Three names on shortlist but the clock is ticking on Ducati's big decision

With Fabio Quartararo off♎ the market for the next three MotoGP seasons including the current 2024 campaign, could 𒆙the next domino to fall be at Ducati?

Jorge
Jorge

2021 MotoGP champion 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Fabio Quartararo made a surprising decision lastꦍ week as he agreed to a new two-year deal with Yamaha.

The Japanese brand has endured a difficult time since winning 🔜the championship with Quartararo in 2021, losing out to Francesco Bagnaia in 2022, before a very disappointing season in ♉2023 as it marked their first winless campaign since 2003.

Quartararo received intereܫst from Aprilia as a 4m Euro salary reportedly was offered to the French rid🌠er.

However, Yamaha more than doubled that offer by giving Quartararo a yearly𝄹 salary of 12m for the next two seasons.

While that secures Quartararo’s futuܫre, it means Jorge Martin won’t be joining Yamaha which would have been in play had Quartararo left.

Instead, Martin’s💜 future could now be locked in at Ducati unless Aprilia swoops in 𓄧with an offer he can’t turn down.

However, that appears unlikely and Mar🐽tin, who is the cu🦄rrent championship leader, will want to move in alongside Bagnaia at the factory Lenovo Ducati team.

Martin has been the most consistent rider so far in 20♉24 and last season’s runner-up has made it known on several occasions that he wants to be a factor🦄y rider.

Ducati have plenty of options but when it comes ꦬto performance, current results and age,ဣ Martin might be the favourite to join Bagnaia.

Butꦦ what about the likes of Bastianini an🧸d Marquez?

Starting with the ⛄former, Bastianini has looked back to his best at the start of 2024 after adapting better to the new Desmosedici GP24.

Enea Bastianini, MotoGP race, Portuguese MotoGP, 24 March
Enea Bastianini, MotoGP race, Portuguese MotoGP, 24 March

Basꦦtianini secured second spot behind Martin last time out in Portimao, and although Martin has been stronger than the Italian so far this season, the Italian is a rider that on his day has proven to be very hard to beat.

Bastianini has also been a ver𒉰y good team-mate to Bagnaia and so the familiarity of being in the factory team, experience and results he has is not something Ducati will take lightly when making a decision.

Martin’s raw pace and recent results says he should be the rider to get that seat, however, Bast🌠ianini reไmains one of the best riders in MotoGP and therefore Ducati might want to keep their line-up intact.

The wildcard here is Marc Marquez, because the Spania💃rd i🥀s arguably the best MotoGP rider of his era, if not ever.

Marquez, like Bastianin𒁏i, has been very strong so far this season and an argument could be made that only Martin and Bagnaia have demonstrated more consistent speed than the eight-time world champion.

If Ducati chose to sign Marquez alongside Bagnaia, it would mean looking at what he’s capable of doing, rather than basing their decision off of results aboaꦚrd their bike.

Marquez only has two rou🌊nds of experience riding a Ducati, but that hasn’t stopped him from being very🅠 impressive.

Marquez could also make a big statemenไt by winning this weekend at COTA, one of his most successful circuits on the calendar.

Of course, the incident between Marquez and Bagnai🍒a in Portimao might scare management away from taking a risk, but equally, putting Marquez on their factory bike would be a big statement and would do wonders for sponsors.

Our pre🌠diction as it stands is that Martin will get the second factory Ducati ride for 2025, while Bastian💞ini could be set for a move away from Ducati after it was reported that talks have begun with Aprilia.

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