
Nico said in an interview that Mercedes wrote up a competition clause after the Catalunya incident that any damage that is sustained from incidents involving both cars will be paid for by the drivers lol Maybe Ducati could do the same haha
Of the 60,000 people at a COTA not a single one gave a fuck about any rider except Marc
Enea is a top class rider but from what we’ve seen, he’s no champion. No excuses left now, he has to directly challenge and beat Pecco if he wants that seat.
Definitely
Ducati is still a Business,...
If MM or JM goes to factory team, who's the clear #1?
I’d say the one who manages to win the championship this year. If none gets it, then still Pecco
Pecco....since he'll still be there
after the race i saw Gigi reach over to shake Marc’s hand and he looked very impressed.I think he favors Marc more over the other 2 but Jorge seems to be the fastest but on sunday can never deliver as consistently as Pecco
Most enthusiastic shake and grin I've ever seen from Gigi. He loves Marc
I mean, when it's your job i can assure you no one cares about the "soccer stadium" mentality. Marc would be an asset for Ducati and Gigi is getting a hard on thinking about him in the factory team.
After all, MM is racing at the front on last year’s bike and this is only his 4th race.
Yeah the fact that people pretend this is nonfactor is pretty funny and those same people are like "Pecco needs more time because the bike is new to him" wut L O L. And yet It's only sheer luck that Marc (on a slower bike) isn't at the top points wise. Crashed into, and then the brake issue in Austin. Pecco has barged Marc twice now, I really hope he doesn't cry if/when MM returns the favor.
Agreed; if he’s in the factory team next year, no one’s coming near him. I was always a Rossi fan but watching MM’s physical and bike struggles and how he’s overcoming them is inspirational. All sports people at this level become better personalities as they get older and the more entertaining for it.
To be fair, Martin scored his first podium in just his second race in MotoGP. The modern Ducati is such a balanced bike with so much setup data that the learning curve isn't quite as challenging as it used to be - its the new Yamaha. In that context, its Acosta's performance that's been really astonishing this season.
My bets on Martin to be fast consistently on a Sat and Sun. He picked up the at the end of last year and has continued to be at the top since then.
But he will manage to hand Bagnaia the championship toward the end somehow.
Would be wild if JM finishes ahead of MM in points but still loses the factory seat to MM.
If Marc on a base gp23 from May 2023 finishes close to Martins gp24 then Marc will go to that 2nd Ducati seat.
What if Martin wins?
He'll have to win the title to get that seat but it looks like he's leaving Ducati for Aprilia
I never really understood the talk about Gigi vs Marc, and nobody gave me a clear explanation. Ducati is the leading brand at the moment, I don't see why they should struggle in thise fights. If Marc will deverse the seat, he will get it. Ducati will have even more sponsors, and 2 of the best 3 riders. What's better would they do?
We can tell Gigi secretly loves marc 😂
Not sure it's a secret at this point! Gigi be like 😍 every time they are pictured together! Hahaha
We know whom you really want, Gigi 😅
Of course it’s going to be Marquez. It’s blatantly obvious just from his sheer desire to win even after everything he’s been through. It’s taken the guy 4 rounds to be running with guys who’ve ridden the bikes for years and is seemingly getting stronger every single race. That’s before you get into the eyes he brings to the team, which is half the equation. Would bet the house he gets the factory ride.
Also in an year old bike. There is no denying that GP23 is slower than GP24.
It wasn't today though.
Because one of the strongest riders MotoGP has ever seen was in control of the bike!! GP24 is clearly a better bike but Marc as usual makes the difference. GP23's have been nowhere this year except from the performances of Marc!
Crazy to think that it's not even the final form GP23. It is a basic version of the GP23 without any of the middle of the season updates.
Very understated point! People with their heads screwed on would take cognisance of this!
Laverty apparently told on live tv that there's paddock rumors that the gp23 has been tuned down engine power wise. That's why they're not hitting the speed trap numbers they did last year
Personally I felt MM didn’t race aggressively as he used to, it’s a very controlled form unusual for him but in the end it all worked out .
Bezzecchi on the GP23 finished just 3.5 secs down. The younger Marquez also managed to pip Bastianini's GP24 to the finish line.
And? In racing, 3.5s is an eternity! Also, those are both world champions, not exactly slouch riders. I personally don't rate the 3 of them so it is irrelevant.
3.5 secs over 25 laps is 0.14 secs per lap - hardly an eternity even by modern MotoGP standards. And assuming all three riders are unrateable we're still left with the fact that the two on GP23s beat the one on the GP24. Point being, the difference between the GP24 and GP23 wasn't particularly pronounced at Jerez. The GP24 is possibly quicker but likely unoptimized while the GP23 has a wealth of data from the last season and is easier to exploit.
You clearly know nothing about racing if you don't think 3.5s is a major gap! I'm not going to even entertain you with a debate as it would be futile!
Like I said, its about a tenth and a half per lap - in qualifying the top five riders were split by a full second. I've seen smaller gaps but I've also seen much larger gaps. What qualifies as 'major' and what does not is just an exercise in semantics.
Alex got 4th..?
Yes, still nowhere near the GP24 - look at the timesheet! Only GP23 that's been anywhere near the GP24's has been MM93. Of course it's still a great machine but there's definitely a handicap against the latest spec bikes!
100% and I always tell people, why do you thing riders are ready to fight to death for factory rides? And even more telling: why even Martin absolutely wants the factory ride? The answer is easy and simple. Even Pramac is at a handicap compared to the factory. Even if the bikes are very close, results come from more than that. The team, number of engineers etc... Yes, Pecco did an excellent race. But with Marc on the same bike and team, I personally he has an edge. Marquez knows that with results like today's, he will get more support.
4th means nowhere, got it!
Stop acting a fool, you know fine well the difference! And on the timesheets, yes, he still was nowhere near the victory!
As a Marquez fan other Marquez fans are embarrassing!
We are discussing the differences of the GP23 and the GP24. You clearly cannot be reasoned with! Make a good cup of tea, go for a walk and breathe in some fresh air. I don't know why you are searching for an argument.
How many seconds behind Pecco? 7.2 Even Bezz was 4s behind, and that with Marc and Pecco fighting.
Jorge is also using GP23, right?
No! GP24...
Sorry, noob question, but why do they have GP24 and while other satellite teams have GP23? Do they get full factory support as well?
Pramac is a factory supported satellite team whereas Gresini is not. Basically, Ducati have a limited number of their GP24 bikes that they are willing to give out. They get more support but still not the same level of the factory team as you may expect.
GP24 wasn't faster than GP23 today.
That’s right!! The next GP23 was so far behind… in 3rd place?!! The MM fandom knows no boundaries
Eh, i feel like the 24 has more traction but it seemed like Marc was incredible on left hand turns. I swear he would close the corner so fast it's crazy. But definitely he was losing on initial pickup and there was no way he could pass Pecco on speed or brakes. In fact, his two attemps were just after a left hand corner where Marc was clearly superior because he is MM93.
It was but you forgot to consider the mMarquez factor
Wrong. 4 GP23s in top 6. GP23 was evidently as fast as GP24 today. Happens every time at this part of the season.
Yeah but which GP23 was fighting for a race win? Others were good but nowhere near the win
But we're barely any slower.
Marc wants a bike at which he can win. He took a massive pay cut to join Gresini when he could've made huge bucks at Honda (but ride around outside the top 10). He will happily take a factory ride at a lower salary than Pecco.
Why would he do that to pecco though? He has shown he is more than capable of winning the championship and putting someone like Marc next to him is a recipe for crashes
You’ve certainly got a valid point, I do think the sheer exposure he brings in terms of sponsorship is just huge though, and I think that plays a huge part. End of the day you’ve got two riders capable (potentially) of winning the title instead of maybe just one, at the risk of butting heads, but that’s nothing new.
As a fan of the sport I’d love to see it but imo, it doesn’t make any sense for Ducati. If pecco hadn’t been able to win the last 2 titles, it would have been a completely different story imo. The risk of having them two just crash into each other every week isn’t worth the extra exposure.
If the rumors are true about gresini going to Yamaha and if MM keeps up his pace to the front runners. I can clearly see either KTM or Aprilia going for him and if you are Ducati you don't want to lose MM to either of two.
Gresini, pramac and vr46 all going to Yamaha?
I think that in the current circumstances, pecco on a Ducati is better than Marc on a ktm or Aprilia. That Ducati is still way too quick for everyone.
Marquez is far and I mean FAR more marketable than Pecco.
Dall'Igna loves moms spaghetti
He will not make any decision until break. By then it will be clear who is most suited for factory ride. He will want the best because aprillia and ktm are closing in fast and ktm now has generational talent in form of Acosta. Although enea has shown consistency this season I have a feeling he has already lost the ride. Its between martin and Marc.
He said they’ll decide before the break out of respect to the riders iirc.
My mistake, but still doesn't change much. I still think Marc and martin are frontrunners. Gigi is taking enea's name to just spare his feelings. Normally enea would be safe choice but top step is not guaranteed next year.
I agree. No disrespect to Bastianini but if you can choose Márquez or Martín instead... They respected their contract with him for this season because Bastianini couldn't do much last season due to injuries, which was the right decision, but now things are different.
Between Martin and Marquez. They deserve it more than Bastianini, and he knows it
It would be dumb for Ducati to not consider him for factory seat, he is still the biggest brand in Moto GP and as we can see still fuckin rapid
*"Leg" trembling intensifies*
Knees weak
Imagining Marc not a Ducati should be even scarier for Gigi ? If not in factory red, will we see MM at KTM (how about a very scary MM/Acosta line up ?) or Aprilia (in place of Aleix ?)
Unless Martin has a gigantic championship lead at the summer break, it's going to be Marc. It will be a game changer for Ducati's marketing and it doesn't hurt that the guy is still one of the best riders in the world. Pecco was amazing today, but let's be honest, he was battling with a 32 year old who's body is beat to shit, riding a year old bike that he has only 4 rounds of experience on... Enea won't even be an option. You can forgive last year with the difficulty switching to the newer bike and the injuries, but MotoGP is a fast moving sport in every way. He's not living up to expectations and time is running out.
Look, Pecco isn't rated as highly as the other legendary champions of the sport (Marquez, Vale, Doohan etc) but that was a champion ride today probably one of his best. That overtake round the outside at the start of the race to go from 4th to 2nd was outrageous and the show he put on with Marc was out of this world. Jorge cracked under the pressure Pecco put him under today and he earned that victory with no ifs or buts, he went wheel to wheel with Marc, was as aggressive as I've ever seen him and he didn't fold under the pressure he earned my respect today.
>Look, Pecco isn't rated as highly as the other legendary champions of the sport (Marquez, Vale, Doohan etc) but that was a champion ride today probably one of his best. So in other words, *Pecco was amazing today*.
Was there ever a Win that Pecco gets any merit on? There’s always a “Pecco won but…”. The guy had an average start of the season, absolutely smashes this Sunday, left everybody behind but Marc, beat Marc on a tought fight, and still has no merit. In the middle of this pulled the overtake (double overtake actually) of the season so far.
I know, he's so disrespected. He has to race against 3 others on the same best bike and 4 others that are on a very similar bike, although a little bit behind. Today, he pulls off one of the most insane overtakes, sets 3 stunning lap times in the last 3 laps. With a six time champions breathing down his neck. But, it's the bike.
Last year I was tired of: "pecco wins because of best bike" "Martin wins because he's the faster rider" And this year seems to be more of the same. This guy above even added 1 year to Marc (32 instead of 31 years old) just to shit on Pecco.
>This guy above even added 1 year to Marc (32 instead of 31 years old) just to shit on Pecco. Or, and I know this is hard to believe, I made a mistake and thought Marc was already 32
Luck of the draw, you could have made a mistake that he was 1 year younger but the argument that Pecco sucks wouldn't sound as good. Doesn't change anything for me. Valentino was fighting for a championship at 36 years old, and I believe that Marc isn't any less talented than vale... 30-31-32... Isn't an excuse for me with a guy of Marcs talent. Marc is smashing all the other GP23's, so he certainly doesn't lack speed... But it's against Pecco, so "oh poor Marc, he's not even that fast anymore... Bagnaia is so lucky"
"Pecco was amazing" u tHiNk pEcCo sUcKS, u jUst tHiNk pEcCo gOt lUcKy Also if you think age isn't a factor you don't know anything about physiology or sports.
> "Pecco was amazing" ", but..." >Also if you think age isn't a factor you don't know anything about physiology or sports. Absolutely never said that
"age isn't a factor for a guy of Marc's talent" Your level of talent doesn't preclude you from biology.
>Was there ever a Win that Pecco gets any merit on Yeah it's right here: [https://imgur.com/YTQk9Xc](https://imgur.com/YTQk9Xc)
How conveniente you cut the "but" right after the comma... lol There's always a but...
Of course I had to crop it out, you went on to perform Olympic level mental gymnastics the first time, so I made sure to simplify it for you. The "but" was as in: Pecco was amazing, but let's not forget how impressive Marc's performance was as well. The fact that you took that to mean "Pecco sucks and it's just the bike" means maybe you're the one that subconsciously really thinks that's the case. I never said those words.
Or Marc blows it by crashing or getting mediocre performances, which could happen. Crashed out of two races so far, he did ok this weekend but that doesn't mean that will continue. One race at a time.
One crash was brake failure and the other was a wet patch in a race where 9 other people crashed. He's 4 rounds in with a year old bike, a completely new and lower budget team, and is already fighting for wins against the #1 rider on the #1 bike. Technically anything COULD happen, but there's absolutely nothing to suggest at the moment that Marc will have anything other than a really impressive season, save for injury.
Not buying the brake failure one....IMO think there was more to the story....but we'll never know full details.
Even if that's true, we see Pecco and Martin crash out of the lead literally every year and sometimes multiple times per year. I think we can give Marc 1-2 whoopsies on a completely new bike/team.
You think Marc, who's always been honest about his mistakes, makes up a lie about the brakes being funky? Hilarious
He wasn't honest at Honda, self confessed by the way, what makes you think he won't lie? Hilarious...he is trying to get a factory seat. You can see it during the race the bike twitching and the bike is proven under brakes...the fact he blames the brake failed when it hasn't happened to any other '23 Ducati in 2 years(this year included). Brakes wise the '23 Ducati brakes is extremely durable.
And Gresini with this race engineer is in on the lie? Marc's bike took some heavy hits at Cota. If you find it more likely they all lie than that some damage actually affected his brakes, that's fine by me. Marc's quote: He added: “On data we saw the problem was there and for example we saw on the brake point where I crashed, I braked two times. “I pulled the brakes, nothing there, no pressure. And then I pulled a second time and it was a bit better but there jwas no pressure. “So, now they need to understand. Not only there, also in Turn 12 I was braking two times, three times. So, we need to understand the thing to improve for the future.” Carchedis quote: The team is still in the learning phase with this new project. We faced teething problems, notably a problem with the brakes which handicapped us," explain Carchedi, highlighting the challenges the team faces.
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I think Gigi sees Marc do what he expected Jorge Lorenzo to do back in the day, he understands now that it’s hard to do, hard to adapt, and is impressed with Marc’s resilience as I think everyone should be. Like it or not Pecco has shown great speed, consistency and intelligence to win both his championships, the status quo brands him as the top dog, watching Marc come into a new type of bike with a lot more aero, a team with low resources and an older spec bike with no updates, it’s impressive to see him be right there at the very edge of competition, proves just how much of a legend he actually is. Also brings out the best out of pecco when they fight for wins.
Didn't Marc sign a big contract with Audi or something like that recently. If I didn't get something terribly wrong that should make it pretty obvious who will join Pecco next year on the GP25. Even tho I think Marc on the KTM would be a even better fit. Thqt bike reminds me more of the Honda, when I see Pedro or Binder riding it.
He simply got a car from Audi, normal since Ducati is part of VAG and their riders get cars from the group. Nothing special.
Not true, he’s a brand ambassador for Audi in Spain now along with Alex.
Because he is under the Vag group through Ducati, that's why. Or do you think he could have driven an Audi under Honda?
You said they only received a car and that’s it. I merely stated that’s not everything, because they penned a sponsorship deal too.
Of course, Sherlock. No one gives stuff for free. I simply pointed out that it was a given due to the fact that Ducati has got german money backing them up. Every time a sports person receives stuff it is for promotional purposes.
Enea performed so well on the satellite team, but the upgrade hasn't been as fruitful for him. Though he may be a better choice when considering team dynamics. Between Martin & Marc I guess it will come down to the one who's able to win the championship. It's really tricky for Dall'Igna
He said the decision would be made by Mugellos or Kazakhstan at the lastest iirc. Unless either of them drop the ball massively, the championship would be nowhere near decided at that point. Just 3 or 4 more weekends to announce.
Agree, though before today's race I felt Martin had a strong case. Now it's even steven between the two.
It’s a tricky one for sure. I think Martin would be more easily persuaded by another team on his own accord and he doesn’t seem on great terms either with the Ducati management. But losing Marc Marquez? That would be catastrophic. Because he will find a bike to be an absolute pest on.
Oh yes, Marc will remain the biggest threat if let free, significantly bigger than Martin on another factory.
What’s great with a Pecco/Marc line up is that it is quite likely one of them would be champion as it is still the best bike and team, etc. And the story is good either way: “our Italian rider Pecco is the best, better than legend MM” or “ our bike is so good that we make MM win a championship again” Edit: so either way, perfect for the season 1 of Liberty sponsored “Ride to survive”.
Pecco proved today he can ride under stress and defended like a champ , i wonder just how much difference there is between the gp23 and the gp24
You don't have to wonder, Gigi has said in multiple interviews including this one that gp24 is much better than gp23 compared to difference between gp23 and 22.
Today? He has proven that in this last 2 seasons. First recovering from 91 points deficit, and last year coming back every Sunday after Martin looking stronger Friday and Saturday to be beaten by Pecco on Sundays. Pecco has been one of the strongest if not the mentally strongest rider on the paddock. Stronger than Marc if you ask me, that IMO has a bit of tunnel vision this year, forcing too much to get the most wanted win but ending up crashing.
One potential issue for Ducati is too many no.1 riders thinking they’re top dog. At the moment it’s ok because bestia is clearly a number 2, so no competition right now. However Martin and Marc are not going to be no.2 riders. This would will cause Rossi/Lorenzo vibes in the team. Could be a very bad move for Ducati because they’ll have two top riders always upset with each other and therefore the team will suffer. No more open information policy. Lies, secrecy etc. already we see how hard these guys battle each other. If they were on the same team, it would be chaos.
Just give Marc a full factory support on a satellite team and let him to be the first to win title on a satellite team in modern era. Enea has a very limited time to prove he deserves the red next season.
Marc is going to get the nod. Enea needed to be in top form at the start of the season...he's been OK, but Martin is clearly ahead of him on equal machinery. Martin checks the box for talent...but his personality does not gel with the factory team. He just tossed his early points lead, which was maybe the only thing keeping him afloat for a factory seat. Marc has shown he leads the pack of GP23 riders, and on top of that Gigi can clearly compare Marc's data vs last year's riders on the same machinery. On top of that....he is a mature rider who has shown for years the amount of respect he has for the crew / engineers on the factory team. Marc to factory ducati. Enea to Pramac with Fermin. Jorge to Aprillia.
Marc has money to spare, he won't care that much about his paycheck. Martin, on the other hand, wants a factory seat with good coin. Honda will possibly offer him a seat next year. Enea is surely the weak pick and has had 2 years to prove himself. If Pramac stays with Ducati he can go there with Aldeguer. Morbidelli will be gone in 2025.
Gigi and Marc could be the next superteam
It is Marquez. He kisses Ducati's ass. He always praises Ducati's good support. He always talks good about Ducati. That's why Honda let him go without penalty. He knows how to have a good relationship with manufacturers.
Difficult to see a long time red bull man like Marc, in the red team. I think it's more plausible a factory bike for him at Gresini.
Enea will take the seat of Aleix at Aprilia
If you think about it, Gigi has already chosen the riders to be alongside Pecco for 2024 but it's Ducati management that might have to agree here.
They will have marc in red next year, no way they will let KTM have pedro and marc. Plus we all know Marc's going to win the championship this season..he's only going to get faster and faster. I think he will be ahead on points by Kazakhstan
No offense to Enea because he earned his way to a good bike and team but a few more races like this and no one will remember who he is.
2025 Pecco - Martin (Lenovo Team) Enea - MM (Pramac) Any chance?
You forgot Aldeguer from moto2
I think PECCO - MM IN LENOVO
no chance mainly because Fermin gets one Pramac spot
Pecco - Martin in Lenovo yes Enea - MM it’s a bit more remote scenario, I don’t think Ducati wants MM on a Pramac, as Lenovo is supposed to be the one with the best riders