Ducati’s Deal with the New Devil

The 2025 MotoGP season was not just a championship; it was a Ducati-flavored demolition derby orchestrated by Marc Marquez.

In 2025, Ducati did not just build a bike—they built a monster that only Marc Marquez could tame. Here is why the GP25 broke Bagnaia, but made Marc a legend.

If you’re looking for the cold, hard numbers that prove the “Ant of Cervera” did not just join the team—he hijacked the entire sport—here is the damage report:

The Marquez “Masterstroke” by the Numbers

• 25 Wins in One Season: Marquez didn’t just win; he feasted. He racked up a staggering 25 combined victories (11 Grand Prix wins and 14 Sprints).
• The Motegi Clincher: He was so dominant that he put the title in a chokehold by Round 17 in Japan, clinching his 9th World Championship (7th in MotoGP) with five weekends still on the calendar.
• Points Gap: Before his season-ending collarbone break at Mandalika, Marquez had amassed 545 points. He finished 201 points ahead of his own brother, Alex Marquez, who took P2.
• Perfect Weekends: He achieved 7 consecutive “Double Wins” (taking both the Sprint and the GP on the same weekend), a feat never before seen in the sport.

Could Ducati Have Won Without Him?

The short answer: The trophy cabinet would look a lot emptier.

While the Ducati GP25 was clearly the class of the field, the “other” factory rider, Francesco Bagnaia, had a season he’d likely rather delete from his memory.

• The Pecco Problem: Despite winning the GP in Japan, Bagnaia struggled with the GP25’s evolution, finishing the season with only 288 points.
• The Post-Marquez Collapse: Proof of Marquez’s “carrying” ability came after his injury. Without Marc on the bike for the final four rounds, the factory team scored just 2 points. Bagnaia tumbled down the order, eventually finishing 5th in the standings.
• Aprilia’s Shadow: Ducati finished 350 points ahead of Aprilia in the Constructors’ title ($768$ vs $418$), but without Marquez’s massive haul, that gap would have been a nervous nail-biter instead of a blowout.

Historic Milestones

• Brotherly Love: For the first time in history, brothers finished 1-2 in the World Championship (Marc and Alex Marquez).
• The Dall’Igna Special: Gigi Dall’Igna secured a record that makes engineers weep: 4 consecutive titles with 3 different riders (Bagnaia, Martin, and Marquez).

“Winning four driver titles in a row with three different drivers… it’s something I will enjoy remembering in the future.” — Luigi Dall’Igna

Marquez has now officially equaled Valentino Rossi’s seven premier-class titles. With the GP26 already looking like a rocket ship, the question for 2026 isn’t if he can win, but how many more records will be left standing when he’s done.

Comparing 2014 Marc to 2025 Marc is like comparing a young heavyweight Mike Tyson to a calculated, veteran version of himself who now knows exactly where to land the knockout blow.

In 2014, he was an unstoppable force of nature. In 2025, he became a clinical machine. Here is how the two greatest seasons of his career stack up:

The Tale of the Tape

Why 2014 was “The Freak Show”

In 2014, Marc was purely riding on instinct and raw speed. He won the first 10 races of the season back-to-back. It wasn’t even a competition; it was a 10-week-long victory lap. He broke the record for most wins in a single season (13) and showed the world the “elbow down” style that would change the sport forever.

Why 2025 was “The Redemption”

While 2014 had more Grand Prix wins, 2025 was statistically more dominant due to the addition of Sprints.

• The “Sprint King”: Marc weaponized the Saturday Sprints, winning 14 of them. He realized that even if he didn’t have the pace for 25 laps on Sunday, he could bully the field for 12 laps on Saturday.
• The Injury Gap: Marc’s 2025 is even more impressive because he missed the final 4 races due to his shoulder injury at Mandalika. Had he stayed healthy, he almost certainly would have broken his 13-win record from 2014.
• The Age Factor: At 32, he became the oldest rider to win the title in the four-stroke era, proving that his “race craft” had evolved far beyond the wild, crashing rookie of a decade prior.

The Verdict: Which was better?

If you love pure, unadulterated speed, 2014 Marc is the GOAT. But if you value psychological warfare and efficiency, 2025 Marc is the ultimate version. He didn’t just beat his rivals in 2025; he made them look like they were riding different machinery.

In 2025, the Ducati garage went from “The House that Pecco Built” to “The Marc Marquez Show” in record time. The shift wasn’t just a change in results; it was a total tactical takeover that left the two-time champion, Francesco Bagnaia, looking like a guest in his own home.

Here is how the hierarchy flipped on its head:

1. The “Golden Boy” vs. The “Alien”

• The Pre-Season Assumption: Bagnaia entered 2025 as the established king, having won the 2022 and 2023 titles. The GP25 was expected to be “his” bike.
• The Reality Check: Marquez didn’t need an “adaptation period.” By the fourth race in Austin, he was already dominating. While Pecco was searching for front-end feel, Marc was busy winning both Sprints and GPs.

2. The Technical Pivot

This was the most “punchy” part of the season. Ducati’s engineering philosophy is famously data-driven. When Marc started winning 14 Sprints and 11 GPs, the data began to skew heavily toward his riding style.

• The GP25 Divergence: Bagnaia publicly complained that the GP25 lacked the corner-entry stability he loved.
• The Dall’Igna Admission: By mid-season, Gigi Dall’Igna had to admit that while Marquez was in “perfect symbiosis” with the machine, Bagnaia was “floundering.” Ducati eventually pivoted their technical development to support Marquez’s ultra-aggressive style, effectively leaving Pecco to fight a bike that no longer spoke his language.

3. The Psychological Knockout

The hierarchy shifted most visibly in the points table and the pit box.

• The Gap: At the halfway point, Marc had 344 points to Pecco’s 197. A nearly 150-point deficit against your teammate is a career-altering blow.
• The Ending: Even after Marc’s season ended early due to injury at Mandalika, Bagnaia couldn’t step up to fill the void. He scored only 2 points in the final races, while Marc’s brother, Alex, stepped up to take P2 in the championship.

4. The Rossi Factor

The tension reached a boiling point because of Bagnaia’s mentor, Valentino Rossi. The VR46 camp was reportedly “unhappy” with Ducati’s decision to sign Marquez. Watching Marquez win his 7th title on an official Ducati—equalling Rossi’s premier-class record—created a massive rift in the team’s internal politics.

The Final Verdict on Hierarchy

By the time the season wrapped up in Valencia, there was no doubt: Ducati is now Marc’s team.

• The Replica: Ducati released a limited-edition Panigale V4 Marquez Replica ($93,000) to celebrate the title, a move usually reserved for legends of the brand.
• The 2026 Outlook: Marquez is now the undisputed #1. Bagnaia, once the crown jewel, enters 2026 needing to prove he isn’t just “the guy who won when Marc was on a Honda.”

Source

Official MotoGP Rider Profile: Marc Marquez

Ducati Lenovo Team: An Extraordinary Season

MotoGP.com: 93 vs 46 – The Stats Comparison

The GP25 Mystery (The Race)

Cycle News: 2025 Season Review

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